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Larry Ferguson with Ancestry.com

About 23 years ago, Larry Ferguson, spouse of an employee of Ancestry.com, suffered a severe back injury. Over the years, his back has improved little by little, but he was not able to stay as active as he would have liked. This resulted in steady weight gain and Larry was not sure how to get his health back. He reports that The Apple Program has been the spark that got him on track toward a healthier lifestyle.

Larry has since lowered his triglycerides and blood glucose, boosted his “good” cholesterol, and dropped a pant size over the past year. Ferguson also feels that one of his biggest successes is that he can now walk up to 2 miles at a time. After his back injury limited his ability to even walk a few feet, working his way up to 2 miles is a huge physical and emotional accomplishment.

Larry’s goals include eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, walking 1.5 miles three times a week, and lifting weights one to two times a week. He states that with constant encouragement from his Apple Health Coach he has had success in working hard at his goals. Mr. Ferguson also added, “My Health Coach is the key to keeping me going on this program. We talk monthly and set reachable goals that keep me working. Her positive attitude makes me want to try harder.”

When asked if he would have been successful in improving his health if his company had not offered the Apple Program, Larry responded, “No, I have tried other programs and I would hold strong for a while, but the spark would soon leave. With this program they have wonderful Health Coaches that are concerned with my health; I find myself more motivated to keep it up knowing I report to someone each month.”

Changing his habits has made Larry Ferguson’s life more enjoyable. He states, “Emotionally, I feel better and can see that the more active I am, the happier I am. I have a greater sense of accomplishment because I can do more.” Larry has plans to reach his goal weight of 200 pounds, reach a 36-inch waist and work his way up to walking 5 miles. He says, “I now think my long-term goals are actually reachable, not just wishful thinking. I know if I continue to follow the advice of my Apple Health Coach and keep trying to improve, I will eventually reach my long term goals. This will result in a longer and much happier life.”

Stephen Holm With Associated Retail Stores

Regular walking and making changes to his diet have helped Steve Holm with Associated Retail Stores improve his health across the board. Since January 2011, he has lost 64 pounds, lowered his blood pressure and improved his cholesterol enough that his doctor says he no longer needs cholesterol medication. The Apple Program has been a useful tool for Steve as he continues to maintain the healthy habits he has developed.

The first step for Steve was admitting to himself that he needed to make some changes. Once he accepted that, he was able to put together a plan with his Apple Health Coach. His Apple Health Coach gave him advice, recommendations, and also listened to him. Steve says, “More than anything, she listened to me complain about the pre-assessment, the goals, the weight that I need to reach, etc. After that, she helped me put together a plan to work on my health little by little until it became a daily habit. I will always be indebted to her for her listening skills.”

Steve’s plan included increasing his physical activity efforts by walking more. He purchased a pedometer and found that he walks approximately 5 miles with each 10,000 steps he takes. He has logged over 1 million steps since January 2011 and has walked over 530 miles.

Mr. Holm has had the goal of improving his health for over 5 years. He found that being accountable to himself and to his coach helped him achieve success. He added, “To be truly successful in a wellness program, I believe you need to hold yourself accountable for your actions and desired results. Working with and through my Apple Health Coach keeps me guided in the right direction with my eye on the prize. It’s like climbing Mt. Everest; it’s easy getting to the top, however, more people die coming down because they lack the necessary focus.”

This is the first time in Steve’s career that he has worked with a company that has offered a wellness program like The Apple Program. He says, “To me, it is a reflection of how we are treated as Team Members. Our company genuinely cares about me as an individual and my personal health. They want me to perform at my very best which includes all aspects of the social, economic, spiritual, and physical levels.”

With the health habits Steve has now developed, he has found he has increased energy and a new inner confidence. He states, “I have so much energy at times I can hardly contain myself. I feel like I have given myself back an additional 7-10 years of my life that, at my age, will come in handy.” Holm finally feels that he has his health back.

