Being a parent can be an exhausting yet rewarding experience. Olivia Carter, MSN-MHA, RN at Norton West Louisville Hospital found herself low on energy and overweight when she welcomed baby number three in September 2023. Her older children were ten and eleven and she remembered having more energy and being more active when they were smaller. She felt her new infant deserved the same active and healthy mom her older children had so she decided to make some changes to improve her wellbeing so she could enjoy parenting to its fullest.
Since she was juggling a lot she started small and simply focused on reducing her portion sizes. As she became comfortable with that she introduced intermittent fasting and would only eat between the hours of noon and 8 p.m. and was mindful of what and how much she was eating. Water became her best friend and consumes half her body weight in ounces each day. She avoids alcohol except on special occasions and has eliminated sugar. Once she saw starting seeing some weight loss, she tracked her macros (calories, protein, fat, carbs) and would not snack between meals, focusing on nutritious choices for her daily meals for long term success.
Some days were hard as her body adjusted to her new routine but after about six months, she found she had more energy and no food noise or sweet cravings. She says sweets just don’t taste good anymore. When the going got tough, she reminded herself of why she was making lifestyle changes – to enjoy her kids!
Not only does Olivia have more energy now to play and be active with her children, since June 2024 she has experienced a 57lb weight loss and amazing improvements in her biometrics. At her last N Good Health physical, her triglycerides more than halved from 255 to 115, cholesterol dropped from 196 to 165 and her A1C fell from 5.4 to 4.8, plus her blood pressure improved! She used to get out of breath easily when going up stairs and she no longer has that issue.
If these results inspire you to make some changes to your lifestyle, Olivia recommends “taking one step at a time and start by setting small, obtainable goals so you hit achievements more often. This will keep you motivated to strive to reach the next small goal,” she says. Enjoy lots of wins! She encourages you to not get discouraged when some months show no loss or maybe even a slight gain. Your body is adjusting and it will reward you. Just get started!
With Olivia’s 10%+ BMI reduction she was able to earn points for N Good Health for improving while she continues working towards her goals. N Good Health awards points to participants for improvements in all biometric categories with at least 10% improvement in results from last year’s physical. Join Oliiva in the early prize drawings by completing your N Good Health physical early and you could win great prizes.
Find resources to aid you in your wellness journey from NGoodHealth.com including tracking tools, personal challenges, video courses and programs for condition management. Digital coaching and nutrition education for weight loss are available with Lark Diabetes Prevention Program (click here to see if you are eligible). Guidance to manage blood sugar levels affiliated with diabetes or education and accountability to lower blood pressure can be received through Omada Chronic Condition Care (click here to see if you are eligible).
Let the N Good Health team answer your questions and help you find the program activities that best meet your needs by Scheduling a virtual 1 on 1 wellness consultation today. It’s our pleasure to support you on your wellness journey. If you wish to speak to an N Good Health staff member directly, you may call N Good Health at (502) 629-2162.
