by kelsey | Aug 29, 2013 | Diet, Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to help people. I have always been a people person and grew up in a household where I learned the joy you can receive from helping others at a young age (thanks Mom and Dad!). Weight loss and improved nutrition is a tough thing. I have personally struggled with it at times and know from personal experience and helping others…it’s never easy. Changing your lifestyle is truly challenging and it’s even more challenging with all of the temptations we have in our society to encourage us to over-indulge! Throughout our 12 week wellness program, we tell our participants that we never expect all of our recommendations to happen overnight that instead we encourage you to work on a few things at one time and gradually those baby steps will add up to big steps and big successes. Honestly, I would rather see a slow and steady weight loss that takes longer than the participant would probably like, than a quick weight loss that is eventually gained back.
My day was made yesterday when I got an email from Denise Hoff. Denise was in our winter STRIVE 2 Survive program last year and has made some pretty incredible improvements in her health. Denise gave me permission to share her success with you all as in her own words “maybe it will motivate someone else who thinks they are too big or too old to start.” 🙂
Denise has now lost about 17lbs and dropped 12.5″ total (waist, hips, bust, thighs, arms)…4 of the 12.5″ are off her waist! She was never a runner, but thanks to our team’s inspiration, she ran her first 5k with her daughter last weekend (see the picture!). She said they had a great mother/daughter time and as she ran, she was proud to say she was able to keep a stride and actually pass others! 🙂 Denise started to run one block at a time. Her initial goal was a half of a mile, then one mile, then 1 1/2 miles, etc. She broke it down so it didn’t seem so overwhelming and set a goal of running a 5k with the encouragement and support of us and her family…she accomplished it successfully and is now looking forward to doing more 5ks! In addition to the improvement in her weight and waist circumference, her lab values have also improved as she dropped her total cholesterol about 50points, which is now well into the normal range and has kept her blood sugar and blood pressure in normal ranges also. As you can see from the timeline, these changes didn’t happen overnight, but she slowly worked at it and has achieved great success in the last 6-8 months and looks forward to continuing to work on her health and wellness goals. In Denise’s words “Thanks for being so supportive and encouraging. I hope the next time you see me, you will have to take a double look as I am hoping to look smaller and more fit.”
As we approach the start of our fall session of STRIVE 2 Survive, I hope Denise’s testimony shows you the benefits you can receive from our wellness program and our team’s education, support, and encouragement. If you see Denise on the street, be sure to congratulate her on her success! We are very proud of her!
Fall STRIVE starts September 10th…contact us today to get enrolled!!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Aug 19, 2013 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
My twin daughters are off to college this week, and everybody in the family is taking note, Buddy included. He can tell something is going on with all of the packing, and boxing up of things. Megan leaves tomorrow morning, tuesday, for George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Molly leaves this friday for SDSU in Brookings. Mom and dad are trying to figure out what we get to do with some more free time now. I see long bike rides, runs, walks together, and of course, keeping an eye on Nick yet as he will be a junior in high school.
Grandma Folk made the girls a going away college present…a quilt with their school colors on it. Here they are showing them off!
Megan is going to try joining the club sport of swimming at George Mason, and Molly will continue running on her own. Hopefully, we have set the tone for them going forward. They learn by watching, and seeing us work out everyday has to have some kind of dividends in their health going forward. Time will tell. We will keep going, and hopefully they follow. Some day I would like to run a marathon with my girls. I have a friend, Tom, who got to run one with his daughter. I think that would be really special. Good luck you two!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2154
by kelsey | Aug 6, 2013 | Exercise, Family, Wellness/Health
Like Dr. Dan, my family has had a fun filled summer with a variety of activities including walks, hikes, lake time, etc. Activity doesn’t have to be a dreadful thing…you can make it fun and enjoyable for the whole family! This last weekend we were visiting my brother and family in the St.Croix area of Wisconsin and enjoyed a nice Saturday hike in one of their state parks. Everyone, including my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and nieces (ages 2 and 4) enjoyed the nice hike, scenery, and fun. As adults, it’s important to be good role models to our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc and lead by example. Children are going to be more apt to stay active if they see their role models doing it! As we get older, it’s even more important to stay active to keep our bones and muscles strong as if we don’t use it, we lose it! As as reminder, we recommend getting at least 30-60 minutes of activity a day and for children it is recommended to get at least 60 minutes a day. To spice up your activity, search out the parks in your area or incorporate games into the activity to make it more enjoyable and fun. Our hike included a beautiful waterfall which made it even more exciting!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Aug 4, 2013 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
There have been so many activities going to this summer, that it has at times been hard to keep track of. But man has it been fun! Softball, swimming, running, biking…there has by no means been a shortage of things to do. What makes it even better as we have been able to do all of this as a family! Nick and Molly had softball all summer. Megan had her final season this summer swimming. 4 of the 5 of us competed in the Kampeska triathlon in July. There have been many running races, and bike race/events throughout the whole summer, and continuing on yet through the next several months. Parents out there…stay active right along with the kids. You have to stay in shape just to keep up with them! With all of these different events, the amount of people you meet and talk with has been too numerous to count. It is a great social event to be able to talk about not only your childrens health and how to maintain it, but yours as well! Here are some of the activities from this summer:
Here Megan is with a bunch of her swim friends, not only from Watetown, but from around the state while at the last day of the state swim meet at the end of July. Friends made forever!