For others looking to reach health-related goals, Steve counsels, “You need to find a program that you can sustain in your day to day operation of life. You need to choose a program that you can work into your daily routine without having to sacrifice a great amount of time. I have chosen to walk simply because it is the most sustained weight loss exercise. Everyone has time in their busy life to walk at least 10,000 steps. Once you have reached that goal, the sky is the limit.”

Jeff Brown with Clyde Companies, Inc.

Jeff Brown whom is associated with Clyde has had great success in improving his lifestyle over the past year. From 2009 to 2010, Jeff showed improvements in every health score that did not previously meet Clyde’s guidelines. Much of his success is linked to his 20 pound weight loss, which he accomplished by changing the way he ate and by developing a routine exercise program.

Jeff states, “Before I started The Apple Program® I noticed my clothes were starting to fit a little tighter, and I didn’t like that. Luckily for me, just after I was hired with the company, the wellness program came along and helped get me moving! Through the process, I’ve learned how to eat better; I now include more whole grains, watch my portions, and eat lots of vegetables. I also developed a more structured exercise routine. Although I already do a lot of lifting at my job, I realized I needed to add more cardio. I now do 60 to 90 minutes of cardio, two to three days per week.”

The habits Jeff has formed have allowed him to reach his ideal weight and maintain it for close to a year now. He attributes some of his success to being able to keep track of his progress in his online Apple Portal®. “The process of tracking taught me to become more aware of what I was eating, and I like the design behind the goal system; you don’t have to get 100% on all of your goals, but it still keeps the areas you’re working on in your mind.”

“With the incentive our company offers, I think it would be crazy for anyone to not be a part of The Apple Program! You can save substantial amounts of money, and it’s not a painful process,” states Jeff.

If you’re seeking to have the same success Jeff has experienced, he advises, “Eat less; don’t eat until you’re full, instead eat until you are fine. Once a month or so it’s okay to indulge a little when eating out, but if you eat well for all of your other meals you’ll be okay. This will save you calories and contribute to the weight loss you want to see.”

Steve & BJ Nebeker with Young Automotive

Together Steve and BJ Nebeker of Young Automotive have lost over 120 pounds since joining The Apple Program just eight months ago. With the help and direction of their health coaches, Steve and BJ have learned the skills necessary to build a healthy eating regimen and routine exercise program. Their lifestyle is now completely different. Not only have their physiques changed, but their lipid profiles and other health scores have improved and are completely different than they were at the end of last summer.

Exactly what’s different in their lifestyle? First of all, the two of them never used to eat breakfast. A normal day once consisted of consuming a big lunch and dinner, coming home from work, and being sedentary in front of the television for a few hours before going to bed, then repeating the same actions the next day. Now both Steve and BJ eat a balanced breakfast, complete with fiber and lean protein. They eat often throughout the day now by having more than just the main meals. Steve eats six times per day, for example, snacking on a bag of fruit he’s brought to work that day. BJ also states, “I’ve eaten more fruit and vegetables in the past eight months than I have in the first 50 years of my life!” BJ never used to eat asparagus or spinach, but now she can’t get enough of them! The Nebekers have also cut out certain foods such as deep fried products and have also cut back on diet soda. BJ was drinking four liters of diet soda on a typical day before joining the program; now she uses moderation and has only a 16.9 fluid ounce bottle per day.

Not only are their eating habits completely different, but both of their exercise routines have changed as well. “I walk between seven and eight miles a day, at least four times a week,” states BJ. “When the weather is nice I walk my dogs, but in the winter I use my treadmill.” She adds, “Anyone can do this too! Start small and keep working at it. Begin with 10 minutes, and then try to increase it to 12 the next day. When I first started I couldn’t even do five miles in two hours, and now I can easily do 8.5 miles in two hours.” BJ is grateful that she has proved those wrong who say it’s impossible to lose weight over the age of 40. She states, “I proved that wrong because I’m 51, and I did it! You just can’t think of the process as a diet, because everyone is on a diet whether it’s good or bad. Just choose to make it a diet with good food, moderation, and exercise, because you have to move it too in order to lose it! And remember if one week you don’t lose weight, you need to adjust something with the diet and exercise.”

