Great example of dedication and commitment can lead to magnificent results
As many of you know I am health coach for Take Shape for Life, a great program that promotes long term wellness. I am extremely proud of Heather Wagner, one of my massage clients who decided about a year ago to embark on a health transformation.
Last spring Heather was over 300 lbs and had fallen into a kind of helplessness when it came to any discussion about her long term health outlook, She was suffering from fibromayalgia, vertigo, severe pain in most joints, especially knees and several other underlying conditions that were either directly affecting or ready to affect her every day living. She had also had bouts of depression concerning her weight and health that perpetuated this cycle of dis ease.
Heather had become accustomed to her lifestyle and actually had grown to use her weight for a kind of comfortable, safe obscurity. Unitl her step-s
on Zach was ready to leave for the Navy, Zach wanted to have a "heart to heart" with his mom, during which he mentioned that he "loved her enough" to tell it like it was.
He mentioned that he was hoping that while he was away, she would take steps to get her health under control.
Finally, Heather had an internal motivation that was important enough to change her habits and tackle her problem head on. We had talked about TSFL several times prior to this, but she wasn't ready. She approached me after her conversaton with her son and told me that she finally understand what I meant about needing to focus on a goal larger that wieght loss. Her sons request that she be around to see his future children. That became her driving focus...she has since developed several other points of focus that help her stay on track.
Some of her friends and her husband have mentioned more that just the physical differences. They talk about the confidence she now has, which I see in her in how she walks into my office for a massage. This confidence helped her pursue and land a teaching job, which she loves, in the Highland school distric working with special needs kids.
Finally her son came home on leave not long ago and he got to see for the first time her transformation and was astonished.
In the roughly 11 months since she has been on her journey she has dropped 121 pounds and can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. She still has a ways to go and is uncomfortable taking pride in her success,until she reaches her goal weight. As her health coach I can say I am very proud of her and her accompolishment, she has set the bar high for my own coaching expectations with her own hard work, dedication to her health and commitment to her goals.
