UK Health & Wellness Success Stories
NEW! 2012 Biggest BLUE Loser Winners
- Kathy Ward (1st place)
- Joe Salwach (1st place)
- Samantha Otte (2nd place)
- Kevin Pearson (2nd place)
- Lolita Martina (3rd place)
- Hussamuddin Nasir (3rd place)
- NEW! Emily Hicks (Tobacco Cessation Coaching)
- Sean Conway (Body Shop Fitness)
- Elizabeth Siereveld (Weight Loss Matters)
More success stories
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Kathy Ward: 2012 Biggest BLUE Loser Female 1st Place Winner. Lost 11.4% of her body weight!
Why did you decide to join BBL?
I wanted to lose some weight and get into better shape.
How did the program/staff help you?
Loved the support of the online classes and tips each week.
What was your biggest challenge?
I have a lot of food allergies and have learned to deal with those. I am allergic to dairy, wheat, soy, corn, ham, fish, and cheese.
What are your results to date?
Have you reached your goal? I lost 11.4 percent of my body weight so far, and I want to get down to 125 pounds in the future.
How does it feel to be YOU now?
I love it!!!!!
Check out Weight Loss Matters for yourself!
Joe Salwach: 2012 Biggest BLUE Loser Male 1st Place Winner. Lost 11.8% of his body weight!
Why did you decide to join BBL?
I had a meeting with Karen before the program started to learn more about it, and I needed to get some advice on making better choices between meals. Karen gave me a great recommendation for programs to track your food, exercise and weight loss -- "Lose-IT" and because I use my iPhone and iPad all the time, it was a great fit. She also gave me a number of recommendations for good snacks to eat between my meals so that I don't come home and eat before dinner.How did the program/staff help you?
Karen, Emily and Helen are great coaches. They always share something that I take home with me and use in my daily transformation to become healthier. The fun food segment has given me a number of new items to add to my shopping list for healthy choices. The staff in the program are a sharing group, and our coaches always get everyone involved in the conversations.What was your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge was to only eat what was on my weekly menu. I prepare a weekly menu and shop for what is on the menu, this serves a financial goal and a healthy weight goal.Another big challenge was getting a daily workout in for 30 minutes or more. I'm now at a goal of 1 hour per day for at least 6 days a week.
What are your results to date? Have you reached your goal?
During the ten weeks of the Biggest Blue Loser and WLM, I lost 11.8 percent of my body weight; I have reached my first goal. My goal for the next two 10-week sessions is to get my weight down to around 205 and go into maintenance mode.How does it feel to be YOU now?
I feel much better with more energy now. I can walk four miles in one hour and not feel tired afterwards. Many of my clothes don't fit me, and I had to cut my belts shorter. I plan to still lose weight over the next couple of months and get involved in different types of exercise programs.
Check out Weight Loss Matters for yourself!
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Samantha Otte: 2012 Biggest BLUE Loser Female 2nd Place Winner. Lost 9.7% of her body weight!
Why did you decide to join BBL?
I had lost weight in the past with BBL. Last summer, I focused on giving up smoking and when I did, I gained some of the weight back. I am a very competitive person. So I joined BBL again knowing that the chance at winning a prize would motivate me to stay on track!
How did the program/staff help you?
As much as I hate the thought of keeping a food diary, I have to admit that I could not have lost the weight with keeping it -- at least not that much weight in that amount of time. The exercise requirement of the competition really helped me make exercise a habit. I used to hate working out. When I would hear people talk about how much they liked working out, I rolled my eyes thinking, “Really? Who LIKES to work out?” With BBL we are required to do 150 minutes a week. I started mixing in different types of workouts throughout the week. Now, I can honestly say I enjoy working out. I would even go as far to say that I MISS IT, if I don’t get a workout in at lunch. Crazy but true!
And I cannot say enough about the staff. What a wonderful bunch to work with! There is no way I could have ever done this without their support, knowledge and guidance! Because of them, I have found a passion to be healthy. Something that really was not important to me before. Now I want to help my family be healthy. I’ve learned so much from the staff!
What was your biggest challenge?
In the beginning, finding time to exercise was a big challenge. I learned to break my workouts up some and also to make them a priority. I work out at lunch and then either hop on the treadmill or pop in a video after the kids are in bed. That usually means that I don’t get my second half of my workout until 8 or 9 at night, but it hasn’t affected my sleep so it works for me. Another challenge was dinner every night. I’m extremely fortunate in that my mother keeps my children while I’m at work, and when I come to pick them up she has dinner waiting for me. It means a lot to her so I cannot refuse it, BUT her style of cooking is not usually healthly. But it tastes oh so good! I’ve had to learn to eat lighter and healthier breakfast and lunches and watching my portion sizes for dinner.
What are your results to date? Have you reached your goal?
