Share Your Story

It's a great way for you to exchange fitness tips, successes and encouragement with your fellow County employees.
Looking for inspiration?
Read the wonderful contributions from your colleagues. You might find a story that speaks to you.
We'd love to hear your story!
Click "Submit Testimonial" at the lower right corner of the page. Submit your comments for review and look for an email from the Wellness program with further instructions. We look forward to hearing from you!
 
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Starting over again!!!
I joined Steps to Success as of June 2009 weighing at 240 lbs. It was a slow start but once I got into it I started shedding the pounds and gaining so much more energy. By the end of November I had lost 25 lbs and felt great. My feet didn't hurt as much, my GERD was no longer an issue and I was able to get off my cholesterol meds after just starting them a couple of months prior. Unfortunately when Christmas came around I gained back 11 more lbs and have been going up the scale since then. I'm currently at 230 lbs and my cholesterol levels have gone up again. I'm writting this testimony in hopes to get myself back on track. I'm to young to feel so tired and in pain all the time from this excess weight. My goal is to lose 70 lbs and I pray that my goal is attained. I also want to say thanks to all the others who have posted their testimonies, reading those have kept me encouraged to keep fighting for my goal of total body, mind and spiritual health. God bless you all!!!!
Donna
My husband just went to his doctor and his numbers are getting worse, mine aren't very good either.  We both need to loose weight, get off the meds and get moving.  We are close to retirement and need to make sure we can enjoy ourselves and our grandkids. We will keep track of our diet and exercise (mostly walking) for a couple of months and back to the doctor for the results.  Wish us luck.  He only has about 30 pounds to loose I have at least 100!  That sounds hard to do but I am going to take it ONE DAY at A TIME!!! 
Carolyn - Update
Hello fellow employee's.  It's been a while since I've written anything but I was instructed to do so by my physician.  I seen my doctor on 2/18/10 and he is still very pleased with my results.  His exact words "I'm happy".  My A1C is 6.6 and my other lab work results are good as well.  The most important thing is that I still no longer have to take all those meds that diabetics have to take which includes meds for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc.  I am so grateful to God for He has helped me maintain this level.  I'm still on this journey to a healthier life style and with God's help and the encouragment from my doctor and others I know that I will accomplish my goals.  Be encouraged and keep your head up - WE CAN DO IT!
Biggest Loser
I have always been overweight and was always complaining about the way I looked.  I finally decided to do something about it and started moving.  My journey started in November of 2008 when my doctor told me that I had minor arthritis in my left hip.  I am only 31 years old and couldn't believe that I would have this medical condition.  She told me that I still could reverse the damage already done by losing weight at this time I was weighing about 230 pounds.  So I started out by walking 20 min then in slowly increased it to 1 hour.  Three months of doing this I started to see a little change in how I felt and having more energy.  At this point I started to add running into my routine.  Soon I was running 3 miles in 30 minutes which I thought I could never reach or could never run, these were my excuses.  Then at Public Works there was a friendly competition of the Biggest Loser, which was model after the television series.  Well the competition was for 17 weeks and not only did I continue to lose weight, I also won first place.  So today I am proud to say that I weigh 185 where I have lost a total of 45 pounds.  I had to find what inspire me to do it, and it was my husband, and also for our future kids that we hope to be bless with one day.  Although my journey doesn't stop here, I now know that by making the right choses and moving, we can lose weight.  
so much stronger
i started the 10,000 step program when i worked at kaiser  at least 5 years it is a motivator to log in and enter your steps i have kept the habit of walking everyday for along time but it became more of a balance than a challenge    i had WLS in May,prior to surgery walking and swimming were my main exercise as i couldn't do anything else without pain, i have gained endurance from the program that has allowed me now to be able to do almost anything i want to do and i enjoy it  i have better health and decreased the amount of medications i take and I'm working towards a goal of no medication for my diabetes  i like compliments now and really appreciate the ones about my health- i don't want to gauge myself on the scales numbers as that isn't all it is about for me ( but pushing a size 24 and going down to a 12-almost 10 has been awesome!) at my 5 month follow up i was at 47% towards my 1 year goal and im looking forward to reaching the goal before one year and this program is so much a part of my success so a BIG THANK YOU from me ~Julie
No longer tired
Hello all
I finally made up my mind to take some action behind my words, I got tired of hearing myself say
I will walk today, well today came and went and I never walked. I am sure the clerical staff got tired of hearing it too, so when I spoke to a co-worker (thanks Stacy) we made a pact, we would be walking buddies. Well, let me say I am longer tired of hearing myself say it, I am DOING it and I feel great both physcially and mentally. I also have been going to back therapy for a while now, and guess what, I am making progress there because of the active walking. I was so excited to join this latest challenge and look forward to more of what Steps to Success has to offer. So my health life is no longer tired, it is active and stepping into a new journey. 

   
The scale motivates me
Since I got married I went from a comfortable 132 lbs to 190 lbs. So since 26 years old to my now 40 I carried an extra 58 pounds each day. At 30 when my child was born I crept to 199 lbs and stayed that way until I joined my local fitness center.

About 1.5 years ago I went from 199 lbs to 175. I lifted weight for 2.5 hours and walked 6 miles at 4.0 speed and 12 % inclination on the tread mill about 10-12 times per month on my every days off. As soon as my child when to school I picked up my bike and went to the gym. One day was my arms day, one day was my chest, one day my legs and one day was my abds day and I combined it with 6 miles of fast incline walking each time at the end of my work out. 

