How did you hear about Pack Health and what made you want to sign up?

I am a remote employee, but I happened to be in the office one day and saw a poster and wondered what Pack Health was. I started digging into it and thought, “Oh, it’s free health coaching through work, I should give it a whirl!”

Tell us about your overall health before getting started in the Pack Health program.

Before I started Pack Health, I was so grumpy about my health. I felt like I had no control over it and couldn’t change it. My attitude was, “woe is me!” However, Nicole’s attitude helped change my attitude. Her positive outlook truly influenced me to want to make a change. Instead of an I can’t attitude, I started feeling like I could actually do this.

Talk to us about the emotional side of your experience.

Not only was it the I can’t attitude, but it was also more of a depressive state. I thought to myself I can’t make this change. I was throwing myself a pity party every day and I couldn’t get myself out of it. She helped me see that I can set Tiny Steps here and there for the bigger goal. She wasn’t a fake cheerleader, she helped me realize that I could start where I would fall short and start making steps from there. You know the Brene Brown empathy cartoon? That was me. Nicole wasn’t the person shouting down at me that I could be better. She was coaching me through each small step.

How has Pack Health impacted things at home with your family?

One of my tiny steps was trying to fit in exercise. I heard somewhere that some company had started early morning dance parties. I thought that would be so much fun for me to do with my family — but it didn’t seem feasible. I have a middle schooler and a three-year-old. The mornings that I did it, I really felt like it helped me get moving for the day!

Tell us about your relationship with your Health Advisor, Nicole.

Nicole is a wonderful cheerleader! Sometimes I sit after having made a goal and think “Oh dear I didn’t do so well with this.” She always is trying to bring it back to the positive and keep a positive attitude about everything. She helped me refocus my attention from the negative to the little things I had done right and kept me moving from there.

What was the first Tiny Step you set?

One of the first Tiny Steps I set was to be more cognizant about the Healthy Plate. I worked on making sure half my plate was vegetables instead of primarily meat and carbohydrates. I also wanted to pay more attention to what I was snacking on. I remember sitting on the couch watching tv, it was probably a Friday night, and I remember wanting to munch on something — like the chips I had in the cupboard. At that moment I remembered what I was working on with Nicole and I grabbed the carrots from my refrigerator instead. I was so proud of myself!

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start the program?

The power of having someone you were accountable to, who would help cheer you on is a big help! And that’s just what Pack Health does. It gets you pumped up. If you say you’re going to do something, you’re going to do it. Having someone there to help you set your Tiny Step with is such a nice thing to have! I would definitely recommend Pack Health.

Meet Heather! She smiles proudly after her success with her Health Advisor, Nicole.