Steve and BJ’s changes have not only led them to tossing out their old clothes, but Steve has been able to throw out the old medication he was forced to be on. He states, “I’ve known for some time that I had a cholesterol problem. I’d been to my doctor, and he put me on medication. I had been on it for two years, and my levels continued to remain high. I’ve come to learn that you can’t rely solely on the medication. You have to make changes in your eating habits to do any good. I’m now off the medication and my doctor has said, ‘Whatever it is you’re doing, keep doing it!’”

Not only has Steve improved his cholesterol, but he and BJ have both improved their triglycerides, blood pressure, and glucose. Steve and BJ both admit, “Without The Apple program we definitely wouldn’t have made these changes. It opened our eyes and we’re both grateful for it.” Steve states, “Although BJ wanted us to join the program to save money on our insurance, in the long run I don’t think we’ve saved money because we’ve been forced to buy a new wardrobe! But it’s been a fun process!” BJ further states, “I can now wear high heels for the first time in my life, and I can now buy cute women’s clothing too!”

Although BJ had lost weight in the past, she admits, “I did it the wrong way. I would starve myself or use diet pills and then slowly put it back on. My Health Coach has taught me though how to lose weight the right way. We’ve changed our whole lifestyle and now have the skills necessary to keep the weight off now and down the road. I want to be an involved grandmother when the time comes. I want to be around for my grandkids and be a fun grandma to them, the one who can play with them, and I honestly don’t think I could’ve done this on my own. Steve being by my side, helping me along the way, was a huge help. Instead of us coming home and being in front of the TV for hours before going to bed, we now come home, exercise, have dinner, and then sit down and still have time to relax.”

BJ and Steve both look forward to the future. Steve is excited to get back into cycling this spring and summer and plans to take off his final 10 pounds. BJ is looking forward to maintaining her goal weight and is glad that she’s no longer afraid of scales. “I hadn’t weighed myself for five years before The Apple Program came along,” BJ comments, “but now I know where I am, and I’m confident that I can stay there!”

Layne Huntsman with Imergent

Layne Huntsman of Imergent has concentrated his efforts on improving his cholesterol, achieving better fitness, and losing weight. When Layne started The Apple Program® three years ago, he learned for the first time that his cholesterol was high. This prompted him to see his doctor and take the steps necessary to get his health scores in check.

He admits that at first, he wasn’t very diligent about following the guidelines he was given, but when he saw that his numbers weren’t improving from year to year, he decided to take action. He decided to set a goal in his Apple Wellness Portal designed to help follow his doctor’s recommendations. That constant reminder finally enabled him to see the improvements in his scores he had been hoping for!

Layne knew he couldn’t rely solely on medication to get his health where he wanted it to be, so he also began exercising for 60 minutes, three times per week. The added exercise has given him the increase in energy and improved well-being he had hoped for. His efforts have also led to a weight loss of 16 pounds and his blood pressure has improved as well.

Layne attributes his success to setting goals and tracking his efforts online in his Apple account. “I think tracking has helped the most,” states Layne. “My Apple Health Coach’s encouragement along the way was also helpful.”

He’s grateful that his company joined this wellness program because he didn’t know his health was out of line. “I’ve always felt fairly healthy, but my wakeup call came at my first Apple Health Assessment, where I learned my cholesterol was out of whack. It prompted me to visit my doctor, and I soon learned how serious my condition could become if I didn’t act on it,” adds Layne. “I’ve developed very good habits now that will enable me to stay healthy.”

Layne plans to maintain his success by training for a sprint triathlon, which he hopes to complete this summer. He’s grateful that he has the energy to do this as well as other things he loves including water and snow skiing, mountain biking, hiking, climbing, and teasing his kids whom he states can’t keep up with their “old man!”

To others who are seeking to improve their health, Layne reminds you to, “Set realistic, achievable goals and be consistent in your efforts.”

