(Photo : Pexels.com)

When it comes to love, they say, age doesn't matter. Well, 73-year-old, Joan MacDonald from Ontario, proves it is the same with fitness. She was previously obese and had a hard time dealing with her 198-pound weight and some health issues. After working out independently, using an app her daughter downloaded on her smart phone, Joan lost a whopping 55 pounds and she really looks great!

Joan started her fitness journey in January of 2017. She used the app to track her daily exercise and diet. It made a 360-degree turn in her lifestyle and wellness. Her exercise included a cardio routine, which she religiously followed 4 times a week, and she also had a vegetable and meat diet which made her omit the sweets and bagels off her grocery list.

After a year since she started, Joan noticed a big drop in her weight. Her health regimen caused her weight to drop from 198 to 141 pounds. Her dress size also decreased from 22 to a fascinating 16.

 

 View this post on Instagram

 42 vs 72. Who did it better? I had to dig up some old photos of myself for an upcoming interview and boy oh boy was I shocked! I just don’t remember myself being that big for that long. I thought it was just for a short period of time. I thought it was just old age creeping in, but when I look back through decades of photos, I see a different story. I wish I knew then what I know now. I now eat more food more often! I have more energy! I have more balance! I have a more positive outlook on life! Wishing you all a terrific week of growth, self-love and success! . . #grandma #masterathlete #athlete #inspo #fitspo #health #age #agingbackwards #fitover70 #olderwomen #oldermodel #silverhair #bodybuilding #girlswholift #strongwomen #yhhwomen #tscathlete #makeover #transformation #weightloss A post shared by  Joan MacDonald (@trainwithjoan) on Sep 18, 2019 at 12:50pm PDT

 Because of her large following on Instagram, Daily Mail interviewed her to spread inspiration among younger people who are having difficulty losing the weight. She said in the interview, "I was on a meal plan set up by my daughter Michelle, with x number of calories; primarily protein, carbs and good fats. And as the weight and inches came down my intake of food went up."

Joan added that she feels so great in her new shape. She often gets complimented by young men and women too. Her confidence is at peak level and she plans on continuing her healthy lifestyle for herself and to inspire others. Her daughter even set up the Instagram account to showcase her journey. Her account is named @trainwithjoan.

Aside from boosting her self-esteem, Joan has also boosted her immunity and overall health. She is now off her maintenance medications for her hypertension. She no longer experiences acid reflux, joint pains, high cholesterol and high blood pressure among other conditions common for a woman at her age.

"People are very complimentary and somewhat surprised that I've kept it off this long and I'm still changing. I have more muscle definition now than when I first lost the weight. I have an easier time staying away from junk or fast foods and as for exercise, I will keep at it because there's always room for change and improvement," she happily explained.

As an advice to those who are planning to get fitter and healthier, she added, "For those who truly feel at a loss, I'd say change one thing with your food intake and one exercise to do and each week add something new."

Her husband also compliments her achievement and her family is very proud of her journey. She is a living testament that life can still be interesting despite old age. She is very determined to keep it that way and she wants to coach overweight seniors who are thinking there is no hope for the winter years.

She is also grateful for the people who motivated her and she is determined to use her social media influence to promote fitness and wellness through exercise and good diet. She has now 84.8 thousand followers on Instagram.

RELATED: Physically Fit Teenagers Perform Better in Exams than Inactive Peers