For many of us, our lives have drastically changed in the past year. We’ve been forced to re-evaluate our routines, we’ve started cooking more at home, and we’ve learned new information about our health. We now know more about how risk factors like obesity and chronic disease can make you more susceptible to complications from illnesses like COVID-19.
Glenda is no exception. For her, this past year was a wake-up call and she decided to devote her time at home to making big changes in how she lives her life. Just six months ago, she was overweight with hypertension and high cholesterol, taking two different medications for her blood pressure, dealing with bouts of diverticulitis attacks, and on the verge of developing type 2 diabetes. While she’d been working with her doctor to improve her health, she needed a little extra help moving the needle.
“I was at a point where I knew for my health, I needed to change my lifestyle,” said Glenda. “I knew where I wanted to go, but I didn’t’ have the road map to get there.”
Then, Glenda heard about Lifelong’s Pots & Plans nutrition and cooking class series. Both Glenda and her wife signed up for the free six-week series, joining a group of people over Zoom each week to learn about making healthier choices. With groceries for each week’s recipes delivered to their door, they got to test new recipes and try new ingredients. Alongside 20 of their peers, Glenda and her wife provided encouragement and support for one another through the Pots & Plans series.
“In the class, we felt embraced – it didn’t matter where you were starting from and there were no stupid questions,” said Glenda. “We were in this together, and the trainer, Haley, made us all feel like a connected community, even over Zoom.”
In the weeks and months that followed, Glenda and her wife, Juliana, both lost weight and have been able to keep it off. Together, they’ve enjoyed rediscovering their neighborhood by going on walks with their two Pomeranians and learning about new recipes and ingredients that weren’t on their radar before, like whole wheat pasta and tofu scrambles. Glenda has also been able to stop taking one of her blood pressure medications, she’s no longer pre-diabetic, and diverticulitis attacks are largely a thing of the past.
While Glenda has struggled with her weight on and off for most of her adult life, she’s confident this isn’t another diet that will ultimately fail. She credits her success to the program’s emphasis on developing a personal plan that works for your tastes and lifestyle, instead of a “one plan fits all” approach.
“This program has changed my life and helped me get my priorities straight,” Glenda said. “I honestly never thought I’d say, ‘I’m not feeling hungry for ice cream,’ but that’s what’s happened. The class has given us hope and shown us what we’re capable of. Once you start, the sky’s the limit—you can just keep going.”