What a truly amazing day on Friday at the Go Red Luncheon.! I never dreamed of the magnitude of the presentation and cast of such an incredible event. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of such a magical day and being with my "girls" and my daughter, plus 1,000 new friends was pure joy. I am now and forever a part of the Go Red family....
We were treated with such class and I felt so spoiled! I was nervous to walk the "catwalk" during the fashion show in front of 1,000 people, but once I was up there and really cognizant of the reason I was there - I strutted like a true model! Of course I had my fireman Eric to hold on to and once around the walkway - went right back to him to hold me up! Thanks, Eric! I felt proud of my accomplishments and hope I inspired others - especially smokers - to gain control of their health. Several women talked to me after the program about smoking and their attempts to quit. I know we have all heard "If I can do it, you can do it" and think, "Yeh, right - whatever..." but really I was so hooked - a walking chimney - if you are out there - YOO-HOO - YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!
So now that the big day event is over, I feel it is time to totally focus on an intense month of working out. Three months until summer and I am so excited about my life and future! I have a great deal of damage to overcome - but I have made the commitment to work as hard as I can to be as strong as I can! The last couple of weeks I have split my interval to a run/walk split with running - 18 minutes, walking - 12.....2 minute walk - 3 minute run. My goal is to be on a 1/5 split by the end of the month. Sometimes I feel like I am not improving in my endurance, but I just block out any negative thoughts and work through it....knowing I am improving. I have to remind myself that I have only quit smoking 5 weeks and doing cardio 2 months - so HELLO - can't be a distance runner yet....I did do a quick cholesterol check at the luncheon and my overall numbers have dropped 30 points - the test did not give the HDL which I am really interested in because Dr. Branyas told me that would increase after quitting smoking....I did make my daughter take a test too - and her numbers were great - I am going to be on my kids to really take care of themselves now! They are all so excited and proud of me and that makes me feel really good! I had little support the last 4 years and hearing someone say "I am proud of you" means more than any of you can imagine.
The outcome of all the challenge opportunities has not only impacted my health, but now I have found new confidence to try new things and am looking at new possibilities in my life. I am planning a whole new "next 50 years" and have some awesome opportunities ahead of me. I felt I was allowing myself to become stagnant and forgot what an incredible, huge, opportunity filled world there is out there! We are not predestined to our current conditions, situations, places, relationships - we are free to choose new ideas and new prospects. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to WAKE UP and clearly see the world around me and all of the wonderful people I have met along the way! I am so proud of Amy, Jessica, Dee, and Ruth and they are now and will forever be - sisters of my heart - I love you all! Keep up the good work!
Kimila <3
presented by St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana
Take the American Heart Association's 12-week Go Red BetterU Challenge today! Join Julie, Laura, Molly, Pamela, Paula, Renee and Ruthann in this journey to better health. BetterU is a free online tool that provides resources and tools for women who want to improve their health. Start! now so you can be on the path to becoming a BetterU!
2012 BetterU Challengers
Paula, Laura, Ruthann, Pamela, Julie, Molly and Renee kicked off the Challenge at St.Vincent Heart Center.
Meet the BetterU Challengers
Julie B., 42, Marion – Julie was diagnosed with high blood pressure at age 14 even though she wasn’t overweight at the time. She has struggled with her weight for the last 15 years, has high cholesterol, arthritis and back problems. Her father had a heart attack 18 years ago, and Julie does not want to follow in his footsteps. She is pursuing a career in the medical field and wants to be a good example to others.
Laura, 55, Greenfield – Laura has a family history of heart disease and is looking to become a better role model for those she influences as a nursing instructor. Laura had quit smoking for 15 years, but resumed the habit about 1 ½ years ago. She would like to quit.
Molly, 35, Yorktown – Molly was a cheerleader in high school and was active in sports, but started struggling with her weight 15 years ago. She does part-time work for Ironman and doesn’t feel like the type of person who should represent that company. Molly has already started training for a 5k and is eager for the BetterU program to help her make changes for a healthier lifestyle.
Pamela, 42, Indianapolis – Pamela has struggled with weight her entire life. In April, she was put on high blood pressure medication. Already motivated to make changes, Pamela has lost 15 pounds while working with a wellness coach at work. BetterU can help her continue her journey.
Paula, 62, Greenwood – Paula recently retired after 40 years as a teacher. She was shocked when she needed aortic valve replacement in 2007, but it wasn’t enough of an impetus to cause her to stop smoking or adopt a healthier lifestyle. She loves to travel and wants to stop smoking and lose weight as part of a healthier lifestyle.
Renee, 63, Indianapolis – Renee’s mother passed away from a heart condition, and Renee has already had three stents implanted. She’s started taking care of herself, and is paying it forward by taking an 81-year-old friend to aerobics two days a week and to yoga once a week. Renee would like to get off some medications she is taking, and is looking for the professional guidance of the BetterU program to help her take the right path.
Ruthann, 58, Fishers – Ruthann suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest “out of the blue” five years ago. She was in a coma for four days and in the hospital for 12, yet came out of the experience with no physical or mental disabilities. She had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted and has since gained a lot of weight. She is looking for motivation to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle that can give her many more years.
Laura, 55, Greenfield – Laura has a family history of heart disease and is looking to become a better role model for those she influences as a nursing instructor. Laura had quit smoking for 15 years, but resumed the habit about 1 ½ years ago. She would like to quit.
Molly, 35, Yorktown – Molly was a cheerleader in high school and was active in sports, but started struggling with her weight 15 years ago. She does part-time work for Ironman and doesn’t feel like the type of person who should represent that company. Molly has already started training for a 5k and is eager for the BetterU program to help her make changes for a healthier lifestyle.
