Sharing Success: Cari Davine

Where to start? To the simplest note, Cari Davine has been a true example of how to take wellness coaching and literally run with the support backed from a coach. Her journey began in early May 2011 and has not stopped or wavered in the slightest to this very day. When I first met Cari, I noticed that she was somewhat self-conscious and un-sure of who she really was, but I was completely wrong. As Cari went through our Health Lifestyle™ program she not only shrunk in waist sizes, but her aura completely changed. The biggest switch I began to notice was that she started to feel like herself again and any self-consciousness was thrown out the window. Her energy changed and she started to find the fun in pushing herself to the limit. She took almost all of our toughest classes and stayed focused her entire stay leading into the coaching program. Before leaving, Cari attend our H3@Home information session and I’ll never forget what she said to me after the session. She explained “I want you to be my coach, I am fed up with the old Cari and I am never going back.” Right when I heard this, I could honestly feel her motivation ringing in my ears. I was excited to have the opportunity to work with Cari and had 150% confidence that her seriousness and assertiveness for her life would take her wherever she wanted.

As Cari began the H3@Home Coaching, she had a solid base of fitness; however now it’s as good as any athlete out there (I’m jealous of her ability to recover after workouts). She has established times to attend CrossFit (a popular group exercise class), scheduled morning runs, and even found a love for boxing (as long as it doesn’t bulk her up). Each week Cari attempted to add a different component to her fitness and now incorporates yoga while ensuring all her fitness choices remain fun. Right out of the gates, her strategy with the nutrition was to go with a healthy food delivery service called NIM (Nutrition in Motion) as this provided her a straight forward approach to maintaining a 1200 to 1400 calorie diet. Over the last two months, Cari has switched to choosing her own portions and focusing on more of a paleo-lithic approach (lean meats, vegetables and fruits). She successfully prepares each week and portions food on her own, while making great decisions when eating out and keeping it as SIMPLE as possible.

It may sound like Cari has all the time in the world to make this happen; however, she is actually a top executive lawyer for a media company in Westmount, Quebec. She travels every now and then to New York and Los Angeles, and typically works close to 50-60 hours per week.  The position she is in is very demanding as she teaches law classes and even has to find time to attend the Emmy’s every now and then. The fact is that Cari has made her health THE PRIORITY. She has not given herself any excuses and has set up specific times of when she works out. She plans ahead regularly and does not procrastinate in any facet of her life. She’s able to remain flexible and make wise decisions even when her weeks get slammed. Her proactive approach has not only evidenced a 60 pound weight loss, but has changed her attitude and overall being in this world. Her entire organization has noticed the switch she’s made in her life. Battling obstacles and not accepting “no” as an answer, Cari has recreated her lifestyle and that’s the cold hard truth. She is never going back and has become the person she always knew was inside of her. Congratulations Cari, you’ve done amazing and will continue to down the line.

[caption id="attachment_6783" align="alignleft" width="420" caption="Cari May 2011"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_6782" align="alignleft" width="420" caption="Cari Nov. 2011"][/caption]

Please comment on how H3@Home Coaching has benefitted you in any of the following areas: appearance, motivation, energy, exercise habits, eating habits, sleep, self-esteem or stress.

Through H3@Home I have been more motivated to stay on track than ever in the past. I have stayed confident and committed to achieving my goals and have managed to keep tipping the scale down and continued marching forward even when I have had setbacks. My energy is positive and high and I am no longer reaching for the snooze button in the morning. I take pride every day in what I look like as opposed to having to reach for the stretchy leggings and oversized shirts but am having fun with my closet again.           

What successes can you attribute to wellness coaching and the continued at-home support?

I attribute my continued motivation to my weekly sessions with Jeff. He has listened to me freak out or has just laughed with me when I needed it. Knowing that I can reach out and complain about something which in the past would derail me from my goals has been the greatest comfort. When I first came home from H3, I was sad, lonely and not ready to get back to life. Sure it was great to see my family and friends and receive the compliments on how I looked but I missed the bubble of H3 and was scared. Getting the first call from Jeff the week after I left helped center me, brought everything back into focus and gives me the strength week after week to keep chasing my goals and ultimately my dreams. Realizing I am not alone and still having the support from the island makes everyday a better one.

