An update, I have ridden a regular bike to work for two months. My commute is 12 miles, going to work took me on my best days 50 mins and sweat, going home took me 70-80 mins, uphill and against wind. I have since purchased a mid drive ebike and now I can commute 50 mins both ways consistently, I save about 5 mins if I use level 3 assist. The benefits are I am not as tired on my days that I don't commute and I ride my regular bikes on my days off. My recovery is better and I enjoy myself on the bike more.
I am diabetic and riding has allowed me so far to lose 15 lbs and reduce my insulin intake by about 50%. I hope to lose 100 lbs by next summer commuting every other day. We will see. I'm curious to see how the ebike performs in cold weather. I'm thinking about getting a hub drive ebike to compare the two hub drives vs mid drive.