Since last january I placed to temporary stop to it to do my home improvement. So 2 days ago I went back to the gym...Today I am starting at 189 lbs, I am all sore but a Moltrin will do. I am looking forward to my size 12-14 pants and a better fitted tornado me.     
80% perfect & 20% imperfect

After coming back to work from maternity leave I thought I had every valid excuse to be pleasantly plump (255lbs) hey it's all baby fat! But it was just an excuse that made me feel better. After my baby was a couple of months older I decided “ok enough with the excuses it has been over 5 months and I am tired of not fitting into my old comfy jeans and I miss all the extra energy I had before the baby.

The hardest part was to give up the junk food. I knew that the first thing I needed to do was to change the way I was eating. I headed to my fridge and kitchen cabinets (including my office) and I started to throw away anything that was processed or that contained MSG including any food package or item with ingredients I could not pronounce. By the time I was done I had collected over 5 big trash bags. Yes I had my hands on the side of my waist and an empty refrigerator but I smiled and was proud to be able to find the strength with in me to make the first move to a healthy living. I got a pen and paper to write down the items I was going to purchase at the grocery store but before I started to write the list of Items I wrote down “The fresher the better so stay outside the isle of the grocery store”. My list included vegetables, fruits, eggs and dairy and lean meats.

2nd thing I changed was my sleeping habits. I made it a habit to dim my lights by 8pm and be in bed between 9pm and 10 pm to ensure I got a minimum of 8 hours of sleep.(When you get the proper sleep you allow your body to rejuvenate and repair itself physically and psychologically).

Last but not least I started to make some small changes at work too. I started parking my vehicle farther in the parking lot, I walk during my breaks and I cook my own lunch at home. I also enjoy strolling my baby at the park and have converted one of the rooms in my home into a small gym.

It has only been 3 months and my energy levels have risen, my skin looks better, and I like the way my body is transforming. The best part of all this is when people ask me “gosh you look great….what diet are you on or what are you taking to loose the weight?” my answer is “ I am not in no particular diet, I don’t take any diet pills nor am I doing it as temporary fix; I have simply made positive changes in my lifestyle”.

Just remember changes don’t happen over night, take small steps at a time.  Follow the 80/20 rule (80% of the time make healthy food choices and the other 20% treat yourself with foods you enjoy but that don't fall within the 80% range). The more positive changes you make the better choices you will make to reach a healthier lifestyle!

I am proud to say I have lost 36 pounds and I am counting…. ohhh and the comfy jeans are close to fitting!
Tips learned the hard way
I have lost a total of 44 lbs in about two and a half months. I had reached my heaviest point, 232 lbs! I love that number because it's what scared me into action. I kept saying over and over, 232 lbs! How did this happen? The best part of my 232 lb number was I had the power to change it. I decided one day that not only would I change that number but embrace it for what it was...me. "I" was 232 lbs. So, I started changing me and amazingly that number started to change. I hate to diet so that was out of the question which left exercise. I started out riding my bike to work and it took off from there. I joined a resort and spa that had great exercise classes and have really enjoyed the diversity. I did use a few food tricks (that's what I call them to avoid the word "diet"). If I had a really good (bad for the body) snack, like cookies or ice cream I would write it down on my calendar. Then I would give my body a few days to use that snack up before having any more. It was great going to the calendar and saying "cool only one more day to cookie time". I did the same thing with heavy meals like pasta. What I learned doing that was that your body is like an assembly line, it can handle a certain amount at a certain speed. I'm sure a lot of people remember the episode in "I Love Lucy" where she is at an assembly line of chocolates and the conveyor belt starts going faster and faster until she if forced to put chocolates anywhere she can find room. This is what our bodies do, they pack it away because it's coming in to fast and to often for our assembly line to run smoothly and handle the volume. Resulting in thunder thighs and bazoomba butts. Also, I learned from trying many different exercise programs that cardio (we all know this) is the best way to burn fat and lose lbs but I don't think a lot of people know that Pilates (from my experience) is the best way to tone and shape your body. People think I love Pilates because I go so often and regularly...this is 100% false! I hate Pilates but I love the way Pilates makes my body look (it's really amazing) so I go mumbling and grumbling all the way to class. I just wanted to share some tips I learned the hard way and hope that it helps someone else embrace their number and take steps to ensure they are happy and HEALTHY. Good Luck!
Exercise is not so bad!
Two things happened back to back that made me get motivated to loose weight but also get in shape. First, I recently had a beautiful baby boy and second, Im turning 40 this year! I grew up being athletic and have always tried to play some sort of sport to stay in shape. However, about three years ago I fell in love with Scuba Diving...this is hardly a stay in shape activity but I found myself diving more than ever which took up a lot of my time, leaving little time for real exercise. My husband (being a man) didn't notice any change in his physical appearance but I sure did. Especially after our "little man" was born I really started to stress out about my body. Then Commuter Services announced the "Bike to work week" contest. So I dusted off my bike bought a helmet and water bottle and rode 15 miles round trip for a week! The first few days were very traumatic...I felt like I was 100 years old! After the contest I noticed that I had lost 10 lbs and dropped a size. Someone at work told me to join "Steps to Success" because it will help keep me motivated. They were right! I still ride almost everyday and exercise a lot now and thanks to Steps I feel like I'm a part of a team all dedicated to being healthy which feels great. I love the challenges and work extra hard while participating in them. Since May I have lost a total of 26 lbs and three sizes which I might not have done had it not been for the challenge I joined. I feel great and love being part of this program! I'm looking forward to the next challenge.