Rise to Success - Matt Geiger

“It’s like a cloud over your head, almost a level of depression,” recalls Matt Geiger. At least, that is how he used to feel before exercising on a regular basis. “I don’t have stress looming over my head from not working out. Now that I am exercising, I don’t feel guilty anymore.”  When Matt’s employer, Benchmark Brands, implemented Orriant’s Corporate Wellness Program he thought it “seemed silly at first”.  During his initial Orriant Health Assessment℠, he discovered he weighed a little more than he expected. Shortly after, he quickly gained an additional 10 pounds during the Christmas holiday season. Matt realized if he was going to change, he needed to start now.

“Since January, my weight is down 23 pounds,” said Matt with a grin. “It’s not just about dropping weight; it’s about toning your body. I’ve put on muscle and my clothes are fitting better. I’m happy and my wife is happy.” Matt is the father of 4 children and is far more active with them today than he was a year ago. “I’m playing with my kids a lot more and I’m feeling better about myself.”

Not long ago, Matt switched job locations which cut down on his daily commute time.  “I thought, ‘I have no excuse anymore. Let’s see what happens.’” Matt decided to dedicate 60 minutes a day to exercise, 2/3 of the time he gained back from his shortened commute. “Exercising in the mornings means I get the blood going and I’m wide awake when I get to work. I’m happier at work and I’m healthier,” says Matt, “It’s made a real positive impact.”

Calling his Orriant Health Coach℠ seemed like a silly thing at first too, but “ultimately, it’s been a good thing for me. I hold myself accountable in the end.” Matt appreciates the one-on-one interaction he has with his coach, Rachel. “I feel like she has a genuine concern for my progress. Rachel gives me ideas, tips and tricks. It is encouraging.” One such tip was inspired by Matt’s nightly routine of watching TV after his kids are in bed. While Matt watched his favorite shows, he found himself mindlessly snacking on junk food. Rachel suggested he keep his hands preoccupied by using free weights instead of eating. “I grab those free weights and do curls, tricep extensions, whatever,” says Matt with a chuckle, “I look like a fool doing it, but it’s better than eating a bag of Cheetos!”

Matt has plans to hike different parts of the Appalachian Trail throughout the upcoming year.  His goal is to hike 10-20 miles on any given weekend.  To help make this goal a reality, he trained for and completed his first 5k. “Before, I couldn’t run 50 yards. Now, I can run a mile without stopping.”

Joining Orriant’s Corporate Wellness Program has made a lasting influence. “I’ve always been active, but I wasn’t doing it consciously. I was only doing the fun part, instead of making an effort to be healthy.” Matt continues, “Now, I actually enjoy kayaking instead of suffering through it. I am hiking and enjoying it again. I’m looking around at the scenery instead of sucking wind. Not only do I enjoy it, but I look forward to it.”

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.”

Rise to Success - Jesse Dimick

In only 4 short months, Jesse achieved all three goals he set with his Orriant Health Coach℠. Since July, Jesse 34, has met his desired weight (lost 34 pounds to do so), is exercising regularly, and lowered his blood pressure to within a very healthy range. The change began when Jesse switched jobs and started working for Wheeler Machinery, a partner with Orriant, a corporate wellness company. Before joining Wheeler’s team, Jesse often traveled 3-4 times a week. This schedule made it difficult for him to eat healthy – often eating on the road. “Since I’ve been working at Wheeler, I can go home every night and eat good food instead of fast food.”

Losing extra weight is something Jesse has wanted to do for about 5 years now. Orriant’s wellness program was just the thing to encourage him to not only make changes, but to stick with them. Jesse explains, “Setting the goals has been helpful. Before I eat something, I think about it. As far as my workouts go, Orriant helps me to stay focused. It keeps me in check.”

It is no surprise that exercise and proper nutrition are the secrets to Jesse’s wellness successes.  Even though he is physically active at work, he understands it is important for him to exercise outside of his job. Now that he is setting goals with his Orriant Health Coach℠, Jesse exercises 4 days a week. His workout routine usually consists of 20-30 minutes of running, followed by 10 minutes of light weight lifting. When asked if his new exercise program was an adjustment, Jesse responded with, “It wasn’t too bad.” 

Jesse admits that working with his health coach, Nate, is an important key to his successes. “He has been great and really good in helping me set my goals.” Nate also helped Jesse separate myth from fact when it came to his metabolism. “Nate explained to me the importance of eating a little bit more to maintain my body weight and the process behind it all. That has really helped me out.”

Nate describes Jesse as a ‘great guy’ and ‘a very hard working individual’. “The most substantial change I have seen in Jesse is his mindset,” says Orriant Health Coach℠ Nate. “He is always looking to succeed and is never afraid of failure.” Jesse acknowledges that taking the time to focus on his health has given him more than just physical benefits. “My days go by easier than they did before,” says Jesse with confidence, “It makes you feel better about yourself.”

