I Came Into This Program Wanting ____; What I Got Out of the Program is ___.

I went into this program wanting to find more balance in my life.  I wrote in my application that I had come to the realization that I had to focus less on work and more on family and health if I was going to remain well and strong in the second half of my life. At the time, I was working 60 hour weeks and often taking work home at night.  At the first coaching sessions, I told Rosie that I wanted to focus on maintaining balance between work, family, & play.   When asked how I would know if the coaching had been effective, I said I would know if I had accomplished the following:

• decreased amount of time working and not taking work home
• a decrease  in cholesterol numbers
• lost weight
• was feeling better and having more energy

I hadn’t looked at those goals since our first meeting, so when Rosie showed them to me at our last session, I was so amazed and pleased to see that I had met all my goals.   I now leave work on time, rarely take work home and never work on the weekends (except for special events).  My overall cholesterol dropped 16 points.  My triglycerides dropped 32 points.  My HDL stayed the same, but my LDL dropped 10 points.  My ratio between HDL and LDL went from 4.6 to 4.2.  My glucose level went from 95 to 89.  I lost 8 pounds and most importantly, I feel so much better.  I am sleeping well at night and have much more energy.  I feel good.  I attribute these results to a number of factors including reduction of stress, better eating habits, taking supplements recommended by Paul Ratte, ND, great coaching and an overall change in attitude.  

My Biggest Successes During This Program:

My successes during this program were many.  The most important to me were as follows:

• Working and living my life in a saner and more balanced way by making a conscious effort not to bring work home in the evening and not to work on the weekends.
   
• Learning to be present in the moment.  While I was recovering from a medical issue, I was able to focus on healing by truly listening to my body, resting when I needed to rest, eating what was healthy and nourishing and being present in the moment.
  
  
• Being more intentional about my choices rather than simply doing things out of habit.
  
  
• Learning to let go and trust other people. Letting go has been like having a heavy weight being lifted from me.  It’s been very freeing.
  
  
• Learning and following a more healthful way of eating, i.e. eating protein in the morning, adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet, reducing my coffee consumption to just one or two cups per day, and eliminating Diet Coke from my diet altogether.
   
  
• Sleeping better and have much more energy.
  
  
• Reducing my total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides and HDL/Total Cholesterol ratio number.
  
  
• Losing 8 pounds.

My Biggest Challenges During This Program:

• Not taking work home during the first 3 months.  At first, I experienced almost a sadness of letting go of the life I knew and needing to find satisfaction in other things. Leaving work on time, not taking work home to get “organized” and not working on the weekends were all long-standing habits and not easy to change.
  
  
• Maintaining the rhythmic eating. Even though I feel so much better when I stick with it, it also takes conscious effort to make protein-rich foods that I can heat or make in the morning for breakfast. It’s so much easier to grab something sweet (or portable) and just go.
  
  
• Not getting discouraged over a very slow weight loss.
  
  
• Being mindful about saying "no" when I need to do so.  It’s still a bit of a challenge, but so much easier than before I started this program.
  
  
• Continuing to stay focused and positive during three months of recuperation from a significant health issue as well as staying present in the moment - even when I wasn’t feeling upbeat and positive about dealing with the medical condition that prohibited me from doing many of the things I loved to do.
  
  
• Being patient with myself.

My Biggest Insights/Realizations (“A-Ha” Moments):

• Making just a few seemingly simple changes resulted in huge differences in my life – in how I look at and feel in the world.
  
  
• I was showing up for my life instead of living in either the past or the future. I realized that I was appreciating little things more - like quiet time with my spouse, walking the dog, taking long baths in soothing oils, and reading outside.
  
  
• When craving sweets and even reaching for them, if I stopped and asked myself why I was craving this or that sweet, I could usually stop myself from eating it and either have a healthy treat or just drink a big glass of water. I truly believe that eating junk is a habit and it’s just a matter of being mindful of that negative habit and replacing it with a healthful one.
  
  
• I realized that it’s really okay to ask for help. I also came to a better understanding that I am notalways in control and that if I don’t listen to my body, eventually the Universe will send me a message that I can’t ignore. I also learned that I can let things go and let other people handle situations.
  
  
• I came to the realization that weight isn’t everything. This insight opened up a lot for me – including having less stress about it. I am now in the mindset of taking care of myself for my health; not just to lose a specific number of pounds. I will likely end up looking and feeling better because of the actions I’m taking, but it’s not about the weight – it’s about my health.

The Most Significant Change I Made During This Program:

I leave work on time and don’t take work home.  I’m more present to the tasks at hand when I am at work, but especially more present to myself and my spouse when I’m home.

The Most Significant Thing(s) I’ve Learned About Myself:

I learned a lot about myself during this whole program - especially regarding my views towards health vs. weight, blood work vs. overall health, etc.  However, one of the most significant things I learned was that I need to take time for myself in order to stay balanced.  I knew how important this concept was, but it wasn't until I actually lived it that I realized how very true it was.

How This Experience Has Changed Me:

I find that I’m calmer, have much more energy and enjoy living in the present moment.  My life is much more in balance.  At work, I find that I now operate in a much saner and stable way.  Mostly, I just feel so much better.

Additional Thoughts/Reflections:

I am so grateful to have been chosen to participate in this program.  I’ve learned so much, felt very supported and have been able to make changes that have truly made a difference in my life.