In January of 2015 Kim Rhodes (Furman Financial Services) decided to make a change. Her son wanted to use the Furman Fitness Center (PAC) but wasn’t old enough to go alone. She knew that she had to make a change for her family and to save her own life. Kim had been feeling lousy and her son was her inspiration to take the first step in new direction.
It has been one year since Kim took that first step. During that time, she lost 127 pounds… and gained a new perspective on life.
Kim started by visiting the PAC in the mornings before work. Now, she considers herself a part of the “regular 5:30 a.m. crew.” She loves to use the elliptical machine, rowing machine, and bike. She also enjoys walking outdoors and has started to jog a little bit. With the help of her Fitbit she has been tracking her exercise, sleep, water intake, and calorie intake. “I never knew that ALL of these things combined had such an impact on weight loss,” she states. Her Fitbit keeps her moving because she likes to track and meet her goals and then earn badges for different accomplishments.
Kim exercises at the PAC five days a week and also walks most evenings and weekends. “I used to never make time for myself which is how I became so overweight,” she states, “I am finally making myself a priority and carving out time for myself to exercise. Some days I may only have 30 minutes and others I have much more but I always find time for it now. My husband and children know that this is important to me now and they help me find the time and keep it a priority.”
In addition to her new exercise program, Kim also completely changed her eating habits. “The main way that I stay on track is that we changed the way the whole family eats so there aren’t a lot of bad choices in our house. With everyone on the same page, it is much easier to stay on track. I have fallen in love with cabbage, zucchini and squash and we only eat lean baked meats like chicken, fish, and turkey.”
Kim has overcome her aversion to water and now drinks plenty of water each day. She found foods that she enjoys and that work for her and her busy schedule. She chooses from a variety of different foods to keep her eating plan sustainable. “I had to change my entire lifestyle. I knew that I needed to do it in a way that I could continue with going forward. That meant no shakes, food programs, or supplements.”
Along the way, Kim has overcome various obstacles. Initially, she was frustrated trying to find healthy options when eating out. “I try to plan ahead now and check menus online to determine what I will order,” she states. “Then I stay away from the menu when I get there so there isn’t the temptation to order something else.”
For those who are contemplating a healthier lifestyle change, Kim offers her advice, “Just remember that you have to start somewhere. I knew that the amount of weight that I needed to lose was overwhelming so I set two small goals rather than one big goal. I also celebrate every little milestone along the way– every new weight zone, pants size, notch on belt, etc. This has really helped me stay excited. I also recommend finding a support group or friends that will help support you and that you can go to if you need help or advice.”
Kim’s transformation is truly phenomenal and it has to do with so much more than weight loss. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much more energy I have and how much better I feel. I never really knew that I was tired all the time until I wasn’t. I feel so strong and happy now. My cholesterol is down, my blood pressure is normal again and I love being active with my family. We participated in our first 5K this fall and plan to do many more including a mud run this spring!”
If you are contemplating some healthier lifestyle changes, Furman has many offerings for students, faculty, staff, and dependents.
These include:
~ The Furman Fitness Center (PAC) and Swimming Pool
~ FUEL (FREE) Healthy Eating Program for employees and dependents
~ FIT Rx (FREE) Individualized Exercise Training for employees and dependents
~ QuitWell (FREE) Smoking Cessation Program for employees
~ The Earle Infirmary for students and (FREE) Employee Onsite Clinic for employees and spouses
~ Furman Culinary Club (FREE) healthy cooking workshops for students
~ Healthy Options in the Charles E. Daniel Dining Hall ($5 per meal for employees)
~ Walking, jogging, and cycling trails around campus and an access point to the Swamp Rabbit Trail
~ The Live Well Furman Blog- wellness articles, recipes, exercise programs, and campus wellness news
~ 3,000 Healthy Recipes on the Live WellFurman Pinterest Page
~ plus various other events and programs offered throughout the year