Hill Health Magazine Winter 2009
Create your own Action Plan | How to Give Advice
Small Changes, Big Outcomes
Small changes can lead to big successes. Whether you want to lose weight, improve your physical fitness or manage a health condition, experts recommend taking small, manageable steps toward your goal for lasting success.
Read how three Hill Health readers achieved – and even surpassed – their goals, one step at a time.
Anthony: “I started gradually and found lasting success!”
Hill Physicians member Anthony Lopez, a 29-year-old IT professional from Martinez, took gradual steps in an effort to lower his cholesterol and lose weight. After a routine physical in December 2007 as part of an adoption application process, Anthony discovered that his cholesterol was high and his weight was in the obese range: His total cholesterol was a dangerous 286, and at 5 feet 8 inches, he weighed 201 pounds. “And I thought I was healthy!” he says.
Determined to address his newly diagnosed health risks, he set two goals: to lower his cholesterol by at least 10 percent (29 points) and get his weight down to 175 pounds.
“By June my cholesterol was better than I’d expected: 226,” he says. And he continues to surpass his goals. “My cholesterol is now under 200, and I’m down to 168 pounds,” he says. His 36-inch waist shrank to 32 inches and his hunger for junk food diminished.
So what’s his recipe for success? “Really nothing drastic,” says Anthony. “I started gradually and was successful. Initially, I cut out junk food and anything with white flour and switched to whole wheat and high-fiber grains. Now we eat more fruit, vegetables, lean meats and fish.
“I started exercising a couple of days a week. Now, I exercise six days a week. The more you do it, the better you feel,” reports Anthony. “I have so much more energy.”
And the adoption? “We found out early in 2008 that we were pregnant. I’m so glad I made these lifestyle changes,” says Anthony. “I want to be around for my daughter.”
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Helena: “It was time for a change.”
Results from a routine physical in late 2007 were the impetus for Helena Hamilton of Lafayette to take action. She was above her recommended weight and her blood sugar was high enough to put her in the pre-diabetic range.
Helena says her 231 pounds came about as a result of her demanding job as director of an IT department and the rheumatoid arthritis she’s suffered from for nearly 17 years. When she learned she was developing diabetes, she became concerned. “I decided that I had to do something,” says Helena. “It was time for a change.”
Helena’s first order of business was to do homework on stabilizing her blood sugar and losing some weight. Several books on diabetic diets by Richard K. Bernstein, MD, served as her inspiration.
What did she do? “Basically, I replaced white flours, pastas and sugars with lots of vegetables, lean meat, fish, poultry and low-sugar fruits such as berries,” says Helena. “Dairy products, cheeses such as cheddar and ricotta, and nuts and seeds are also in my diet. There’s so much variety. I don’t go hungry.”
Within a year, Helena achieved her main goal of lowering her blood sugar. By last August, it was in the acceptable range and she’d also lost 55 pounds. “My doctor was very pleased with my results,” reports Helena. “He did a double take when looking at my chart. Obviously, I was pleased as well.”
Losing weight – initially a secondary benefit – has helped Helena to exercise regularly now, too. “My joints don’t hurt as much, so I’m able to take brisk walks three times a week,” she says. “The weight loss made it easier to get around and definitely took pressure off my joints. I really feel so much better.”
What’s next for Helena? She’s building on her initial success to reach a healthy weight. “I’ve lost 71 pounds in a year and I’m down to 160 pounds,” she says proudly. “My final goal is 145 pounds, which will be later this year.”
And the downside to all this? “I might become a shopaholic,” jokes Helena about her need for a new wardrobe.
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Chris: “I was finally able to call myself a triathlete.”
Curiosity and stressful times spelled the beginning of what’s become a stellar triathlon racing career for Chris McCrary, 41, a Hill Physicians member and senior contracts manager from Pleasant Hill. Chris jumped in, literally and figuratively, with both feet.
“A good friend of mine was participating in triathlons and encouraged me to try it out, too,” recalls Chris. “It intrigued me, and I always like trying new things. This was just another of life’s experiences.”
Triathlons soon became an outlet for funneling stress and getting into better physical shape. “I was going through a difficult divorce,” he says. “I wasn’t as healthy as I could have been. I weighed 185 pounds, 20 more than I currently weigh.”
His first race in 2000 was an eye-opener. “I signed up for the shortest distance triathlon and trained for a few weeks,” explains Chris. “I struggled in the swim portion and almost needed to be rescued.” The run produced similar results.
“I started too fast. But when I crossed the finish line, I was finally able to call myself a triathlete.”
He competed in more races and learned more about them, seeking out information from other triathletes, the internet, books and magazines.
It took Chris about five years to build up from racing sprint triathlons to the full-distance Ironman. “To do it right, you need to progress slowly and incrementally,” advises Chris. “Each week I’d focus on adding 10 percent more volume to each sport. For example, if my longest run was 40 minutes, I’d add four minutes the next week to allow my body to safely adapt to the increase in volume. The same concept applied to swimming and biking.”
Fast-forward to today. Chris has hit his stride, having completed five Ironman triathlons. He’s progressed through four levels of triathlon competition, competing in sprint distance races, Olympic-distance races, Half Ironmans and finally the Full Ironman: a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a full marathon of 26.2 miles, all in one day.
What’s next for Chris? “I want to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, next October,” says Chris. “I missed qualifying by just six minutes at the Ironman in Lake Placid, New York, last July. I completed the race in 10 hours and 24 minutes; 10 hours and 18 minutes would have qualified me for the 2008 world championship.”
Like Anthony and Helena with their achievements, Chris began by taking the first of many steps. And now his impressive goal looks well within reach.
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You, too, can take steps toward reaching your goals. Use our action plan download to create a specific plan to achieve your goal and keep yourself from getting hung up on roadblocks. Or learn how to give advice to a friend that needs help getting started making changes.
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