Partners Update
April 24th, 2011
It’s been three months since our partners committed to living a healthier lifestyle in 2011. some partners have found methods that have worked for them and plan to continue these practices until their objectives are met. Other partners are still searching for a routine that aids them in developing healthy habits. all of our partners would like to thank the people in their lives who are helping them to reach their goals.
Here are their first-hand accounts of their progress this month:
Sofia Badillo
Age: 37
Occupation: Radiology technologist at Covenant Clinics
Health goal: Quit smoking
“My goal to quit smoking has not been met. It has been an up-and-down battle. I quit for a few days but eventually go back to it once the stress of everyday life and things that come up get the best of me.
“Many people have suggested that I replace smoking with working out. I have recently connected with a friend that is starting to work with me on a nutrition and workout plan. I hope by doing this, I will feel better physically and I can transfer that into feeling mentally prepared to wean myself off cigarrettes.
“I have also decided to try the patch and see if that works. If I find it is not working, I will have to find another route. I have to understand that stress will always be a part of life but what’s important is how I deal with it.
“I also had a scary episode a few weeks back where I started having chest pain that radiated to my back with a little bit of left arm numbness. I felt as if I was having a heart attack, which truly scared me. I need to change my habit now but I know that if I quit cold turkey, I’ll eventually pick it up again. I know this because I did quit approximately six years ago only to start up again.”
Cody Blair
Age: 22
Occupation: College student
Health goal: take up running, build muscle
“I have accomplished my goal of being able to run two miles. After many many days of walking back and forth to school (Doña Ana Community College East mesa campus) and also running in the late evenings, I was able to run two miles, and that means everything to me because I have never in my life been able to do so, not even when I played high school football for Oñate.
“I have recently taken a photograph of myself and so far it isn’t much to look at; my arms aren’t the way I would like them to be. I will continue to work to add more weight, and by the end of the summer, I intend on seeing more curves in my arms. I am, however, able to lift my own body weight and I can now do close to 180 push-ups. I am going to continue to work out and increase the miles that I can run.
“Recently, I have been helping my buddy Lisa Rowen at her salon, Hot Pepper Tanning Co., and because of it, I’ve been doing a lot of walking around and quite a bit of exercise without realizing it. for instance, I work out my abs while I am cleaning the tanning beds. I will raise my legs and lie a certain way while I clean the beds and after a couple of hours, it proves to be pretty difficult.
“This summer, I intend on saving up money and walking from movie theater to movie theater to watch two movies every couple of days and/or weeks as a reward, and a workout. from there, I intend on building momentum, cardio and leg strength.”
Autumn Haeker
Age: 27
Occupation: Substitute teacher
Health goal: Lose 50 pounds; focus on a healthier lifestyle
“I am very happy to say I have lost eight-and-a-half pounds. as of March 7, I was released from physical therapy; I didn’t even need all of the days prescribed to me.
“I started using an application on my phone called ‘Lose It!’ you can use the app to track your food and exercise. It is kind of like Facebook but for weight loss. I have several friends on it who can see what I’ve eaten and what physical activity I have done. It helps to keep me motivated.
“I do not feel like I am 25 percent to my goal, but I am getting there, slowly but surely. seeing the numbers on the scale drop has been a huge ego booster. I feel if I can stay on the track I have been following this month, I should do pretty well. a healthy lifestyle is my ultimate goal with my weight loss being the icing on the cake.
Audrey Hartley
Age: 48
Occupation: Author and business development director for MountainView Regional Medical Center
Health goal: get to a size 12
“There was nothing but stunned silence in my bedroom as I pulled on the size 14 jacket. It is a groovy zebra print, and black and white is my favorite color combination. I stood just staring at the mirror in utter disbelief. I had been given the jacket more than a year ago by a friend, and had kept trying it on, ‘just to see.’ When the shoulders slipped comfortably on, and the sleeves felt comfortable, I was in heaven. I quickly put on a red shell underneath, threw on my still size 16 pants (child-bearing hips and all), and ran out the door! I have been feeling really good.
