WelleXceed™

Personal Health Coaching

CASE STUDY: Hypertension and Obesity

While some people fall into the self-starter category, others need a little nudge to get going. Still others, like 58-year-old Glenda, need more of a supportive shove in the right direction. 

Glenda, an Arkansas native and mother of two, received an e-mail about personal health coaching and thought it might be a good time to start such a program, especially with a nagging back issue and high blood pressure looming in her thoughts. Yet, even when she first filled out the questionnaire on the Web site, Glenda was far from sold on her abilities to succeed.  

“I immediately started thinking, why did I do that?” Glenda said. “I can’t lose weight.”

In fact, Glenda spent her first conference with personal health coach Mary Jean Kippenbrock trying to build a case for why she just couldn’t succeed. At 276 pounds, Glenda felt there was too much weight to lose, not to mention that she loved to eat and couldn’t see herself giving it up. Kippenbrock, however, believed otherwise. 

“I remember the first time I talked to her and she told me she didn’t think she wanted to try the program,” Kippenbrock said. “But as far as the process of change goes, that’s the perfect person to work with.  We talked about what she’s tried in the past, what she wants, and where she hoped to be six months from now. We made a list of the pros and cons of losing the weight.”

At the advice of Kippenbrock, Glenda decided to take a few days to think about whether she was willing to give the program a try. About a week later, the answer seemed obvious.

“Something hit me like a ton of bricks,” Glenda said. “I’m going to do this because I want to do it. Once I made up my mind there was no going back.”

She hasn’t looked back since. Now more than four months into the program and weighing 30 pounds less, Glenda says having another person to listen and offer support made all the difference.

“It’s always good to have someone else besides friends and family to help you – someone else you can be really honest with,” Glenda said. “There are things I just couldn’t say to the people around me, like my embarrassment about how I looked. She (Kippenbrock) made me realize it was okay to feel that way.”

Kippenbrock suggested methods for changing a few habits that held Glenda at her unhealthy weight and after only a few months, Glenda and those around her began to notice a difference. As the pounds came off, her back problems slowly began to fade. Feet and legs that once ached after a day at work no longer were an issue.  

“I’ve just changed my lifestyle as far as eating habits – that’s something I’ll always do,” Glenda said. “I don’t want to be there again, at 276 pounds. I was embarrassed and I didn’t feel good about myself.”

In addition to feeling better, Glenda watched as her blood pressure went down and her goal of being off medication by the time she retires in four years now seems within her grasp. Instead of spending time worrying about her health, Glenda is left to live her life and look forward to the future.

“She wanted to be able to walk up the stairs and play on the floor with her grandchildren- just generally be more mobile. She wants to participate in life, now and in the future,” Kippenbrock said. “She has so many plans for what she wants to do.”

Looking ahead to the next few months, Glenda isn’t sure how much weight she will ultimately lose. For now though, she content to continue building toward a healthier, active lifestyle. “I haven’t really set an overall goal for myself yet,” Glenda said. “Right now I’m looking toward Christmas. Hopefully I’ll get some new clothes that fit my new size.”