Read Healthy Me! Program participant Bob Vale's reflections on the program and The Logan's Run

The following is a journal entry written by Healthy Me! Program participant, Bob Vale.

Never Give Up!    8-4-2014

            Over the course of the past year, I have been doing my best to get healthy, exercise more, make healthy food choices when eating and hopefully lose weight in the process.  Fortunately the hard work and discipline in these key areas has been paying off and I have lost some weight.     Part of my overall goal to lose enough weight, is to enjoy jogging more, which was a part of my life in my younger years.  However, my knees are not what they used to be, I still carry too much weight, and I am much slower than when I was younger, so it is a bit of a challenge at 52.

            Therefore as I have lost some weight, I have been able to enjoy a bit of jogging at a very slow pace.  At the beginning of the summer I was able to slowly jog the Sunburst 5K and greatly enjoyed the event.   Following that race, I decided to jog during the summer and slowly increase my distance.   My goal was to run the 10K at the Logan run on Notre Dame Campus at the beginning of August.    I began to prepare myself for that longer race by increasing my jogging distances during the summer.      

            This past Saturday I felt I was ready and showed up at the Logan run event early to pick up my shirt, race number and information bag.    My race number was only # 6, which was very low, considering there were probably close to a thousand participants.  I thought there is no way I was going come into 6^th place, but perhaps that is how fast / slow I would run.   (6 MPH)  The 10K runners all gathered around the large balloon archway, which was the beginning of the race waiting for the begin running call.  The 10K runners took off and I was about in the middle of the pack of probably 200 runners.    I had only three goals for the race that day.  First to complete the full 10k’s.  Secondly, not to walk and always jog and thirdly to do my best to stay under an average of 12 minute miles in my slow jogging pace.   (Fortunately, I was able to accomplish all three of my goals, but it was no easy task!!!)

            After about one mile into the race, my right ham string began to feel pain and cramp up.  This has never happened to me and I thought to myself, I want to definitely finish this race, so I will slow down a bit and see if it goes away. Stopping was not an option considering how much I wanted to finish this race. Fortunately, after about another quarter mile the pain went away and I kept on jogging.   Although I thought I was doing pretty well, I was quickly put in my place as person after person began to pass by me early in the race. First it was the ten year old little boy who seemed to sprint by me.  Then a very young girl also passed by.   Then a gentlemen about 20 years older than my 52 year old body slowly but surely passed by.   I tried to pick up the pace, but reminded myself to just stick to my comfortable pace and finish the long race.

            I stayed positive and just kept my three goals in mind.  Finish, don’t stop and stay under 12 minute miles.   At the first water station I was handed a cup full of gator aid.  I have never drank that during a race, but I did my best to choke down a couple of gulps while I was running and continue down the path.     About half way through the race the runner traffic had thinned out, yet a father pushing a child in a running cart whizzed by me and a couple of ladies did so as well.   I continued to stress to myself, don’t worry who is passing you, just meet your three goals and Never Give UP!!!

            Next came the second watering area.  As I jogged by the table and multiple holding out cups for me to grab, I was handed another glass of gator aid and slowed down enough to try to drink the full glass if possible.  I felt as much as I was sweating, I needed the replenishing qualities of the gator aid in my body.    I think I need to practice jogging and drinking at the same time, because the two don’t occur naturally.  I think I choked & spit up more gator aid than I swallowed.  Now I was on the back stretch of the run with only two miles left.  (Yeah God!!!)   I could tell my pace was slowing down and I was laboring in my breathing and wheezing.  By this time the sun was up and it was getting hotter with high humidity for the day.  The beauty of jogging around the two lakes was very nice.  Not that I was feeling bad enough, about a mile left in the race, a first aid lady rode up to me on her bike and asked me if I was going to be alright because I looked rather peeked.  Which was a kind and polite way of saying, “I think you’re going to drop dead at any moment, can I help you.”  I thanked her and said, “I am fine, I just look ugly and painful when I run.”  (Which I do.)  

