Monday, December 30, 2013

Rise to Success - David Longhurst

“I’m feeling really good,” says Caselle employee, David, now 30 pounds lighter, “I have an overall feeling of, ‘I can continue to do this.’ If I ever get off track, I can get right back on.” At his heaviest, David weighed 268 pounds. But with the help of his Orriant Health Coach, Karli, he is making strides to reach his goal weight. “The biggest thing with Karli is the accountability. It’s helpful to speak with her once a month. We review my progress and see where I’ve been.” 48-year old David shares a recent “check-in” email he sent to Karli:

“The good news is the scale is down a little. Not as much as I would like, but I have actually hit the 230s. I feel great about that because I haven't seen my weight there for probably more than 15 years. Despite all the pressures in life, I do feel good about what I'm doing. My exercise has not been as good, but I have kept it up with basic walking and some basic strength training. So I'm moving, but I do need to start focusing on better exercise and not just walking when I could be burning some serious calories training for a run or something. My food tracking and what I have been doing there is going terrific. I'm not just trying to say what is right, but I have actually really felt better and choices are good. I have not been depriving myself certain foods that I want, but I have definitely said, ‘just a small piece’ or ‘none today’. Not having seconds has really made the difference I believe.

“I was at about this weight last year before Christmas. I was dieting with Medifast and spending a lot of money on prepared foods that I did not enjoy. After I didn't meet my goal (only by a small percentage) I simply could not do Medifast anymore. I would try, but with the holidays I quickly gained much of it back by the end of January of this year. What I have done differently this time is using normal everyday foods that I enjoy with some sweets. I am where I am today by eating real food and of course watching what I'm eating but not focusing on what I can't have. I'm sure you hear this over and over with people. I really hope this time I have found what it takes. I feel it is right. The consistency of good choices has been outweighing unhealthy choices and I know that has made the difference. I still love to cook, but I do it differently now.

“As for goals, I still want to keep tracking the food. It’s a habit and a good one. It’s easy for me. When I do that, I also save money because I eat out less. It’s been a really great thing. I am still limiting my sweets to three a week. Some weeks I have even less, but I say I have only three so I get 100% score. I do need to up my game on my exercise. I'm glad I'm moving and walking, but I can do more."

Karli and David enjoy their one-on-one interactions with each other. David recalls how tracking his food has been a useful tool in maintaining his diet, but what was even more helpful was his coach’s suggestion to not get hung up on perfecting his diet. David explained, “I used to think if I’m not perfect, then I haven’t succeeded, so why even try? When I was really rigid with my food tracking, it was very discouraging.” Karli helped David understand he doesn’t need to be perfect. This realization helped David enjoy the process of making long lasting changes for his health.

“David is one of the most determined individuals I have ever met” says his coach Karli. “He tracks what he eats a few days a week, just to keep himself in check. The biggest improvement David has made is learning how to listen to his body. He eats when he is hungry, and stops when he is full.  I think this is such a challenging concept for adults to master. I really feel he has conquered this aspect of health.”

When Caselle, David’s employer, first offered Orriant’s wellness program, David’s motivation to join was mostly due to the discounted insurance premiums. He admits thinking the program “would be a hassle”, but was willing to give it a shot to keep some money in his pocket. “In the long run I’ve been really grateful. My (improved health) has been a long time coming. I’m pleased with where I am now. Had I not joined Orriant, I would have continued to gain more weight. When you aren’t paying attention to it, it can escalate quickly.”

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