What was your wellness strategy for losing weight?
I utilized all of the wellness benefits Rio Salado and MCCCD offered. I signed up for health & fitness classes using the tuition waiver, participated in the Wondr program, read the Rio Wellness Newsletters and incorporated them into my routines. I also used my employee benefits to make appointments with dieticians/nutritionists, my PCP, and utilized my FSA for wellness benefits. I gathered support from co-workers and found those that had similar goals. Many of my Rio SW (Buckeye) HSE students were on a path to wellness so we started a "Burn and Learn" club for accountability to keep working towards health and academic goals- in addition to losing weight, we lost students... who graduated!

How much weight did you lose in total?
Since starting at Rio in June of 2021, I am down 145 pounds.

What is your strategy for maintaining the weight loss momentum?
Each semester I sign up for at least one health/wellness related class and this past Spring, I re-enrolled in the Wondr program to review and apply concepts related to mindset. I also read books, articles, and blogs and listen to podcasts, apps, and audio books that support healthy living.

Do you have any tips for your coworkers on how to achieve their wellness goals?
Just get started- many small steps add up to big results. Find a mantra (personal motto) to keep you motivated. Mine was "A body [and mind] in motion, stays in motion, a body [and mind] at rest stays at rest" (inspired by Newton's Law of Motion)- condensed version: a body in motion (i.e. keep moving!).