            I continued to slowly jog and kept my thumbs up, thanking the many volunteers who cheered me on as I meandered through the course.    Finally I could see the finish line with the welcoming archway of pretty balloons in the distance.  I picked up my pace a bit to finish strong over the finish line.   About fifty yards from the finish line there were some good friends and my wife cheering me on while ringing a cowbell.   I crossed the finish and met all three goals.  I finished, I never stopped jogging, and I was actually under an 11 minute mile average.    Wow, that’s pretty cool, I actually did it.

            I was so very tired and my legs were shaking when I crossed the finish line.  However, when I began to walk a few steps past the finish line, I could tell my stomach was saying to get rid of all that gator aid that I drank at the last two stops. Things were physically in motion and there was no stopping what was going to happen next!   (Where were the first aid folks now?)  Without hesitation, I walked over to the tall weeds on the side of the road and quickly got rid of all that gator aid. I’m sure I was a site for sore eyes.  I felt a bit better, but was still very much drained.   A cold water & banana later helped me to feel better.

This 10k race was by far the most difficult run I have ever undertaken, yet I would do it again in a heartbeat.  I met a goals, which was difficult, but very fulfilling.  I trained for nearly two months getting ready to meet that goal.   As I crossed the finish line, I was handed a small medal with a colorful ribbon, which will go on my desk with pride.  A small reminder of hard work and determination.

            Through it all, I have quickly determined that the shorter 5k run is my race rather than the 10k run at this point in my life.   I look forward to my next 5K run, hopefully soon as I continue to train, eat healthy and lose more weight.   Many thanks to the Healthy Me folks for their continued encouragement and guidance through this process to become a healthier me.   I would also like thank Colleen Hahn, the encouraging and hard-working program coordinator, Jonell, my determined physical trainer, Dr. Troyer, who gives me medical guidance and Erin, the dietitian, who teaches me about making healthy food choices.

In My Words... (Part 2 of 6)

Yesterday, I began a blog about the progress The Medical Foundation's six Healthy Me! Program participants have made. The blog, In My Words, has personal opinions written by me: Colleen Hahn, the Manager of Public Relations at The Medical Foundation. Yesterday, I posted the first one with a little background information and my reflections on Shaun Riffle's first month in the program.

Today, you'll learn about Erika Jackson, 33, South Bend, Indiana.

Since the program started, Erika has been motivated to succeed and she has. Sitting with her at Dr. Brian Jacobs office, I could see the determination as she stepped on the scale and the nurse read her weight as 227 pounds. She had lost 7 pounds in one month. 

She had a good month, but it didn’t come without sacrifices! Erika told me that one night she really wanted a Pepsi, but she knows that water is a better choice. She walked down to the vending machine and the Pepsi was completely out, her only choice was water.

Easter Sunday her family ate at Ponderosa. If you have ever tried to watch what you are eating, you have probably found that buffets make it hard to choose wisely.  Yes, there are salads and fruits, but there are also lots of fried foods and many desserts! She managed to stick to a bit of fish and a salad and maybe one dessert. It was a success, considering her choices changed from the last time she ate at a buffet. Again, small changes over time make a big difference!

She’s also been working out under the direction of Memorial Health & Lifestyle Center’s Fitness Specialist, Jonell Witkowski twice a month. Jonell has her doing some strength training and some cardio workouts such as rowing, cycling, planks, modified push-ups on the railing, squats and other exercises. There’s not a moment of down time when you are training with Jonell!

Other successes this month for Erika have been that she stopped smoking cigarettes and she lowered her blood pressure from 126/82 to 110/70.  She is currently taking medication to lower

Her original goal when she met with Dr. Jacobs on April 3^rd was to lose 10 pounds by her birthday, which is June 2^nd. I have no doubt that Erika will conquer that goal and hopeful add a few additional pounds lost to that number.

Erika is walking with The Medical Foundation in South Bend’s West Side Memorial Day Parade and she’s also planning on walking in the 5k Sunburst.  She’s taking strides to conquer her battle with weight, as well as her high blood pressure.

Follow The Medical Foundation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SBMFLAB and this blog for stories about Erika and the rest of the Healthy Me! Participants. Check back Monday for Bob’s progress.