How has wellness coaching impacted your behaviors/lifestyle at home?

The coaching keeps me moving, committed, focused and at the end of the day happy. My new motto is no excuses because I need to celebrate and live my life – not watch it go by. Speaking to Jeff makes me want to hit CrossFit and kill it. I hear his voice in the morning when it is 5am and I need to get my training run in. 

What aspect of the H3@Home Program has been the biggest benefit?

I am going to be honest and say that the most important tool for me is my coach. The most important part of all this for me is talking it out, keeping my connection to H3 and remembering what I accomplished when I was there and how to keep it going...that is why it works for me – Thanks Jeff…xo

Sharing Success: Katharine Carek

Katharine Carek came to Hilton Head Health for one reason: “I don’t want to die,” she said. “I love my family, and I want to be here for them.” Facing reality, Katharine knew that she had to address her weight, high blood pressure and diabetes if she wanted to stick around. While “fear-based” motivators are not generally the strongest in terms of long-term compliance, what Katharine discovered along the way was her true motivation: to LIVE—not just to exist on this earth, but to lead a rich, fulfilling, happy life. And that’s exactly what she’s doing today as she continues her quest toward her “best self.”

When Katharine first started the coaching program, she was intimidated about gym classes—worried that she couldn’t keep up or that others would judge her because of her weight. With encouragement, she took a chance and attended some group fitness classes. “I developed the attitude of doing what I can and not worrying about what other people think,” she said. Now she’s hooked—attending a variety of classes five times a week. “People come up to me in the gym and say I’m inspiring. I love that I can inspire other people to get healthy,” she said.

Since leaving H3, Katharine has reduced her clothing size from a 24 to a 16. She’s boxing up her “big girl” dresses for charity and plans to buy a new wardrobe when she reaches size 12. She recently purchased a pair of boots. “I look hot,” she said, thrilled that she no longer needs the styles for extra-large calves!

The side effects of her weight loss are dramatic, to say the least. Her blood pressure is now normal with no medication. She has been able to drop one of her diabetes meds and now needs only one mild medication for the condition.

But perhaps the biggest change is in the area of confidence and self-esteem. Katharine and her husband are taking dance lessons, something she never would have considered before. She recently attended a neighborhood party where she danced the night away. “I’ve never in my life felt this good,” she said. “I look in the mirror and say, ‘Not so bad!’ I can cross my legs again—for the first time in 20 years. I feel so ‘adult’.”

 

How has H3@Home Coaching benefitted you in any of the following areas:

Appearance: LOOKING GOOOOD!

Motivation: Pretty darn high!

Energy: Running circles around my younger husband!

Exercise Habits: Does the title “Gym Rat” ring a bell?

Eating Habits: Not perfect, but greatly improved!

Sleep: Much better.

Self Esteem: Much, much higher. Greater confidence in social situations.

Stress: Extremely low, not much of a problem. I have been dropping activities that are stressful.

 

What successes can you attribute to wellness coaching and the continued at-home support?

Continued support keeps me focused on all that good training for both emotional and physical optimal well-being that I learned at H3.

Home coaching with Linda Hopkins is a continuation of that education and support. It doubles the value of the time and money that was spent at H3.

