Getting To The 'Challenge' Finish Line

I just finished the Wellness Challenge this week and the bottom line is that the proof is in the pudding. Well, in this case, the beans and greens, actually.

Over a seven-week period, my group—which contained more than 20 individuals varying in diet lifestyles from lifelong vegetarians to everyday bacon-egg-and-cheese guys—experienced the empowerment that can be achieved from being able to control and improve our own health and reverse the effects of disease by changing our eating habits. In addition to this food and health empowerment, it seemed we all gained a better grasp of why we decided to take the challenge and we were also able to share our stories in a more open way.

Perhaps it was a result of the fact that the bottom line is that no matter what walk of life, age, etc., we all wanted to live a longer and more enjoyable life. We all opened up about the individuals who we wanted to be around for longer (I opened up about sitting down for my first Christmas dinner with my wonderful family in Ireland and ending up on the floor as I broke the chair). And for those of us in the group who had seriously neglected our health, the scare we all received, or perhaps the embarrassing moment we suffered, turned that light on.

We not only seemed to have improved our health but seemed to have a renewed confidence in ourselves in general. Everyone in our group expressed the increased energy and well being we all felt. Everyone’s blood work results at the end of the challenge showed improvements in cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose levels. And those of us who had issues with high blood pressure reported being able to come off meds and reverse trends in our health that down the road more than likely would have let to heart issues and dying at a younger age then any of us would want.

Whether folks followed the diet 100 percent, 75 percent, 50 percent or even struggled, all showed improvement. We all agreed these would not just be a seven-week change in our diets but lifelong alterations.

Personally, I would have to put myself on the dean’s list as far as improvements. Now let me premise this by saying that it was 20 years of neglect and inflated numbers that set me up for success. At the end of the challenge, I had lost 37 pounds, improved my cholesterol by 30 points (it’s down to 150), my blood pressure dropped from 140 over 80 to 105 over 70, my triglycerides went down, and I just feel more energetic and handle stress in a better manner than before.

I am excited to be a better and more active dad and husband. If I didn’t have my wife take the challenge with me, I don’t think I could have done it and don’t think I would have been as optimistic about making changes moving forward.

Last but not least, if I miss the dean’s list perhaps it will be because the hostess from Sam’s Pizza in East Hampton participated in our graduation. She personally witnessed me picking up my “Thursday night cheat”—prosciutto and goat cheese pizza.

If I had a job at Sam’s Pizza, man, I don’t think I could have done it. I enjoy my beans, smoothies and greens now but it’s pizza that I still daydream about.