I’ve lost 9.7 percent of my body weight. I reached my goal for the 10-week period, but I’m still a few pounds away from my “Ultimate Goal.” I expect to hit that goal soon -- or at least before my high school reunion in July!
How does it feel to be YOU now?
Fantastic! I feel so much healthier. Not just thinner but truly healthier. I have so much energy now. And yes, I do look better in my clothing now. Hello confidence, where have you been hiding? HA!
Check out Weight Loss Matters for yourself!
Kevin Pearson: 2012 Biggest BLUE Loser Male 2nd Place Winner. Lost 6.1% of his body weight.
Why did you decide to join BBL?
I was physically active and ate a well-balanced diet prior to the BBL competition, but I was looking for a little extra motivation and accountability.
How did the program/staff help you?
The program is great for those that are just getting started along the path toward a healthier life or for those with just a few pounds to lose. The classes were filled with useful information and tips to make difficult food choices easier. Further, the food diary was an excellent deterrent when it came time to buy Girl Scout Cookies this year — I found it is better to donate the money instead of buying the cookies!
What was your biggest challenge?
Keeping the food diary was my biggest challenge — it held unbelievable persuasive powers over me during the BBL competition.
What are your results to date? Have you reached your goal?
I lost 6.1 percent of my starting weight and will be happy to maintain my current weight indefinitely.
How does it feel to be YOU now?
It feels amazing each morning when I wake up feeling energized. However, I am fearful that I will not be as buoyant at the pool this summer.
Check out Weight Loss Matters for yourself!
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Lolita Martina: 2012 Biggest BLUE Loser Female 3rd Place Winner. Lost 6.9% of her body weight.
It’s exciting to be a part of the Biggest Blue Loser winning team! I decided to join the Biggest Blue Looser because I needed the support, feedback and knowledge to help me start reaching my weight loss goal. The staff was super supportive in all of those areas. My biggest challenge that I face is abiding by my nutritional plan on the weekends but I have learned to make choices in my food options. I am seeing visible results in weight loss, sleep patterns and energy levels. Friends, coworkers and family have also noticed and complimented me. Although I have not reached my goal, I do realize that these changes that I have made are rewarding lifestyle changes.
Check out Weight Loss Matters for yourself!
Hussamuddin Nasir, 2012 Biggest BLUE Loser Male 3rd Place Winner. Lost 4.3% of his body weight!
Why did you decide to join BBL?
After struggling with my weight for around 5 to 10 years, losing and regaining weight, and hitting a plateau and then quitting numerous times, I decided it’s now time that I take charge of my health. I wanted to find the reason behind this see-saw in weight loss and try to lose weight the proper way and keep it off. I had heard about the WLM program and thought BBL would give me a boost to my efforts.
How did the program/staff help you?
The program educated me to
- Eat right and snack healthy.
- Not starving myself of foods that my body craves for and instead take things in moderation or substitute it for healthier options.
- Being more informed about things I am eating with advice from Karen, Emily and Helen
- Group motivation by listening to strategies and methods others in the groups employed to solve their problems and trying to incorporate it into my lifestyle helped.
- Keeping myself hydrated so that my mind does not get confused between actual hunger and just the body being dehydrated.
- Finding ways to increase body activity level in simple ways that you can add in your daily routine like using the stairs always, or simple exercises that can be done right in your office chair or couch. All these add up and help a lot in achieving the perfect weight loss strategy and help keep the weight off.
What was your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge was to stick to my WLM diet plan and keep up my exercise routine regularly even when under stress and extreme work pressure. These were times when I used slack off and start bingeing on junk food. The WLM staff was very helpful here in helping me plan out strategies to de-stress and also provided me options for eating healthy and fun snacks.
What are your results to date? Have you reached your goal?
I have lost about 5% of my body weight since I started in January 2012 and still have a long way to go. I still have to lose about 60 pounds which I hope to accomplish that by May 2013
Check out Weight Loss Matters for yourself!
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In Their Own Words: Tobacco Cessation Success Stories
Emily Hicks: "Even though a path has a puddle, it doesn’t mean I have to step in it."
I had known for a while that I was going to quit smoking, telling myself that I wasn’t really addicted. But when it came time for my “smoke break,” I was always outside (across the street of course) with a cigarette.And driving, oh man, driving was the worst. I felt like I didn’t know how to drive without a cigarette in hand. I remember walking into Wellness on Wheels and being excited about learning more about nutrition, but when they offered up a program to help you quit smoking, I was intrigued. I remember thinking that I wasn’t really going to quit, but I signed up anyway. Andrea called. I set a goal date of February (this was in early September). I remember her response was something along the lines of “Well, we’d like for your goal to be more short-term.” So, with a cigarette in hand, I reluctantly set a quit date in late September.