Molly and Nick both played softball all summer, and here is Nick with his team mates as they won the 16 and under division at State softball tournament in July! Great memories.
Here I am with Nick, Sarah, and Molly (Megan was at a swim meet!) at the 2013 Kampeska triathlon! All four of us competed as individuals for the entire event…first time for Nick and Molly! It is a great way to spend time together as a family, and have some friendly competition. I was ahead of Nick the entire way, but he caught me on the run, and beat me by 3 seconds! I can’t run as fast anymore. I am just thrilled he loves it!
So summer can be very busy, but you can have a lot of fun. You have heard me before say that you need to take advantage of this weather while we have it. Get out there and enjoy it. Kids, keep moving. Parents, you set the example, and lead by example. You have heard me say this before too. Above all, have fun!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consectutive Exercise Day #: 2139
by Dan | Jul 14, 2013 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
Yesterday was the 29th Annual Kampeska mini triathlon…and it was one of the biggest yet for participants! We had great weather…minimal wind, but very humid, and by the time the run portion started, it got really hot. We got sprinkles on a few times, which helped out quite a bit. This was the first time for my son Nick, and daughter Molly, as well as my marathon training partner Steve. We got a chance to see one of Sarah’s college classmates, Lori, who came up from Brookings, to participate in her first thriathlon. Here we all are prior to the start.
We got to spend time doing a different adventure, and spend time with family and friends. It was a great way to spend the morning, and stay fit. One thing the triathlon does for you is you is spending time doing different types of execise so it is less likely to get bored with one specific exercise activity. We had a great time, and now we are talking about we are going to do this again next year! The summer is going fast, so continue to take advantage of the weather, and get outside and enjoy! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2118
by kelsey | Jun 18, 2013 | Diet, Family, Food, Holidays, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
This last weekend, my family had a great Father’s Day celebration all weekend complete with boating, fishing, good food, campfires, and fellowship. My brother Lincoln and his family came from Wisconsin and it’s always a treat to get to be with their two little girls. We had an awesome supper Saturday night to celebrate the great dads and I have to say I was quite proud of our family! We grilled our own Raml Cattle lean steaks, had potatoes on the grills, and a bunch of really great fruits and veggies. As I dished up my plate, I noticed it mirrored the USDA’s MyPlate’s icon and I couldn’t resist taking a picture of it! I think it’s very important to practice what you preach and if I am giving you recommendations on healthy eating, I feel it’s essential for me to practice those recommendations as well! This meal was fairly simple to prepare and was thoroughly enjoyed without the feeling of being too full. Things to have on hand to make a healthy plate include: lean proteins (in this case we used sirloin), plenty of fruits and veggies to complete half of your plate, and a quarter starch or grains (we grilled red potatoes with a little olive oil). When you eat a balanced, portion controlled plate like this, you will feel content and the need to snack and over-eat is greatly decreased. I hope all of you Fathers out there enjoyed your day and got extra special treatment! I know I sure enjoyed the weekend with my family as we celebrated!
My Dad helping me grill.
“BEEF, it’s what’s for dinner.” Our delicious Raml Cattle steaks were perfect for our Father’s Day celebration!
-Kelsey