Jason Russell with Max International

Max International’s Jason Russell has learned the methods needed to maintain a healthy weight and keep his other health scores, including cholesterol, in check through the help offered by The Apple Program®. When he started the program in 2010, his Apple Health CoachSM encouraged him to look at areas of his nutrition and exercise habits that could be improved to achieve the ideal health he desired. “I decided to set goals related to monitoring portions and engaging in cardio exercise,” notes Jason. “As the year went on I became stronger, built endurance, and gained tools needed to keep my eating habits in check.”

When the year began Jason said he was pretty diligent about using his at-home exercise bike. He started with 30 minute workouts four times a week and soon built to 45 minutes five and sometimes six days a week. When the weather warmed up, he was excited to resume his running program. He would take morning jogs around his neighborhood using electronic monitors to track his progress. He went from his usual 5K runs to more than four miles at a time. Jason states, “I used to joke with my kids when I got back from running that I had set a new world record. It's true, because no one else was running that route!”

Aside from focusing on exercise, Jason knew he needed to watch his eating habits. “I love to eat and cook, and the pleasures of food are often hard for me to resist. In that sense, limiting my portions has sometimes been a challenge, but I have become more comfortable with the idea that it's okay to feel a little hungry and there's nothing wrong with having, say, half a Cafe Rio burrito for lunch, and then having the other half the next day.”

To keep his food intake in check, Jason used an online tool to track his weight loss. The tool enabled him to enter his starting weight, how many pounds he wanted to lose, and how quickly. It then gave him a daily calorie budget to help him meet his goals. “My budget was 1,900 calories a day, but I was actually aiming for 1,400 daily calories for most of the summer. By the end of July, I was down to 161.9 pounds; I weighed 175 when I started. I was of course making healthy choices in my diet,” states Jason. Through the course of the year he made healthy substitutions in his eating habits, for example, he began using soy milk with his cereal and later transitioning to almond milk. “I was pretty confident that my efforts would show improvements in my cholesterol, and sure enough the assessment in December showed it had; the overall cholesterol number was down, the HDLs were up, and the LDLs were down.”

Jason has known for some time that he needed to take steps to reduce his cholesterol. “My doctor was not ready to put me on medication, but having worked now at a few places where wellness was a focus, I was aware of the implications of high cholesterol. My weight has never been much of a concern for me. I've been around 166-167 for years, but in the fall of 2009, my weight was slowly but steadily going up. I was hovering around 175 for awhile, with occasional spikes up to 179. I wanted to get back to where I had been instead of making 175 my new normal.”

Jason adds, “I had actually tried an online tool in the past but only briefly. I think working with The Apple Program gave me much more discipline to make the online tracker work for me. It was like a perfect storm of wellness. I can't imagine I would have been as successful without this program; it gave me the full awareness I needed. My Health Coach was also a great help. The monthly follow-up calls motivated me because I didn't want to report in that I hadn't done my ‘homework’ as it were. She gave me some good techniques, such as target heart rate, and gave me some good input on healthy snack choices. A previous employer had a wellness program, but the follow-up wasn't nearly as robust, so it made a big difference this go-around.”

“I feel like this program has made me more aware of what I'm taking in, in terms of calories. I have been running fairly regularly since 2005, but didn't see a concurrent drop in weight or improvement in my cholesterol. I believe the missing piece was a better understanding of how each calorie adds up. I had previously been careful about saturated fat in my diet, but of course the foods we eat all have calories. For example, I was shocked when I learned how many calories were in a serving of rice. Most people would probably consider rice to be quite healthy, and I agree with that but having the knowledge of its calorie content really opened my eyes. The arithmetic is pretty simple: to lose weight, you need to expend more calories than you take in, and having the follow-up of this program, coupled with the knowledge I was accumulating both from within and without the program, made it all happen.”

