A self-described emotional eater, Sierra Duvall is on a path to better health and fitness.
Duvall, a mother of two daughters, began her weight struggle when her youngest daughter, Gabriella (aka “Gabby”), an infant at the time, was diagnosed with cancer in October 2014. She and her husband, Brian, went to medical appointments and absorbed the good news, bad news, and sleepless nights. “In order to deal with the stress and the mix of anticipation, I ate a lot and gained weight,” she said.
Now that Gabby is healthy, she wants the precious time to play with her and her six-year-old daughter, Leah. She had troubles keeping up with them and was feeling sluggish. Duvall started with the New Year like many others, making weight loss her New Year’s resolution. This time, she had a plan to succeed.
Duvall, who is an LPN in the SBL Urology Clinic, participated in a weight loss (Biggest Loser) challenge sponsored by the Center for Healthy Living (CFHL). She started working with Exercise Specialist Nikki Gardner, who helped her develop an overall training program that included reminders, a weekly weigh-in and an exercise routine of weights, cardiovascular workouts, walking, and elliptical exercises.
Her schedule was designed to help motivate her while also providing realistic, achievable benchmarks. “Nikki (Gardner) is one of the best, and all of our trainers help everyone feel welcome. The encouragement and support at the Center for Healthy Living helps you believe in yourself and what you can do,” Duvall said.
Duvall’s achievements are impressive, as she has lost 90 pounds in the last five months! She counts calories, trying to maintain an average consumption of 1,500 calories per day. She also drinks HMR (Health Management Resources) shakes several times a week and tries to stay away from processed foods and soft drinks. Yet, she concedes that she still eats ice cream and pizza but in moderation, and limits her liquids to milk and water.
Additionally, she has colleagues in the Urology Clinic that also work out in the CFHL. They hold each other accountable and she said this is especially helpful on days when she may not feel as motivated. According to Duvall, her colleagues are “inspiring and motivating.”
As she continues down the weight loss path, her colleagues have helped her celebrate in a couple ways. After she lost 20 pounds, she had her first pedicure, and for the 50 pound mark, her colleagues are treating her to a special dinner, at the Beef House in Covington, Ind. Even though there are still some challenges, such as “fun food” (sweets) in the house and her family is not working on weight loss, she said that it is getting easier and that she is halfway towards her goal. Given her progress so far, she appears to be on her way to celebrating more benchmarks and, more importantly, an improved health outlook for years to come.
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