Snippets of Success – Healthy Choices Made Easy

“Snippets of Success” are brief glimpses into the successes of Orriant participants.

Participating in a workplace weight loss competition has helped Ben* shed close to 20 pounds! When he decided to take part in this challenge, he talked to his Orriant Health Coach and found out where many of his excess calories were coming from: dressings, condiments, and over-sized portions. As Ben began making better nutrition choices, he was amazed to see the scale continue to tip in his favor.

Now when Ben eats out for lunch, he orders a half sandwich with mustard instead of mayonnaise. Mustard has a great taste, and he is lowing his calories by saying no to mayonnaise. He also loads his sandwich with vegetables and orders lean protein on whole grain bread, which helps to keep him feeling fuller for longer.

Not only has Ben made improvements with his eating habits throughout the competition, but he’s also stepped up his exercise routine. He does several cardio and strength exercises by using a kettle ball. As he increased his physical activity and made healthier dietary choices, he has lowered his cholesterol, blood pressure and weight.

As the holidays have come and gone, Ben is happy that he’s developed healthy habits over the last few months to help him stay healthy at this time of year. “Making healthy choices is becoming easier, and I know the momentum and progress I’ve gained will help me stay on track.”

*Name changed or omitted to protect privacy.

Rise to Success – Amber Perkins

50 pounds lighter for 2013! Harmon’s employee Amber Perkins has worked hard to improve her health.  She is being featured on an Orriant success poster. Watch her meet her Orriant Health Coach, who she credits for a lot of her success.

“I feel so much better about myself.  Not only do I feel better about the way I look, but I feel better overall: mentally, physically, and emotionally,” says Amber, a Harmon’s employee.  She has lost a total of 50 pounds and has been involved with the Orriant program for a few years now.  Amber has enjoyed working with her coach, Meggan, from the beginning.  It was February 2012 when Amber decided to get serious by starting a healthy eating plan and going to the gym.  Amber believes Orriant has been a powerful influence on her weight loss achievements. “I lost a lot of weight a few years ago during my divorce, but it wasn’t the healthy way and I gained it all back.  Now I’m doing things the right way with nutrition and exercise.  Now I can keep the weight off.”

Amber says her success comes from exercise at the gym, self-discipline, and help from her Orriant coach. “Meggan has been great.  She gave me different ideas on topics like snacks, nutrition and how to avoid overeating.  She gave me a bunch of good suggestions!”  One idea that Amber incorporated was to drink a full glass of water before dinner.  This simple change helped Amber with her portion sizes and to stay adequately hydrated.

Orriant’s tracking system helped Amber to be accountable for the things she was and was not doing.  “It helps you keep track of everything better,” she explains.  Amber also recognizes the important role a balanced diet plays in being healthy.  She strives to eat the right amounts of protein, a variety of fruits and vegetables, replace fats with healthy fats, and drink lots of water.  Amber recalls, “The way I eat now is totally different from how I used to eat.”  She suggested, “If you know exactly what you can and cannot eat, it will be easier to plan your meals.”

Amber’s advice for others is “if you really have your heart and mind set on a goal, and you stick with it, then you can make it happen.  You have to put forth the work, but it can happen.”  Amber says that after she lost her extra weight, she feels healthier overall and has a lot more energy.   She still wants to drop a few more pounds in order to meet her short term goal set at the beginning of 2012.  Once she does that, she aims to stay at a healthy weight. “As long as I keep doing what I am doing, and stay on the right track, I will keep the weight off.”

Snippets of Success – Motivation and Determination

“Snippets of Success” are brief glimpses into the successes of Orriant participants.

As a truck driver, Eric* was concerned that he might not reach his goal weight with the driving hours he needed to maintain. After a few monthly check-ins with his Orriant Health Coach, he realized that his goal could be more attainable than what he originally thought.

He discovered that weight loss isn’t all about doing 60-minute workout sessions at the gym, six days a week. Instead, he came to recognize a few of his downfalls in his day-to-day health habits and first began making changes with those.

Being on the road, you’re often forced to eat out if you haven’t made it to grocery store to stock up on healthy foods, so Eric made the choice to start changing what he selects when he does eat out.

He learned, “Although I might have to stop for fast, convenient food, that doesn’t mean I have to order fries and a hamburger. I can choose a healthier place to eat, order grilled chicken entrees, skip fries, and have a side salad.” Changing his eating habits such as these led to an initial 10-pound weight loss in two months. He then hit a plateau for a month and knew he needed to step up his game.

He has since increased his diligence with exercise and has found ways to fit activity into his busy work schedule. “If I can exercise before leaving for work, I’ll do that.” Eric adds, “Sometimes, however, I know my son will want to exercise, so I’ll often hold off on a day of workouts and double up the next day with a two-hour bike ride on a day off from work. As I see the scale drop from the added exercise I’m getting, it makes me want to do more.”

He loves waking up now feeling energized! He loves the motivation and determination he has to improve his health, so he can be a better dad, worker, and husband.

*Name changed or omitted to protect privacy.