Sharing Success: Lyle Orr

As guests make their transition back home, most head out our doors with vision of a changed lifestyle and a new way of living. Lyle Orr took his vision one step further and said in 3 months, I will be able to do anything I want to do. I will be road biking, playing softball, kick boxing, and my overall feeling will be completely different. I often ask guests … what makes this important to you? Lyle unwaveringly said this is for my kids, my wife, my family; this is so I can change my life and then be compassionate towards others. To narrow down the motivators and the vision is the first step, but would he translate this over? I had no doubt in my mind and here is his story…
Lyle Orr checked into Hilton Head Health in late April and stayed for 4 weeks total. During his program, Lyle was a ball of energy that spurred everyone to push harder and motivated everyone alike in our patented Hilton Head Health Treading Class. His yips and yells could spook even the most fearless, but the fight and motivation he showed during his H3 Journey was rare and infectious. Day in and day out, Lyle would come into every fitness class and lifestyle lecture ready to work, ready to commit to a new way of living. After successfully losing 23 pounds and 8 inches there was not stopping Mr. Lyle Orr, he signed up for the http://www.h3daily.com/h3athome/h3athome-coaching/and as his coach, I knew he was going to hit the ground running.
To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure how he was going to do it. Leading a busy work life, caring for two kids, D.J’s on the weekends, finding time to spend with his wife Jess, oh and knowing he’d be flying to Fort Lauderdale every week, how was he going to make this work? Well he did and below is only a few of the incredible strategies he came up with dating all the way back to his first day outside the H3 bubble.
1. The Breakfast Whack!
½ Cup Fiber One Honey Crunch, ½ Cup 1% cottage cheese, ½ Plain yogurt (add splenda, vanilla extract) and top with cut blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries. This is Lyle’s go to breakfast and its spread like wildfire to wear his family and co-workers can’t get enough!
2. Unwise, Better, BEST – how he wants it
During meals on the plane or in business meetings, Lyle shoots to make the BEST choice he can and the fact is he doesn’t settle. I remember one meeting he was in the thick of things, ran out of metabo meals, but at first chance jumped out the hotel door for a healthy option from Subway. He orders the salad dressings on the side, lets the servers leave the butter off, and tells them exactly what he wants.

Coaching Corner - Sharing Success: Karen Clark

When Karen Clark sets out to win, look out. Fiercely competitive and intrinsically driven, she’s up for a challenge and often creates her own. So, when Karen decided to lose some weight and improve her health, it came as no surprise to anyone that she went after it with a vengeance.

Karen discovered Hilton Head Health through a brochure that was sent to her by a friend. But it was the A&E show Heavy that inspired her to act on the information. While she could not participate as a guest at Hilton Head Health at that time, she signed up for the at home coaching program.

Karen began working with Coach Linda Hopkins in April 2011, identifying her family as her primary motivator. “I gain strength from my family, who are the most important people and priorities in my life,” she said. Close family members include her adoring and supportive husband, two lovely daughters, her elderly dad and a precious new grandbaby. One of her long-term goals is to whittle down to a size eight dress by spring 2012, when her oldest daughter gets married.

Coaching Corner: Sharing Success – Mindy Buford

As we continue our Sharing Success series, look at the strategies these members have taken to create their healthy lifestyle. It is not a one size fits all approach and that’s what a healthy lifestyle change is all about. What works for me is not what’s going to work for you. There are bits and pieces we can take from one another, but at the end of the day Mindy has discovered what in the end will work for her.

Mindy’s success is due to her discipline, determination, and ability to be affective on the go. She began her H3 journey in early February, only able to stay onsite for a short time. Mindy happens to be a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator; she is on the road protecting and monitoring patients up to 5 days per week. Being at home is not an option for Mindy, except on the weekends. How was she able to manage this switch with such a schedule? Planning and commitment.

Mindy works in time for exercise; scheduling walks throughout her days on the road. Walking at shopping malls or swimming in the hotel pool, she makes it happen. Additionally, Mindy has a quick Fit Ball routine and has become a weekend warrior where she takes longer walks (up to 8 miles) with her friend on Sundays. What’s even bigger is that her nutrition is absolutely on point when she’s on the road. She mentioned: I am getting so good with my choices now that it’s almost easier when I’m traveling. A couple weeks ago Mindy went on her annual Virginia Creeper Trail Biking trip with and felt the best ever, period. She completed double the mileage, 34 miles to be exact, and had a healthy weekend with friends and family. Keep reading to hear her entire story…