Success Stories

How did you hear about the LiveWell Fit program?

While working at Haggen, I heard about LiveWell Fit. I recently remembered the program from one of my old coworkers and wanted to see if it was still offered. Soon after, I got something in the mail from the Trust mentioning the LiveWell Fit program. When I looked more closely, I saw that the Trust had sent me a list of races that I really wanted to try.

What motivated you to participate?

I really wanted that reimbursement to go towards a new pair of shoes, or a fitness tracker. But also, I wanted to see how I could do competitively against other racers. So why not give it a shot? Since I would get reimbursed for my entries, I didn’t have any reason not to go ahead with it.

What helped keep you motivated?

I always had another competition to look forward to, since the program reimburses for up to four events. I also participated in the Health Coaching program, and my health coach was a valuable motivator for me. We set goals together to help me improve my speed, workout, and nutrition. I just wanted to see how well I could do going forward.

What are your keys to success?

I focused on forming healthy habits. I tried to get out and run every day, even if I didn’t feel like it, because I knew it would make me feel better physically and mentally. I also tried to form healthy nutrition habits so that my exercises would help me even more!

Any advice for others considering LiveWell Fit?

Try it! Every journey begins with a single step. I was eating poorly, and I didn’t have the motivation to change myself. If you can start just by getting off the coach and walking to the mailbox and back, you’re headed in the right direction.

What are you doing differently today?

Now, I’ve gotten to the point where I can add strength training to my exercise routine. While I primarily run and walk, using a Bowflex machine three times a week has really helped me realize my goals more efficiently.

To learn more about the Trust’s Sound Support programs, visit www.soundhealthwellness.com/soundsupport

For Trust participant Jasmine Carey, giving new things a try is already a lifestyle choice. With her six-year-old daughter and spouse, she previously spent three years living in Europe and exploring more than 10 nations during her time abroad.

“We love to eat and try new foods and experience different cultures around the world,” said Jasmine. “I love meeting new people and am passionate about learning and growing.”

It’s this same desire to learn and grow that inspired her to sign up for Naturally Slim.

“I loved how simple it was to use on my phone. I was a little worried because I work full time and I am a busy mother and wife but found the short videos to be very refreshing and easy to watch on my break or lunch. I loved that I could pause the videos and resume them at a later time,” she added.

She also liked the blue bracelet that came with the welcome package – it served as a great reminder to her to slow down and taste every bit of food.

In this way, Jasmine found that the program has served as more of a teaching tool than a weight loss program, and that she was learning discipline, which is what she needed. “I think Naturally Slim is different because there are not false promises,” she remarked. “Many programs require you to almost starve yourself and you’re always hungry. This is teaching you the needed skills to make those healthy decisions on your own. I liked that I was not always hungry on this program.”

Through participating in Naturally Slim and adding in some physical activity, she lost about 15 pounds. But the biggest difference has come with her snacking habits.

The biggest change for me was that I stopped snacking at work and eating just because it was there, said Jasmine.

Naturally Slim is offered to Trust participants during specific enrollment periods throughout the year. This common-sense digital counseling program teaches participants simple skills to change when and how they eat, instead of what they eat.

“I’ve always had trouble having a healthy relationship with food,” said Lori O’Dell, a Trust participant who works as a checker at Sehome Village Haggen in Bellingham. “It’s been an ongoing thing in my life. I think this is true for a lot of us.”

She started the Naturally Slim program (now Wondr Health^TM) with some uncertainty. Since she’d tried so many other things in the past, she didn’t have high expectations. But the program brought new, intuitive ideas about eating and movement into play.

“The principles are different from what I’ve tried before,” said Lori. “And the simplicity of this program is very refreshing. It’s very focused on paying attention to your body. It’s really simple principles, such as: ‘Don’t eat if you’re not hungry. It seems intuitive, but I think we all can use these kinds of reminders.”

She also appreciated how the program offers ways to deal with hunger between meal times and reminds participants to take time when eating.

“It’s helped me to be mindful of my own body and give myself hints to accomplish my goals,” she said. “Unlike with other programs, you don’t have to plan or count points.”

Naturally Slim also reviews things like food marketing and labeling and teaches participants how to choose healthier options. Participation also includes online forums and support, where you can learn what has worked for others.

“I really like to work out so, they gave me a lot of great tips on exercise and how to view it in a good frame,” said Lori.

She also liked how specific some of the recommendations were.