Pamela, 42, Indianapolis – Pamela has struggled with weight her entire life. In April, she was put on high blood pressure medication. Already motivated to make changes, Pamela has lost 15 pounds while working with a wellness coach at work. BetterU can help her continue her journey.
Paula, 62, Greenwood – Paula recently retired after 40 years as a teacher. She was shocked when she needed aortic valve replacement in 2007, but it wasn’t enough of an impetus to cause her to stop smoking or adopt a healthier lifestyle. She loves to travel and wants to stop smoking and lose weight as part of a healthier lifestyle.
Renee, 63, Indianapolis – Renee’s mother passed away from a heart condition, and Renee has already had three stents implanted. She’s started taking care of herself, and is paying it forward by taking an 81-year-old friend to aerobics two days a week and to yoga once a week. Renee would like to get off some medications she is taking, and is looking for the professional guidance of the BetterU program to help her take the right path.
Ruthann, 58, Fishers – Ruthann suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest “out of the blue” five years ago. She was in a coma for four days and in the hospital for 12, yet came out of the experience with no physical or mental disabilities. She had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted and has since gained a lot of weight. She is looking for motivation to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle that can give her many more years.
Past BetterU Challengers
2011 BetterU Challengers
Natale, 28 – A staff R.N. who teaches patient families to take care of themselves, Natale knows it’s time to follow her own advice. Her hectic 12-hour days leave little time for herself. She’s ready for a change.
Carla, 37 – Carla doesn’t believe in dieting, but she has already made some positive changes to what she eats. Now she’s looking to keep up with her 70-year old father, who can climb the sand dunes in half the time it takes her.
Annette, 45 - Annette decided 2010 was her time to become a BetterU. She started exercising and eating right and lost 55 pounds. She wants to stay motivated and to inspire others.
Peggy, 57 – Peggy is obese and taking several medications. She lost her father and both maternal grandparents to heart attacks and knows this is her opportunity to change her fate.
2010 BetterU Challengers
Ruth Holladay - Ruth has a family history of heart disease. Her mother had a number of strokes and her father died of a heart attack at 46. A devoted grandmother, Ruth knows that now is the time to put herself first for a change. You can also find Ruth at RuthHolladay.com
Natale, 28 – A staff R.N. who teaches patient families to take care of themselves, Natale knows it’s time to follow her own advice. Her hectic 12-hour days leave little time for herself. She’s ready for a change.
Carla, 37 – Carla doesn’t believe in dieting, but she has already made some positive changes to what she eats. Now she’s looking to keep up with her 70-year old father, who can climb the sand dunes in half the time it takes her.
Annette, 45 - Annette decided 2010 was her time to become a BetterU. She started exercising and eating right and lost 55 pounds. She wants to stay motivated and to inspire others.
Peggy, 57 – Peggy is obese and taking several medications. She lost her father and both maternal grandparents to heart attacks and knows this is her opportunity to change her fate.
2010 BetterU Challengers
Ruth Holladay - Ruth has a family history of heart disease. Her mother had a number of strokes and her father died of a heart attack at 46. A devoted grandmother, Ruth knows that now is the time to put herself first for a change. You can also find Ruth at RuthHolladay.com
Kimila Brown - Unhealthy lifestyles can sometimes be packaged in healthy looking packages, or so it would seem with Kimila. Although she’s not overweight, Kimila admits she no longer exercises. Once an avid bodybuilder and softball player, Kimila says she now barely remembers to eat. After several personal tragedies, she started smoking again – a habit she had quit for nine years. She spends all her time and energy working long hours as a teacher and working on a second master’s degree. She knows she is not healthy on the inside and doesn’t want to follow the same road many in her family have taken - her father died of heart disease and her grandparents both had strokes.
Dee Leonard - Heart disease and obesity runs in her family. She lost her grandmother to heart disease. Newly married, Dee knows she should be looking forward to a bright future. Instead, she worries about her future. Already overweight and never having been at a healthy BMI, she wonders what she will look like at 30 years old. Dee wants to learn to enjoy fitness and start making healthy meals for her family -- so that when she has children, she can bring them up in a healthy household.
Amy Magan – The mother of three, Amy wants to make sure she is around to see them grow up. She takes medications for her blood pressure and cholesterol. She feels this is the perfect time to change her life. She plans to attack the BetterU Challenge with humor and the support of her family who have vowed to be her personal cheerleaders. For more of Amy's efforts, check out The 4th Frog Blog.
Jessica Woodson – Jessica’s father died from a stroke. She said her family never even knew he had a heart problem. Overweight her entire life, Jessica knows she could be headed down the same path. She suffers from high blood pressure and her dosages of medication keep going up. She feels like there is so much she never accomplished because of her weight. She says she “wants to be able to cross my legs for a change” and doesn’t want to be the “girl with the cute face” anymore. For once in her life, she wants to know what it feels like to be healthy.
BetterU Experts
- Julie Schnieders, Nurse Practitioner, St.Vincent
- Leslie Cowan, Sherri Geiger, Kristen Welch, Dieticians, St.Vincent Heart Center
- Adrienne D'Angelo, Weight Management, St.Vincent
- The Y
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Go Red For Women is sponsored nationally by Merck and Macy’s. Locally, Go Red For Women is sponsored by St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana. Local media sponsors are B105.7 The Soft Rock Station, WTHR Channel 13, Indianapolis Woman Magazine, and the Indianapolis Business Journal.
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