FROM FLAB TO FAB: VALERIE’S STORY
53-year-old wife, grandmother and volunteer with
Companion Animal Rescue of Ascension, Valerie Hoffman, lost 40 lbs.
and 38 inches since Jan. 8, 2013. She and her husband, Donnie Hoffman,
residents of Gonzales, decided to get fit together.
Because she had stopped smoking two years before, Hoffman developed
a bad habit of substitute snacking. This new compulsion caused her to
gain weight, leaving her uncomfortable, sluggish and suffering from lack
of sleep.
Now Hoffman exercises a minimum of an hour per day, either walking
or running in the morning and sometimes bike riding with her husband
in the afternoon. She hopes to run a 5K this fall and maybe join a gym.
“I haven’t felt this good in years,” she said. “I have so much energy now!”
Hoffman used the Ideal Protein Weight Loss M ethod to accomplish her body transformation, describing it as “a diet that I could live
with.” Her trick to control her sweet cravings is to keep sugar-free JELL-O on hand.
Hoffman’s advice to anyone who wants to get fit? Stop putting it off. “The older you get, the harder it is to get those muscles back in
shape,” she said. “Once you start taking the weight off, you’ll feel much better.” BRH&F
CORPORATE WELLNESS:
A GROWING NEED
By Bill Gvoich,
Medical Wellness Program Director
- Spectrum Fitness and Medical
Wellness
Employers nationwide are searching
for creative ways to trim their health
insurance costs. In their quest for
a healthier bottom line, companies
are investing in corporate wellness
programs to address chronic diseases
in the workplace, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure,
heart disease and depression. Most of these health issues are the
result of a sedentary lifestyle including the “sitting disease” and
unhealthy diets. Companies must also deal with work-related
injuries and loss of productivity.
Employees receive various incentives to participate in disease
management programs including cash, lower health insurance
costs, and subsidized fitness memberships. Many companies invest
in well-being, but the return on investment is not always clear.
Is there a better way?
Corporate wellness programs fall under two general models:
the “participation model” and the “outcome-based model.” The
participation model rewards people not for outcomes such as a
smaller waistline or a drop in blood pressure with exercise and
a healthier diet, but instead for merely participating. A more
effective wellness program identifies high-risk employees and
provides them with the necessary tools to improve their health and
quality of life. The people with chronic health conditions use up
most of the health insurance claim dollars. The real savings come
from keeping these people as healthy as possible and slowing the
progression of their disease.
The wellness program should include a variety of health
professionals: medical staff, exercise specialists, health educators,
and physical therapists that focus on work safety and return-towork programs. Design exercise programs to achieve set goals
based on the individual’s specific needs as indicated by a fitness
assessment and thorough medical exam. The program philosophy
is to improve health from the inside out and achieve a higher
quality of life. BRH&F
Fall 2013 brhealthandfitness.com
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