I remember the first informational email I received. Delete. Didn’t even think about it, let alone read it. Smoke break came and I smoked. Same thing the next day. Another email, but this time I read some of it. Delete. Kept smoking. Then the phone calls started. There were days I wanted to just not answer. I didn’t really want to hear what she had to say. As it got cooler, I started to cough. I realized that after a few emails and few calls that I didn’t want to smoke as much. And I didn’t. I was on my last pack of cigarettes that I had purchased, so I went and got the Nicorette lozenges via the voucher provided by the program. I sat in my floor and read every paper in the package. I wanted to know everything about them.
Knowledge truly is power, no matter how cliché it sounds. We all face our own struggles and nicotine was my outlet. Have a bad day, smoke a little more. And preceding meeting the Wellness crew, I had a dear friend tell me that I was not allowed to smoke in my wedding dress. My whole reason for wanting to do the Wellness on Wheels was to be healthier and more confident on my wedding day. Turns out no matter what your reason for that first step, or how much you battle with yourself over quitting, this program works! I wanted to quit, but I didn’t want to put forth any effort. If you are reading this, you are probably there. With the knowledge, resources and coaching provided, I am proud to say that I have not even had a puff since late September.
Andrea is a blessing. I remember being so frustrated with her because I would tell her how irritated I was and she had a way of putting things in perspective that allowed me to realize that even though a path has a puddle, it doesn’t mean I have to step in it. And that’s it is acceptable to be frustrated and/or annoyed … and that I was going to need a new outlet. One of the first calls, Andrea did a basic overview of the program and I remember thinking – how is she going to not only give me replacement therapy, but also provide me with coping mechanisms for replacing nicotine in my life with healthier outlets? I’m still processing how it all happened, but what I do know is that I am healthier and happier than I ever was as a smoker. I’m not going to lie, I did gain 8 pounds since September, but Andrea was also there for me when I was ready to combat that with additional resources available to me at UK. Andrea herself, and I’m sure whoever else coaches, was a great resource for me throughout this process and I am sure I will never be able to repay her for seeing me through.
Get more info. on Tobacco Cessation.
Through hard work and patience, Sean Conway lost more than 100 pounds!
Sean Conway lost more than 100 pounds with the help of Body Shop Fitness. |
What UK Health & Wellness programs helped you with your weight loss? The Body Shop and staff are invaluable. Having access to the professional staff that can walk me through exercises that would benefit me meet my goals was amazingly helpful. Both locations are convenient to anywhere on campus, and the low cost of membership have been a great boon in helping me reach my weight-loss goals. |
When and why did you decide to join Body Shop?
I had been a member of the Body Shop for a couple of years and have gone intermittently in that time. However, last June my doctor put me on blood pressure medication. Although I’ve been big all my life, this was the first time my weight was directly affecting my health in a tangible manner. Not wanting to take medication for a long period of time, I resolved to use my membership more fully.
How has the program and staff helped you?
Tiffany was absolutely wonderful to work with. She helped me develop a routine that would assist me in losing weight. I also told her that I enjoy hiking, so she added some exercises that would help build up my lower body strength. Anytime I see Tiffany in the Body Shop, she seems genuinely interested in my progress and always has something encouraging to say, which is always helpful when you’re working toward a long-term goal.
Other employees at the Body Shop were equally helpful. Anytime I had a question about proper form of an exercise, how exactly it was affecting me, or for a replacement exercise when a routine was beginning to stagnate, I could count on anyone there to assist me with a helpful attitude and give full explanations to anything they suggested.
What was your biggest challenge?
Motivation after the first couple of weeks is always something that, I think, can get people down. I tried to take a long-term view of the situation and didn’t go into it this time, like I had on previous attempts, expecting quick and immediate results. Instead I found routines that suited me and slowly ramped up the amount of physical activity I expected from myself in a day. Seeing the weight start coming off was great motivation in itself. Encouraging words and advice from Tiffany and other Body Shop members were also helpful in keeping motivated.
Also, changing my eating habits was something that took time, but I have successfully made permanent changes to my diet, and am consistently making better choices in what I eat and how I cook, as I now almost exclusively only eat what I prepare myself with healthier ingredients.
What are your results to date? Have you reached your goal?
Although I have not reached my goal, I am within a stone’s throw of it. To date (since June 2010) I have lost 115 pounds, 14 inches (over a foot!!) off my waist, two shirt sizes, a ring size, and even half of a shoe size. I would like to lose at least another 30 pounds. I have recently, however, crossed the line of one of my major immediate goals…not having to buy all my clothes in the big and tall section.
How does it feel to be YOU now?
It feels great. I am able to get out on the trail more often and can go miles farther than I previously could. I’ve even recently taken up trail running for an added boost to my physical activity. I’m at the lowest weight of my adult life and feel great thanks in large part to Health & Wellness and the Body Shop.
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