Snippets of Success – Smarter Choices

“Snippets of Success” are brief glimpses into the successes of Orriant participants.

What a relief it is to be able to do some of the simple things in life—like tying shoes without breathing hard! Mark* has made several small changes that have made a big difference in his overall health. Focusing on eating less candy and sweets, while increasing his time exercising, has all combined to help Mark lose 12 pounds!

It is remarkable what diligence and discipline has done for him. “I am very happy with [Orriant℠] and what it has helped me do,” says Mark. These changes weren’t hard for Mark, they just took some effort. The Orriant Wellness Program has given him the chance to change, and he is enjoying the effects of making smarter choices!

*Names have been changed or omitted to protect privacy.

Snippets of Success – Going the Extra Mile

“Snippets of Success” are brief glimpses into the successes of Orriant participants.

Like many who set their sights on weight loss, Matthew* realized he’d need to cut back on sugary sodas and increase his water intake. But he didn’t stop there…

To combat cravings after giving up his favorite soda, Matthew came up with a creative plan to quench his thirst without the calories! Instead of walking to the vending machine for a sugar-laden soda, he now walks about a mile to the nearest convenience store for a calorie-free citrus beverage.

By implementing this plan, each week Matthew is able to eliminate hundreds of calories that he would have taken in with the soda, while burning close to 100 calories each time he takes the mile-long walk. Brilliant!

*Names have been changed or omitted to protect privacy.

Snippets of Success – Gaining Confidence

“Snippets of Success” are brief glimpses into the successes of Orriant participants.

Carmen* has been wanting to make a change in her health for some time, and Orriant has given her the added encouragement and help to do it! She is following an eating plan and using support groups and her family to help her stay on track.

She also finds that by asking herself, “Why am I eating?” she has learned patterns and recognized some of the emotional ties that she has with food.

Exercise is not something that Carmen gets excited about, but she knows that it is important for her. She makes sure to do it right when she walks in the door after work, or she knows other responsibilities may get in they way. Seeing and feeling the benefits from her exercise help her to keep it a priority.

After just two months, Carmen has gone from a size 13 to a size 9 and feels that her overall self-confidence has increased. She is feeling excitement about life again!

*Names have been changed or omitted to protect privacy.

Snippets of Success – The Power of Accountability

“Snippets of Success” are brief glimpses into the successes of Orriant participants.

Being a busy mom and working full-time have not stopped Leila from moving towards her health goals. She has already lost 18 pounds since her Orriant Health Assessment just four months ago!

She is well on her way to her long-term goal of losing 50 pounds and getting back in shape after having her baby.

Leila has committed herself to exercise, rain or shine. She loves to walk outdoors but has decided that if the weather doesn’t cooperate, she will exercise on the elliptical indoors instead. In addition, she has increased her intake of fruits and vegetables and also drinks more water.

“Accountability,” Leila responded when asked what she feels is the biggest reason for her success so far. She has been tracking her goals in her Orriant Wellness Portal and makes sure to talk monthly with her Orriant Health Coach. She is excited about the progress she is making towards her long-term goal and plans to keep pushing forward.

Habits of Healthy Kids

One of the best things parents can do to teach kids healthy habits is to be an example of healthy habits themselves. Check out these 8 habits of healthy kids:

Source: New York City Health Department: “Helping Children Reach a Healthy Weight: Proven Tips for Parents“

Snippets of Success – Realistic Goals

“Snippets of Success” are brief glimpses into the successes of Orriant participants.

As Doug started working with his Orriant Health Coach, he immediately set up a goal to become more aware of what he was eating in hopes that this would help him eat less. He wanted to lose weight, and while he felt that he was eating high-quality foods, it seemed he was still eating too much.

Doug started tracking his food intake on his phone and quickly identified foods that were really high in calories. He also realized that he didn’t need two servings of higher-calorie foods at his dinner meal and could instead get by with just one.

He started filling up half of his dinner plate with vegetables and found that adding the vegetables helped him fill up without the added calories. At night, he began chewing on gum if he got a craving for something sweet, and that quickly stopped him from eating anything after 7:00pm.

As a result of these lifestyle changes, Doug has lost 20 pounds so far and is now only 10 pounds away from his goal weight. He has more energy to wrestle with his boys and he feels great! He is also more likely to be physically active—a feeling which he relishes! Doug doesn’t feel like he made any huge sacrifices along the way, but the small adjustments he made were very realistic for him and indeed helped him see the success he was hoping for.

Snippets of Success – Twenty Pounds Lost

“Snippets of Success” are brief glimpses into the successes of Orriant participants.

Making small, simple changes has helped Bryant* lose 20 pounds in the last few months! He has been focusing on his eating habits by cutting back his portion sizes and listening more to his body to figure out when he is full.

In addition to reducing portion sizes, he has also been skipping unhealthy snacks between meals while he’s at work. Bryant knows he hasn’t been doing these things long enough for them to be permanent lifestyle changes, but plans to keep working hard to maintain his goals.

He plans to get to the point where it becomes a habit for him to make healthy decisions.

*Names have been changed or omitted to protect privacy.