Jesse is grateful for the experience to work with his health coach and wellness company.  “Orriant has provided some great accountability and awareness in my life. By doing so, it has enabled me to accomplish my wellness goals. It feels great and I want to continue my progress.” Jesse’s current goals are to maintain his overall physique and fitness level. Specifically, he is looking forward to increasing his muscle mass. Nate is confident Jesse will surpass these new goals, just like he initially did, only a few short months ago. 

Rise to Success - Linda Kreitman

Linda used to exercise regularly until she was injured a few years ago. Her recovery was slow after her injury. One of her main goals when she began working with her Orriant Health CoachSM was to get to a point where she could exercise consistently the way she did before her injury. Linda started walking regularly and incorporated some light strength training at home. Shortly after, she traveled for work and found that her endurance had really improved in just a few short months. Linda took a lot of stairs when she traveled and she realized that they became easier and easier each time she used them. She was pleased that she wasn’t out of breath either. She was very thrilled to see her improvement with her endurance and stamina simply from increasing her exercise routine in just a few short months.

In the last year Linda walks everywhere, as much as she can and makes going to the gym a priority at least 2-3 times a week. She is trying to make her gym trips a habit in her weekly schedule. By incorporating her gym trips she feels her body is "in balance" and she’s able to try more fun things like bowling and hiking. In addition to her gym trips, she has been practicing portion control regularly and tries to be more conscious of how much she really needs to eat and not getting uncomfortably full. She has learned that she really does need less food.

Her biggest success is that she feels better in her clothes overall and feels in control of what she does. Linda eats to feel better for her and not for other people. Linda believes the biggest contributing factor is tracking everything - holding herself accountable to the goals she makes. 

The girls she works with have started to make better choices after seeing Linda’s success with weight loss and with tracking her food. Her success has even rubbed off on her family. Her husband has been trying to cook healthier meals for both of them as well. Linda plans to stick with it and continue to track everything to get to her ultimate goal weight.

Rise to Success - Dixon Baxter

“I tipped the scales at 307 and I said, ‘that’s it!’” Dixon Baxter is making healthy changes with the Orriant program. He is 27 pounds lighter and his blood pressure has dropped to a healthy level. These changes did not come easily. Dixon works for MHC at the Wilmington, NC Dealership (location #74). His typical work day is 15 hours long.  Like most people, Dixon admits he is an emotional eater.  It wasn’t until his first health assessment that Dixon realized how heavy he had become over time.

Dixon is driven to lose weight and get off of his blood pressure medication, which he’s been taking the past 25 years. He has set three specific goals with his Orriant Health Coach: eat 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, exercise 30 minutes 3 days a week, and drink 100 ounces of water daily. “I’m really excited about the results I’ve seen so far. If it weren’t for Orriant, I would be back to doing the same old stupid stuff I was doing before. I would have given up on my new year’s resolution weeks ago.”

When Dixon was asked what the best part of Orriant was, he responded, without hesitation, “Kristin. She listens to what I have to say.” Kristin is the Orriant Health Coach who collaborates with Dixon on a monthly basis. “She is so helpful, even my wife gives me questions to ask her.” One of the things he appreciates most about Kristin is how she helps make his goals attainable. This allows him to plan ahead and set himself up for success. “I appreciate Kristin. It is nice to have somebody behind me like she is. My attitude is so much better, I just can’t tell you.”

The road to healthy living is a long one. Dixon acknowledges he didn’t gain weight overnight and therefore can’t lose it all overnight. “Kristin puts me in the right frame of mind. I’d love to lose a pound a week – I’m doing it the healthy way.” To date, exercise is Dixon’s biggest challenge. His schedule doesn’t allow for 30-minute workouts at a time, so he generally exercises in 15-minute chunks at home. Dixon shares a story about when he first started to exercise. He found a cardio video lasting only 15-minutes. He thought he would blow through the video but admitted, “I was dying at 7 minutes.” Dixon has slowly built up his aerobic stamina and is finding even longer lasting effects. “My personality is coming back. I haven’t had a ‘peppy’ attitude in years, but I can feel it coming back. I want to keep exercising so I can keep my self-esteem high.”

While it’s challenging to fit exercise into his busy schedule, he has adapted to eating a healthy diet relatively quickly. He went from drinking 5 diet cokes a day to drinking only 1 in 2013.  He has surpassed his goals of eating 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day to about 5 or 6 a day. “Before Orriant, eating 2 pieces of fruit in a year was a miracle. Now I eat it every day.” Just the other day he stopped off at the gas station where he normally would have bought soda and crackers. This time he got a bottle of water and 2 apples. “A year ago, the thought of going to 711 and buying water… I would have laughed!”

Dixon is grateful to MHC for offering Orriant and thinks of it as earning a bonus. “I’m getting paid to make myself healthier!” he exclaimed. His family has also been extremely supportive. His wife is cooking healthy meals and his daughters are completely behind him with his healthy decisions. “I got a lot of love in my family. I’m at the age where I have to make these changes.”