Gordon's Story, June 2007

In November, 2006, my doctor conducted a series of blood sugar and cholesterol tests. At that time, I was determined to be pre-diabetic, my bad cholesterol was high, good cholesterol low, and my triglycerides were elevated at 245. My blood pressure continued to be higher than normal, with my resting pulse rate around eighty (80). Because of my family history of diabetes (including my father), my physician recommended a weight loss of fifteen (15) pounds as soon as possible, and regular exercise program. I was on the threshold of diabetes and regular insulin, and this was a “wake up” call for my future.

Gordon

The Healthy Utah staff has been extremely helpful in their recommendations, and in their support of my current improvements. Staff members spent the time discussing changes in my eating habits and exercise, including recommendations that would help me see positive results.

I then completed a Healthy Utah assessment in November (right before the difficult holiday period), after beginning a weight loss program. At that time, I had lost five pounds, and my cholesterol still showed problems. The Healthy Utah staff recommended becoming part of the list servers for diet and exercise, and I signed up for Maintain, Don’t Gain during the holidays. I started an exercise program after signing up for membership with the Dimple Dell Fitness Center in Salt Lake County. My regular workout includes 5-6 mornings a week, with 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, 100 crunches, and an upper/lower body strengthening program on alternate days.

The holidays are difficult, especially when delicious treats are arriving at the house daily. There was a great deal of temptation that I had to learn to resist. The Healthy Utah staff recommended that I sample each treat brought to the house (one bite), to see if my craving was satisfied. If not, I would finish that piece of chocolate, fudge, or cookie. But I would not eat another…which had been a real problem for me in the past. I was successful in doing that throughout the month of December.

My success has, in part, been due to the recommendations from Healthy Utah staff in terms of proportional versus uncontrolled eating. I stopped completely my intake of soda pop (including diet drinks) three months ago (November, 2006), eliminated most saturated fats and trans fats, did away with caffeine completely, started drinking a lot more water, and increased significantly my intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free milk, fat-free yogurts, and fat-free sour cream. I am also eating healthier breakfasts of oatmeal, whole wheat toast, an 8 ounce glass of juice, and a banana several days a week. I have eliminated the fast food runs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and on rare occasions when the family eats at one of those locations, I try to get the healthy salads, etc. I have been eating a great deal at Subway (no condiments or cheese included, with plenty of fat-free sweet onion sauce on either Turkey breast sandwiches (on wheat), or Chicken Sweet Onion Teriyaki (on Honey Oat). I have done away with most chips, but I do enjoy the Baked Lays barbecue chips at Subway.

Although I have several months before my next Health Utah Session assessment, I did have a follow-up appointment this past week with my physician. The changes have been quite dramatic for me. I have lost approximately 25 pounds, to date (including the holiday period); my Body Mass Index (BMI) has gone from 35 to 29; my blood pressure is normal; my resting heart rate has dropped ten (10) points; my blood sugar is improving; and there were significant drops in my cholesterol scores. My total cholesterol was down to 125…bad cholesterol down over 40 points to 66…good cholesterol up 6-8 points…and my triglycerides were down to 83. What I am doing appears to be working well, and my motivation has increased because of the reports I am now receiving on the impact the changes I have made are making in my life.

Obviously, an exercise and weight loss program will affect each of us differently. Because my doctor is monitoring closely my progress, I have been comfortable in increasing my exercise level. I was tired of looking at myself in the mirror each morning and seeing the larger proportions I had taken on due to misuse of my muscles through no exercise, and the high amount of food and calorie intake I had put my body under for several years. I was tired of being out of breath following limited activity. I have coached girl’s volleyball teams (which include my daughters) for several seasons, and I wanted to be able to run the court with them during practice. I found that doing this for myself (and not just my family), was the greatest motivator for me. I still have twenty-five (25) pounds to lose in reaching my optimal weight, and look forward to a new clothing wardrobe, as well as a heightened level of health and happiness because of decisions I had made and that required a great deal of sacrifice and determination.

Tell Us Your Story!

Healthy Utah invites you to share your wellness success story. By doing so, we are able to educate our members of the importance of making healthy changes for life. They will be a resource and inspiration to help others improve their health. Download a Success Story Form (Word document).