From this week's Steps - The County of Orange Employee Benefits Wellness Newsletter • 3rd Quarter 2021. The author is my wife, Lisa
>>My Journey to Wellness
My wellness journey started with my husband getting ill. I do not want to go in the details of his health problems other than to say I almost lost him in February 2017. After the acute illness, he needed physical therapy and rehabilitation, first in an inpatient setting then at home and eventually outpatient. He got to the point that his physical therapist advised him there was not much more she could do and advised him to get a gym membership where he could continue to exercise on equipment he was using at physical therapy. We had a new gym opening near our home and they were offering special deals. I wasn’t very motivated to join, but I figured I should probably get a membership also and then we could motivate each other. Also, my fasting blood sugar was consistently in the prediabetic range and my blood pressures were slightly elevated. I figured a little more activity and maybe some weight loss couldn’t hurt.
Taking the Next Step
At the time, I was smoking half a pack to a pack of cigarettes a day and as we were going to the gym more often, I started seeing the absurdity of smoking a cigarette before and after working out. I still wasn’t very motivated, but I did start cutting down on the smoking, actually quitting before the New Year (2018). I did use nicotine patches to help with the cravings. I also started walking with coworkers during our breaks instead of smoking. I’m still not sure what motivated me to quit smoking.
The Benefits of Activity Tracking
Part of our gym membership was a session with a personal trainer. I took advantage of that, mainly to get instruction on how to use the different weight machines safely. The trainer suggested that I get a fitness tracker. I did some research and asked my husband for a Fitbit for Christmas. We were going to the gym fairly regularly until the holiday season of 2017. I got my Fitbit for Christmas, downloaded the Fitbit app to my phone, and started using it. I set a modest step goal, I think 10,000 steps a day. I liked the reminders to move and the little celebration when I reached my step goal each day. It motivated me to move more.
Working Toward a Goal
I set a goal weight in the Fitbit app and started logging my food. I really only wanted to get back into my size 12 jeans, but as I started getting more active the weight and inches kept coming off. Because I had quit smoking, I was able to be more active and started using stairs instead of elevators. I began to challenge myself to climb more flights of stairs each day. I went from parking on the second floor to eventually parking on the fifth floor. I’m back to parking on the second floor, but now I get to the office early and walk in the parking structure before work. During the day, I’ll take the stairs to a restroom on one of the upper floors instead of using the restroom here on the first floor.
Creating a Plan to Fit
My Needs In October 2019, after I got to my desired weight, I started working with a personal trainer at the gym. I wanted to increase muscle mass and work on toning my core and glutes. She had me working with free weights and I was actually lifting more than my body weight.
She and I also worked on my diet to determine the ratio of carbs, fats, and protein that I should strive for each day. Maintaining that ratio has helped me to be more mindful of what I eat. The sessions I had paid for were just about over when news of the corona virus broke. Before everything shut down, I made a decision to stop going to the gym and shift back to walking and working out at home. Despite not going to the gym, I have managed to keep the weight off. I am returning to the gym in July.
The Payoff of Hard Work
After the weight loss and quitting smoking, I am no longer prediabetic and my blood pressure is back to normal levels. I had been diagnosed with asthma in my late 20s, I am no longer asthmatic and have no shortness of breath unless I’m exerting myself. I have gone from a size 18 to size 0. I even had to resize my rings. I still wear the Fitbit and log what I eat.
Planning Ahead
When making food choices, I think about how those choices fit into my plans for the day, including how active I am being that day. Do I plan on a long walk or am I going to a movie with friends? Are my husband and I going to an amusement park or are we running errands and grabbing a bite to eat while we’re out? I also think about how much my husband enjoys looking at my legs. It’s a great ego boost when he compliments them. I think about how my clothes fit and that I want to continue to be able to wear the small sizes. I like hearing my husband saying that I have gone from a size 18 to a size 0 and the pride in his voice when he tells people that.<<