“I’m a real ‘social eater,’ and eating out can be challenging. The program anticipated this; how did you know I had that problem? They take you through some simulations and offer different ways to deal with the situation or ways to go with it.”

These key learnings were successes for Lori on their own, but she also lost 20 pounds in the first four to five weeks, and she has continued putting the things she learned into practice.

“I remind myself that I’m not hungry, or to slow down and chew slowly,” she said. “Sometimes I will even think, ‘Put your fork down!’ Follow-through is my biggest challenge. Maintaining this mindfulness is the work!”

Overall, Lori thinks the program is well worth it to anyone who wants to have a better relationship with food. “This is a great benefit,” she said.

For Dale Johnson of Shoreline, the support of Quit for Life came after a scary event in his life: in August of 2015, he had a heart attack and spent four days in the hospital. Johnson, a father of three, recently retired from Sugar Mountain Capital as a facility manager, where he worked for 13 years. Once he was home and healing, he signed up for Quit for Life through the Sound Health & Wellness Trust. “It was a wake-up call,” says Johnson.

Having the support of his Quit Coach, plus access to tobacco cessation medication, was crucial to Johnson’s success. His Quit Coach provided encouragement and tools to cope with cravings, but his family—including his wife, Mary, and sons Jonathan (22), Jason (13) and Joshua (12)—was his true inspiration. Spending less time smoking meant he could have more time with them, even just hanging out.

“I was always a bit of an embarrassed smoker,” says Johnson, explaining that he felt guilty when he had to get away to smoke during family get-togethers. “Now, the smell really gets to me,” says Johnson. “It’s so nice not to have to sneak away for a cigarette.”

Today, Johnson is back in the swing of things, but this time without tobacco. Food tastes better, his overall health is improving and Johnson is feeling the guilt lift. He now uses mints to help with his cravings, and has appreciated the support of his Quit Coach through it all.

“The positive thoughts and follow-up calls really helped me believe I could do it,” he says.

Are you ready to quit tobacco? Click here for more information. Make your tobacco use history, too.

How did you hear about the program?

I read about the different wellness programs in the newsletter. I’d been thinking about quitting smoking for quite awhile and Quit For Life sounded like an excellent idea.

What motivated you to quit tobacco?

There are a number of reasons but I remind myself daily of one of them, to help keep me off tobacco: I was at a routine doctor’s appointment a few years ago and since I was a smoker, my doctor asked if he could do a chest x-ray. When he showed me the image he pointed and said, ‘See that tiny spot right there? That’s the beginning of emphysema.’ At that moment I knew I had to quit. It was scary for me. Also I was motivated by my grandkids. I want to be a good example for them. I would feel terrible sneaking out at night to have a cigarette after everyone went to bed. Those kinds of things don’t make you feel good about yourself.

What helped keep you motivated?

My Quit Coach® Christine kept me motivated. I really appreciated how she talked to me. She was the best. I was surprised by how emotional the quitting process was for me. It was almost like I was letting go of an old friend. Christine really seemed to understand. For me, it was valuable to have someone to talk to about what was and wasn’t working. She kept me accountable but I never felt watched, graded or critiqued. I felt like I had someone who cared. Christine had good tips and insight. For example, I talked with her about how my husband and I used to go out on the porch and have a cigarette together after dinner. It was a time for us to connect at the end of the day and I didn’t want to lose that if I quit smoking. She helped me realize that we could still do that, just for a different reason. For me, the substitute was a cup of tea. We still take those five to 10 minutes to sit down and talk to each other, just without the cigarettes.

What are your keys to success?

I look at the long term – where I want to see myself in 10 years and what my values look like in the future. I value my health and being able to get out and go – take a hike or whatever it may be – is a huge motivator. I don’t want to be held back by my body. Like exercise, I need to be consistent. I’ve worked out for more than 30 years and had my on and off periods, but I realize I don’t like the feeling of having to start over. I just know if I’m consistent my body will respond. It’s the same with staying off tobacco.

Any advice for others considering Quit for Life?

I’d say that getting started is the hardest part, but that you have everything to gain and nothing to lose by trying. Try it because it’s not invasive. That’s one thing people fear. They think there will be someone calling them all the time and that the program will be inconvenient. I found that it was totally supportive – even when my Coach couldn’t get a hold of me or if I needed more time between calls, they never made me feel bad. Once I made the decision to quit I wanted to get all the support I could.