Since the rollout of the Employee Health Initiative this past January, a team of experts at CoxHealth — from Food and Nutrition Services and Wellness to the fitness center and Healthy Partners — has been focused on providing the resources to help employees get healthy.
As they work toward their wellness goals, the Support Your Lifestyle Shift support group has given employees a place to share experiences and get motivated about staying healthy.
“Most people know what they need to do, it’s just a matter of doing it,” says dietitian Jenny Gardner, who runs the support group. “That’s why the support, motivation and accountability factors are so important.”
The group meets every other week on Tuesdays at 11:30 (September dates are the 6th and the 20th). The half-hour sessions let employees come during lunch. Gardner shares recipes and answers any questions participants may have. The group is a regular source of encouragement and accountability, which Gardner says are keys for anyone wanting to make a change.
“We really want to offer the service of helping people change their lifestyle,” she says.
The benefits of that service are apparent when you meet a few of the employees who are taking advantage of what the group has to offer. Below are two stories of how our co-workers are getting healthier with the help of resources here at work.
Diane FlamminiCommunications When Diane Flammini joined the Wellness program at Cox in 2010, she says she was inspired by an upcoming change in her life: she was going to be a grandmother.
“I thought, in the shape I’m in, I won’t be able to get in the floor and play with a child,” she says. “I wanted to get some of the weight off.”
She started exercising 5-6 days a week and she soon lost a few pounds and a few inches, but she quickly became frustrated with her progress. She met with dietitian David Dade, who recommended that she change the way she was eating. He worked with her on creating a 1,300 calorie-a-day diet, which Diane started in January of 2011. Since then, the combination of diet and exercise has helped her shed more than 35 pounds.
Diane says to make the change, she wanted to take advantage of all of the programs Cox has to offer. That’s why she started going to the Shift Your Lifestyle support group. The low-calorie recipes and shopping tips were helpful and Diane used the meetings as her regular weigh-ins.
“I’m one of those people who hate the scale, but it was good to see that weight loss each time. It‘s a reality check every couple of weeks,” she says. “The other people there talked about the difficulties they were having and I could relate. It became a real support group.”
In her diet, cutting out sugar has been a major key. She’s also switched to eating more frequent, smaller meals consisting of vegetables, fruits and lean meats like fish.
Sticking to the low-calorie diet was a challenge at first, but Diane says she learned about what kinds of foods could keep her feeling full without being high-calorie. Now she prepares her own food and rarely eats out, which makes it easier to manage her food intake
“The first two weeks were the hardest,” she says. “I was always hungry, especially after I exercised. David (Dade) suggested I have a glass of chocolate milk after a workout and that really helped.”
After the first few weeks, she stopped craving sweets and she was able to clear out her cabinets at home, removing cookies and chips and adding healthier options. Now she’s eating well and doing regular resistance training and cardio training at the Meyer Center.
She says anyone wanting to make a real lifestyle change will need to make those changes a priority and part of their regular schedule. That’s where benefits like the support group are helpful.
“Employees are crazy not to take advantage of programs like this,” she says. “These programs are there and we should take advantage of them, it’s been good for me.”
Cortney FreemanCorporate Integrity Over the last several months, Cortney Freeman says the wellness support and resources offered at Cox have helped her make health and fitness a central part of her lifestyle. If you need any evidence, check out her office in Corporate Integrity, where her desk chair is relegated to a corner while she balances at her desk on an exercise ball.
Freeman says she wanted to work on being healthier and when she saw the announcement about the Shift Your Lifestyle support group, she thought it could be a perfect fit.
“I wanted to take advantage of the free expertise,” she says. And that’s exactly what she did, attending every meeting since day one. “You have access to a trained dietitian provided by Cox. I’d be crazy not to take advantage of that.”
She started going to the support group and she rejoined the Wellness program. When she started seeing results, her husband, Brandon, joined in, which provided another boost to her efforts.
“That really made a difference, when you change your lifestyle, it’s not just your life here at Cox, it’s your whole life,” Freeman says.
And it’s important to note that the programs and the support group aren’t just about losing weight. “I’ve changed my lifestyle, I’m not on a diet, there’s no end date and the only goal is being a healthier person.”
Freeman and her husband have a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, and keeping up with the two of them has been a major motivation for her change.
“I want to be in a healthier place to play with them and show them a healthy relationship with food. Weight loss is just an extra benefit.”
Working with Gardner has given her new ideas that have kept her diet and exercise programs fresh. In the past, she says she’s been bored with eating a limited number of dishes.
“They introduce new concepts and recipes and just having someone there to answer questions is great,” Freeman says. At home, Cortney and Brandon are also exploring new food options, beyond the meat and potatoes they had eaten in the past, adding in plantains, mangoes, grilled vegetables and turkey burgers. “My husband can almost admit that he likes turkey burgers as well as beef.”
She says spending time with her co-workers in the support group has helped her maintain the perspective and mindset needed to continue her success.
“When you surround yourself with people who have the same goals and are striving toward a healthy lifestyle, you can learn from them,” she says. “When you pass them in the hall, you know that they’re having the same struggle you’re having. You’re not alone.”
Now, the Freemans have worked exercise into their lifestyle. During the summer, if they go to the pool, they ride their bikes instead of driving. They’ll walk to the park or go on bike rides at the Nature Center instead of watching TV.
“My 3 year old will say, ‘I need to go for a walk around the neighborhood, I need my exercise,” Freeman says. “That’s a payoff, just being able to show her a healthy lifestyle.”
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