In My Words...

In My Words... is written by Colleen Hahn, Public Relations at The Medical Foundation. I am the coordinator of the Healthy Me! Program and occasionally write first hand about what I have seen in the program. If you would like to share your story about becoming healthier, please submit it to info@sbmf.org.  Stories about our other Healthy Me! Program participants will be shared in the coming weeks on this blog...In My Words!

 

If it was easy to lose weight or to be skinny, the whole world would be.  There wouldn’t be a supersized hamburger meal or potato chips with precisely the right flavor and crunch factor.  But that just isn’t the case. There are sugary beverages and unhealthy meals at almost every social event and on nearly every corner.

The choices we make determine how healthy we are or are not and those choices compounded over time often lead to extra pounds.  Those extra pounds often lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and many other health challenges.  Then, when we’ve finally had enough and want to do something to change our habits, we often feel as though it’s too hard to exercise because of the extra weight. But don’t worry, if I just described you, you aren’t destined to be fat, there’s hope! And if you don’t believe me, read on and learn about the stories of six individuals who are changing their lives and becoming healthier.

It’s been a month since our Healthy Me! Program participants began the process of meeting monthly with a physician from Family Medicine ofSouth Bend, P.C. and Erin Hurst, a Registered Dietician from Saint JosephRegional Medical Center.  They’ve also been working with Jonell Witkowski and Dave Woods twice a month at MemorialHealth & Lifestyle Center and they’ve each completed a round of lab tests at The Medical Foundation.  In addition, several of them have had a consultation and x-rays completed with Dr. JeffreyMader, a dentist in South Bend. As you can see, they’ve been busy!

And in between all of these appointments, they’ve made a commitment to themselves and to the program to do their best to become healthier, which means eating healthier and working out on a regular basis.

Shaun Riffle, 24-years-old, Mishawaka, Indiana
Shaun Riffle just celebrated his 24^th birthday and less than a week later, he learned that he had dropped 18 pounds during his first month in the program and now weighs 456 pounds. This isn’t his first attempt at fighting the battle of weight loss, he’s been trying since he was labeled as obese when he was about 7-years-old. Following his high school football days and graduation, Shaun signed up for Weight Watchers and lost 85 pounds.  But after awhile, he stopped going to meetings and reverted to his old eating habits and gained back his 85 pounds plus many more.

Just as the Healthy Me! Program began, Shaun was working with his physician to begin using a CPAP machine to help with his sleep apnea.  Not only does he have the challenge of getting good sleep, but quantity of sleep is also a challenge because he starts his day at 3:30am to work at Martin’s SuperMarkets. 

Since meeting with Erin Hurst, the Registered Dietitian at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, he has tried to plan ahead and have something ready for breakfast each morning, because he was going to work without eating and then waiting too long until break to eat. Providing proper nutrition for his body is important and something he is still trying to do before he goes to work. One of Shaun’s biggest successes during his first month was that he hasn’t really eaten potato chips! What used to be second hand nature, digging into a bag of chips out of boredom, has now become non-existent.

Shaun’s girlfriend noticed that he also eats a lot less when they sit down to a dinner at the table rather than eating in front of the television. Small changes in habits over time, make a huge difference!

In early April, Shaun went to The Medical Foundation to have some lab work completed.  While meeting with Dr. John Jacobs from Family Medicine of South Bend, P.C. they reviewed the results of the lab work and found that Shaun is very Vitamin D deficient.  Normal reference ranges for Vitamin D are between 30 and 80 ng/mL; however, Shaun only registered with a reference range of 10 ng/mL.  Currently, Dr. Jacobs encouraged him to take approximately 800 mg of Vitamin D supplements daily to bring his Vitamin D levels to an acceptable range.

If losing weight was easy, the whole world would be skinny. We all know that losing weight, whether it is five pounds for some and two hundred pounds for others, isn’t easy.  Shaun is making a number of small changes in his life and is off to a great start to becoming healthier.

I’ll highlight the other five Healthy Me! Program participants in the days to come. Please visit our blog tomorrow for an update on Erika Jackson.