Then my mid to late twenties came around and found me sitting at a desk behind a computer every day. Finding my soul-mate (and getting too old to attend) brought my clubbing days to a virtual end, and the food that I ate remained constant. Add fertility drugs and two pregnancies to the mix and I was destined for trouble. By the time I hit my early to mid 30’s, working full time and taking care of a toddler and an infant brought total exhaustion. Eating what was easy was the priority. Exercise was a joke too cruel to even contemplate. I realized that until my son started sleeping through the night there wasn’t much I was willing to do about it.

Back in May my company, in cooperation with our health care provider Blue Cross Blue Shield started a 12 week Lifestyle Incentive Program. The Program encouraged our employees to join teams aimed towards living healthier lives that include eating healthy, exercising regularly, and for those that applied quitting smoking. It was packed with incentives like discounts off to local gyms, prizes to the group with the best average weight-loss or maintenance of a healthy BMI, and discounts off healthy food options at our cafes. The program came at a perfect time for me, still struggling to lose the weight that I had been carrying from both my 1st and 2nd pregnancy. Having reached a point where my son was starting to get on a schedule, I decided to take the program as the incentive it was meant to be (although I have a conspiracy theory that we were a pilot group for future required wellness programs aimed at forcing people to get healthy or pay more for health care), and quickly put a team together.

The program had about 200 participants between our two call center facilities, and immediately scores of employees could be seen outside at lunch time walking the perimeters of the vast and beautiful Putnam grounds. After two weeks on the program we met with our nursing coaches for weigh-in and consultation. I had been eating my fruits and vegetables, and getting 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. I hadn’t lost a pound. I expressed my disappointment to the nurse and she told me it had to be an issue with portion control. She encouraged me to join a weight loss program such as Weight Watchers to help me on my way. Upon learning that BCBS reimbursed up to $150 per year towards a sponsored weight loss program such as WW, I bit the bullet and signed up.

What an eye opener. I was ingesting double the amount of portioned food that the program was recommending someone of my height and weight should eat in order to lose weight at a healthy interval (1-2 lbs per week). I followed the program to a tee counting points constantly and dictating what we could and could not eat for supper (only slightly aggravating my husband since he’s the one who usually cooks). I immediately started to see success. I also found other methods of exercise to help boost my activity and weight loss, including an exercise DVD that I can use at home that I LOVE, and I joined up with the local YMCA to attend Zumba classes (also reimbursed by BCBS up to $150).

I also cut out my fast food splurges. I groaned in horror when I realized my favorite meal at Taco Bell uses up my entire point allotment for a day in just one sitting. For the first time in my life I am paying attention to labels, learning things like the importance of dietary fiber, and feeling actually motivated to move my body. I dropped soda from the menu, and focus on drinking water by day, and splurging on Crystal Light after work.

The results are just awesome. By the end of the 12 week program I had lost 14 lbs. I’ve kept up the walking since (although the scores of walkers since the program’s end have mysteriously disappeared), and go to my WW meeting religiously. I have now lost a total of 19 pounds, with 13 more to go. I am more then half way there. GO ME!!! The best part about this whole thing is I feel better than ever. People have been telling me all the time lately how great I look, and how much they can really see that I am thinner.

I look forward to getting into the clothing that I used to wear before I got married…banished to the attic with a half hearted dream that they would fit me again some day. Friday night I’m going dancing for a girls’ night with my friend (finally not afraid to let loose and jiggle things that just shouldn’t be jiggling), and although I haven’t tried it on yet, I have a pretty good feeling that one of my dressy shirts I used to wear before I got pregnant with my eldest will fit. What a great feeling that will be.

As a side note, shortly after the incentive program at Putnam finished, the state of Alabama announced that it is cracking down on its employees and forcing those who are obese or have more than 3 medical conditions to enter wellness programs. Individuals who do not comply will see their insurance costs go up as much as $25 monthly. I think I might be on to something with that conspiracy theory.