Sometimes, the noblest of intentions may be present, but the catalyst to change may be driven by another motivation.
“I confess, when they announced we would save money on our health care plans, that’s when I signed up for Humana Vitality,” said Lori Brown.
A nurse for more than 30 years, Lori has been with Baptist for five years. She is the chief nursing officer at Baptist Union City. Like so many others, her struggle to manage and lose weight has been a continuous challenge. “I’m a yo-yo person and a stress eater,” she confessed.
After signing up for Humana Vitality, she started exploring the online tools, choosing the weight management program and walking program as a start.
“I knew what I was supposed to do, but I didn’t have the energy to do it.”
As she began interacting more with Humana Vitality, she realized the tool focused more on her mindset and emotions than food and dieting.
“I realized that nobody was telling me what to eat. We all make our own choices,” she said.
Since May 2015, Lori has lost 90 pounds. Her husband and son supported her efforts—so much so that her son lost 30 pounds and the entire family is set to walk their first 5k in September.
“They were eating unhealthy because they ate what I cooked.”
Today, Lori and her family avoid refined sugar and refined wheat products. “We only eat whole grain breads and I use Stevia, Truvia and brown sugar.” The family also eats at home more often.
Lori believes Humana Vitality’s goal setting helped her get started. After taking her assessment, she decided to work on her weight and even bought her first pedometer through Humana Vitality.
She believes the hardest part is acknowledging the lifelong commitment to her health. “I realized I will do this for the rest of my life.” After losing the weight, her blood pressure normalized, so she doesn’t need medicine. She drinks water and green tea, avoiding caffeine.
Ironically, her realization about choice has led to more freedom. “You choose what you eat.”