My Journey to Wellness: Sherry Maddox, Director, Risk Management
I was always the person who could eat anything and never gain weight.  In High School, my breakfast was a Snickers candy bar and a Coke.  I was 5’10” and weighed 120 lbs., an athlete, running track and playing basketball but my coaches never said much about a healthy diet.

True to form, I continued my poor eating habits into college.  As a nursing student, you learned about the significance of nutrition and we learned how to educate our patients.  Problem is I was one of those “do as I say, not as is do” nurses.

In my twenties and thirties, I thought I was invincible, playing amateur A-league softball, working full time and raising a child.  My talk skinny body was good to me and thinking about a “healthy life style” did not cross my mind. I carried the title of the “Little Debbie Snack Queen” proudly and had a passion for bread and chocolate.

Fast forward to my mid-fifties.  The weight had creeped up over the years and suddenly I was 50 pounds over-weight.  I had two grandchildren that were full of energy and my desire to keep up with them was stronger than my poor body.  It was time to take charge, lose the weight, adjust my lifestyle and start an exercise program but I had to figure out how to do that.  I did not like to exercise and my brain said I could still eat anything I want.

In 2011, a friend talked to me about signing up with a personal trainer and gave me the name of someone she had trained with at her gym.  Someone needed to look over my shoulder to keep me on track.  My trainer developed a workout routine and diet and we went to work. Over the next 15 months, I lost 60 pounds and felt like a new person.  I had energy, my skin, complexion was much improved, and I went shopping for a new wardrobe!

It is 2018 and I am still training one to two days per week with the same personal trainer.  She has become a real friend and my greatest champion. I admit I still have a sweet tooth, but I have reserve and satisfy the craving, with a smaller portion rather than eat the whole candy bar or slice of pie. I try to take a walk at least 3 days a week, more if weather permits, (I hate to walk at the mall) and exercise at home between gym visits.  My diet trick is limiting the between meal snacks, cutting down or eliminating the bread and potatoes and not eating after dinner, drinking plenty of water and almost eliminating the soft drinks.  (I said almost).

My crowning achievement is not gaining the back the weight I lost in 2011-12.  I can keep up with my grandchildren, rather it be in the back yard or spending a week at “Walk” Disney World.  I take pride in knowing my diet and exercise keeps  me healthy, with no chronic medical problems and only taking vitamins and an occasional over the counter Motrin, but who doesn’t’ have an occasional ache or pain.

If I can commit to a diet and exercise program, anyone can.  Having to admit I had to go on a diet was the hardest thing ever, and then losing the weight was even harder but I did it.

Call or email Nathan with further questions!