Ken Comey, an environmental advisor with BP's Environmental Compliance & Advocacy Team, says his journey to better health began in January 2010. "I hadn't had a physical in years, so when I learned I needed to complete a Health Questionnaire to get into the medical plan I wanted for 2011, I decided it was time.
A timely wake-up call
The results from Ken's physical and blood tests gave him the motivation he needed to make necessary lifesytle changes.
"I was wearing size XXL shirts, and they were starting to get tight. And when I got the results from my physical, which told me that I was just one point away from being classified as 'pre-diabetic,' I knew it was time to make a commitment to better health."
"When I shared my results with my wife, Julie, she decided to join me."
Julie adds, "I wanted to get healthy for myself and because I wanted to set a good example for our 4 year-old son, Joey. My father has type 2 diabetes, and I didn't want my family to go down that path."
The Comeys' tips for weight-loss success
Ken and Julie started cooking meals at home and limited the amount of dining out they did. "I travel a lot for my job," says Ken, "so sometimes eating out is inevitable. If I know where we're going in advance, I look up the restaurant's menu online and plan my meal."
Julie offered these tips to losing weight:
- Use a food journal to track calories. Learn what your daily calorie intake should be, and then try to eat within that range. I do this by keeping a found journal and writing dedown what I eat each day.
- Serve your dinner at the stove instead of serving yourself at the table. I find it's easier to resist the temptation to take "seconds" if you have to get up from the table to serve yourself more.
- Eat on smaller plates. We eat on salad plates at home, which helps us with portion control.
- Eat until you're satisfied. Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is hungry and 5 is Thanksgiving-full, I try to eat until I'm a "3."
- Get moving. Both Ken and I enjoy playing tennis. So we joined a mixed doubles tennis league and play four times a week to get exercise. We also bought exercise equipment for us to use at home.
Visible results
Their months of hard work have certainly paid off. In eight months, Ken lost 85 pounds and Julie lost 62 pounds. Their incredible transformation is undeniable.
"What's more," adds Ken, "I went to my doctor for a follow-up blood test and learned that my glucose is in the middle of the healthy range now, which means I'm no longer at risk for prediabetes. I also lowered my cholesterol and blood pressure."
What's your motivation for change? Share your story and inspire others by sending an email to
benefitingyou@bp.com.