“The changes I’ve made have given me the confidence that if I see my biometrics heading in the wrong direction I know how to make better choices that will get me back on the healthy path. I'd also like to think that as my kids see my exercising four, five, and even six times a week, and making healthy dietary choices, they will be motivated to do the same. My advice to others is once you decide you are going to make a healthy change in your life, act on it immediately. Instead of telling yourself, ‘I’m going to start an exercise program next month.’ Why not start it now? Don't create barriers for yourself. Make a commitment that you will continue to work at it. Even if you can only run 400 meters today, you can be running five miles in just a few months!”

Mark & Jesslyn Weaver with Ancestry.com

Together Mark and Jesslyn Weaver of Ancestry.com have lost 120 pounds, and for the first time in several years they are both at a healthy BMI. Change began for this couple shortly after their initial Apple Health AssessmentSM in 2010 (right before their twin girls turned one). Their scores prompted them to take action on their health for the benefit of their children. Exercise and eating habits soon began to evolve, and they’ve since had tremendous success in their health, not only in dropping pounds but also in lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels!

They started with small steps, but soon those steps turned into habits, and habits became a lifestyle. They took their first step forward by using equipment they already had access to by putting their home gym to use, which they had set up but had neglected before their twins were born. They note, “Tracking our goals each week in the Apple Portal really helped develop these small steps (such as exercising regularly and eating smarter portions) into a new lifestyle. Our Apple Health CoachesSM were also a help! Checking in with them monthly helped us keep our goals in focus. It’s so easy to forget the big picture, get tired, or frustrated, but they were great cheerleaders when we needed them.”

They attribute many of their changes to The Apple Program®. Mark comments, “Setting realistic goals, tracking them regularly, and discussing them with our coach was a huge key to our success. Our weight loss program was the other piece missing all these years. We almost never drank soda and rarely ate junk food but we now know we were not eating a healthy diet. We ate sporadically, rarely included enough vegetables, and our portions were completely distorted. Now we eat six small, healthy meals a day. We understand proper portion control and have learned that incorporating the right food is easy.”

Jesslyn states, “It’s very likely we would still be struggling had this program not been available to help us turn our desires into actions. It definitely came at the right time. Many years of struggling without success proved something was missing. We have both battled obesity since high school. Losing weight hasn’t simply been a goal; it’s been a heavy burden weighing on our shoulders for many years. It was the main cause of our health problems and was the biggest change we wanted to make in 2010. At the beginning of the summer we started exploring options to make our weight loss happen faster and were blessed to discover an easy eating program; it helped us solidify our goal of healthy eating and we both lost 50 pounds before Christmas! ”

Their future goals are to maintain their weight loss and help others achieve their goals. Jesslyn plans to start Latin dance classes again; Mark wants to finish a marathon before he’s 40; and they both want to complete a mini triathlon. Mark says, “If you had told us a year ago that next year we’d be at healthy BMI’s and helping others achieve their goals, we would’ve had a good laugh.” They’re now living the life they’ve dreamed of for so long! Mark adds, “We hope our girls never remember us as overweight and out of shape; instead, we want to be great examples to them of living an active, healthy life. It will greatly increase the chance of them never struggling with weight like we did.”

They remind others that, “Reaching your goals doesn’t happen by being perfect; it happens by being persistent. Some days were easy, some days weren’t. Track your small goals and before you know it you’ll have reached your big goals!”

Bill Yetman with Ancestry.com

Bill Yetman of Ancestry.com has made tremendous changes in his lifestyle since his initial Apple Health AssessmentSM last winter. Follow his assessment his evaluation indicated he was overweight and had high blood pressure. Bill felt like a “fat boy with high blood pressure” who needed to make modifications. He decided to start making changes by getting in shape and staying that way. He’s since lost over 50 pounds, dropped five pants sizes, and consequently lowered his blood pressure!

