Presented by: Henderson & Walton Women’s Center P.C.
The Journey to a Better Body
At Henderson and Walton Women’s Center, P.C., we think of our patients as family. So when one of our family members does something extraordinary, we can’t help but brag. We hope Sheree Reeves journey of overcoming her struggle with her weight inspires you as much as it does us to choose a healthy lifestyle.
We all have a breaking point. The point where circumstances collide to give us the realization that what we are doing is not working. For a lot of women like Sheree Reeves, who struggle with their weight, the realization deals with making healthy choices. Reeves, 40, married with two children, came face to face with her breaking point two years ago, when her mother fell ill. Watching what her mother was going through opened Sheree’s eyes to the fact that her lifestyle didn’t just need to change, but had to change. Not only did she need to start making healthy choices for herself, but also needed to make them for her family. Sheree’s children did not have weight issues, but with the family history of heart disease and diabetes, she knew that looking healthy does not mean that you are. Sheree took action.
Nutrition. Sheree had used several weight loss programs before, but none of them worked for her. So Sheree did what most people do, looked at the internet. In her case it was the app store. There Sheree found her best sidekick/tool for her weight loss journey, the MyFitnessPal app. With it, she could plug in her calorie intake, set goals, track her steps, and find restaurants. Her favorite part of MyFitnessPal is the bar code tool. All you have to do is go to the store, scan the bar code using the app, and it will give the health information needed for you to continue your healthy choices. Sheree’s daily routine is to have three light meals, and throughout the day snack on healthier foods. Her meals consist of high protein such as salmon, tuna, and grilled chicken. Her snacks include apples and peanut butter, fiber bars, and pretzels. Her favorite snack is sunflower seeds. Not only are they delicious, but she can control the amount she eats by snacking on the ones with the shells. It takes her a longer time to eat them, because she has to take each out of the shell.
Exercise. Sheree admitted that going to the gym to exercise was not in her plan, she does however work exercise into her daily routine. She says all she knew was that she had to keep moving. She thought of different ways to move. For example on her break she would take the stairs to the third floor instead of using the break room on the first floor, where she was located.
Forgive & Move On. “Life is going to get in the way, but don’t let that stop you from making healthy choices. It’s about preservation and perseverance. You will have a bad day. Maybe you decide to stuff yourself with a heavy calorie burger. It’s okay,” Sheree says, “just don’t let your bad day turn into a bad week. Forgive yourself for the choices you’ve made, move on to the next day, and make the right choice for yourself. Find out what works for you!” Sheree reminds readers, that everyone is different, so their diet will be as well. Lastly, Sheree emphasizes that you are never done. Maintaining a healthy life is going to be a constant challenge throughout your entire life but it’s worth it. Sheree says now when she takes trips with her family to places like Disney World, she’s not constantly worrying about if she’s not going to fit in the seat or slow her family down. She’s more active now. She’s not weighed down by the worries of what people think of her. She’s not going to be afraid of going swimming in her bathing suit. Her choice of being and staying healthy for her and her family has changed her life in the happiest of ways.
The physicians of Henderson & Walton Women’s Center, P.C. are advocates of educating women regarding healthy lifestyle choices and we applaud our patients, like Sheree Reeves, who are examples of it!†