“My Look Who’s Dancing partner, John Neiser, has literally kept me on my toes with the cha-cha and the tango. Skipping only Sundays and Tuesdays is really working. The only difficult part continues to be staying on track with eating. It’s not that I eat junk food or anything, but I have a very hectic schedule, and eating five small meals a day is problematic when running from pillar to post to keep on track. Solution? Pre-planning! I have to make myself stay organized and pack a meal if there is not one available. at the end of a long day, it is one of the last things I tend to think about, but it is still something that I have to do. Success is created through hard work, determination, organization and follow-through. It is what I have to remind myself of on a constant basis.
Trinity Kriegel
Age: 33
Occupation: Co-host of Hot 103′s morning show, “The big Show”
Health goal: get to a size 12, sleep better
“I lost six pounds this last month. That’s 10 pounds since the beginning. I’ve been doing a couple different P90X workouts. The yoga is intense and about an hour and a half long (I can’t finish the whole thing). I also do an arms and back workout and a legs and back workout. I have also been playing a lot of Xbox Kinect games. It sounds silly but these games really get you working hard. In ‘Kinect Adventures,’ you go through three-minute rounds where you squat on the floor and then leap to get over objects in your way. ‘Kinect Dance Central’ also is a great workout and it’s fun. I would say I’m doing physical activity — be it video games or P90X or yard work — four to five days out of the week.
“This is all thanks to a major change in my work schedule no more split shift! I’ve adjusted very well to working straight through to 1 p.m. my sleep has improved and I’m feeling better in the afternoons instead of being horribly exhausted. my new eating routine is working out well, too. no more dinner at 7 p.m.; now it’s like 5. And we are eating well-rounded meals with way less desserts. I used to have sugar cravings more than once a day; now I have these cravings once or twice a week. I’m on the same low-dose appetite suppressant, but it seemed to take several months for me to slow down my appetite enough to make a difference.
“I’m getting married on April 2. Yeah, it’s kind of a big deal. I’m not stressed at all about the big day. my friends and family are more freaked about it. I think they are worried because I’m not. I figure at the end of the day, I’m going to be married even if the cake falls, or I trip walking down the aisle. Poor guy is stuck with me.
“An MS Walk (multiple sclerosis) is coming up April 9 and I will be there along with my co-host Joey from ‘The big Show.’ I’m going to alternate walking and jogging. you can chose the 3- or 5-mile route. I’ll do the 5, if I don’t keel over.
Donna Taylor
Age: 44
Occupation: Executive marketing specialist with the Las Cruces Sun-News
Health goal: Lose 35 pounds, build a healthy lifestyle
“We are in the second quarter of this Healthy U challenge and let me tell you, it has been a challenge to focus on me and my health. I don’t believe that I have reached my quarterly goal and need to reevaluate my strategy. I am going to start this new quarter off by relaxing in Southern California, which I am doing as I am writing to you. When I return to Las Cruces, I have an appointment with a health specialist to see how they can assist with my stress and weight loss.
“I believe that with any life challenge you must realize where the hardships stem from and then create a path to change what is standing in the way. I heard a message at church recently that before one attempts anything challenging, one must pray. I have skipped this step and this is where I believe I have gone wrong. I must deal with stress before I can deal with weight loss. I am a very impatient person and want things to happen right now, so I will be praying for patience that a change of heart and a change of mind and added relaxation will lead to weight loss and more energy.
Healthy U Editor Lucas Peerman can be reached at lpeerman@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5446.
Become a sponsor
Is your business interested in sponsoring one of our 2011 Healthy U partners? Contact Heidi Melendrez at (575) 541-5409 or hmelendrez@lcsun-news.com to learn more about sponsorship packages.
<a href="http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-healthy_u/ci_17779882tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-healthy_u/ci_17779882Wed, 06 Apr 2011 07:11:54 GMT 00:00″>Partners Update
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Posted in Quit smoking now | 
Tags: Aids, badillo, Covenant, Everyday Life, hand accounts, health goal, Healthier Lifestyle, Healthy Habits, Met, nutrition, Occupation, Sofia, stress, workout plan