Bill accomplished these improvements by biking over 2200 miles on his road bike this year and hiking in the Draper trails even when if it was cold and rainy. He also learned to improve his eating habits by eating and enjoying more greens and limiting fatty junk food. His wife, Liliana, also helped him improve his eating habits by following the 30 Minute South Beach Cookbook and planning and preparing healthy meals for both of us. “She found recipes that were tasty and good for me,” reports Bill. He adds, “My daughter, Shanna, also visited me shortly after my assessment and taught me how to count calories. It was an eye-opening revelation to actually write down what I ate in a single day and calculate the calories. I learned that if you change what you eat, you could ‘diet’ without being hungry and if I went back for seconds it was for vegetables or a piece of fruit. That was a big change.” He realized his tactics were working when he lost his first 10 pounds. “I felt better and that made it easy to keep going.”

“The Apple Program® was the final straw to get me moving,” Bill says. “I was thinking about doing this but being part of the program helped me go from thinking to doing. Without the program I would probably still weigh above 240 and still be thinking about losing weight and getting in shape.”

Bill states that his Apple Health CoachSM was also very encouraging and positive. “She suggested some core exercises for me to compliment all the leg work I was doing on my bike. Having someone you must contact once a month and check in with helped keep me on course. It was nice to have an extra reminder.” At various times in Bill’s life he’s been very athletic and in shape. In college he swam and played water polo, working out twice a day, 6 days per week. At that time he weighed 180 pounds. He indicates, “I was 21 and in the best shape of my life. Right now I am only 10 pounds away from that weight and almost in as good a shape--and I’m a lot older.”

Bill’s future goals are to maintain his fitness strength and keep the weight off. To do this he plans to workout at least one hour a day for a minimum of five days a week. His added energy, focus, and drive keep him motivated to stay in shape. He has also seen that his ability to climb hills on his bike a lot easier, and his added strength and stamina that he thought he had left behind for good years ago also help keep him focused on his goals. “The process was painful, and I had to get in shape slowly but it worked!” reports Bill.

Bill’s advice to other is, “If you’re trying to get in shape and exercise, start slow, and build up a little at a time. Build an aerobic base and then push a little farther and challenge yourself. Consistently making little gains over long periods will result in big changes. Finally remember the slogan, ‘Just do it.’”

Dale Watkins with Washington County

Dale Watkins of Washington County is winning his battle with weight loss with the assistance of The Apple Program®. Throughout Dale’s life, he’s wanted to lose weight but never saw any lasting progress. This changed on Memorial Day of 2010 when he and his wife decided together that it was time to make changes. With his wife’s assistance and his Apple Health Coach’s SM support, Dale has lost over 30 pounds since June 1st and has improved several other aspects of his health biometric scores.

When Dale initially joined The Apple Program® he designed goals for himself that were good, but not very challenging, because he wasn’t extremely committed to making a change. When he saw little improvement at his next Apple Health Assessment SM he knew something really needed to change. Dale indicates he was “a health disaster waiting to happen.” He adds, “I think everyone wants to take better care of themselves, but truly doing something about it is where the rubber meets the road. You have to decide to act. I didn’t and I saw the consequences, but with the support of this program and my wife, I am now reaping the benefits. I feel better mentally and physically, and I weigh less. Without this program, I would still be in denial, starting other programs and eventually giving up, but with this program I get support, praise, and encouragement to keep me motivated.”

Designing real goals helped Dale have success. Walking was a key component for his fitness. “When I walk with my walking partner, Brinkley, my golden retriever, I feel better; it energizes me, and I consequently have a better attitude when I wake up in the morning! I have found a new willpower and I am not willing to look back.”

Dale plans to lose another 30 pounds by next June and anticipates seeing more improvements in his scores at his next Apple Health Assessment SM. To accomplish this he will continue to follow a quote that has motivated him to get make changes thus far, “The pain of change is never overcome until the benefit of the change is realized.” Dale indicates, “I used to set goals but would find ways around them, thus I never realized the benefit. I have now realized the benefit of a healthier lifestyle, and it is good. Another quote I live by is, ‘Kites rise against, not with, the wind.’ Resistance is a fact of life; what we need to do is learn to harness or control those things that are thrown against us and use them to our advantage; when we have overcome them or subdued them then we rise above and are in control of the resistance, rather than it controlling us.”