Kim’s WondrStory

My proudest moment was […] when my 17 year-old son looked at me and said, ‘Mama, I’m proud of you.’

Kim, Wondr participant

How did you feel about your body and health before starting Wondr? 

Frustrated with how clothes fit. I thought I was relatively healthy, but I feel better now.

When I started this program in April 2019, I weighed 215 and was wearing size 16 and 18. I have never tried diets because I knew that it would be hard to have family meals that everyone could eat, so I was intrigued by the premise of this program.

What surprised you the most about the program? 

That it actually worked.  Also, the fact that I could stay with it without changing the diet of everyone else in my household.

Wondr is a program that takes discipline and conscious effort, but because it is not a diet, I did not have to alter my family’s meals. It did cause me to think about my lifestyle and my habits in a positive way.

What about the program was the most challenging? 

Not eating when I am bored.  I didn’t realize how often I was doing that. I still have to be very conscientious about that.

What, if anything, has participating in Wondr helped you achieve? 

I am more active.  I have never been a runner, but I found I kind of enjoyed it.

After about a month, I had lost 10 pounds and decided that this might actually work, so I started walking every day, taking the stairs to my fourth-floor office, and even eventually joined a strength class twice a week. I am happy to say that a year later I have lost over 60 pounds, wear a size 10, and I completed my first ever 5K race and I ran it in less than 30 minutes.

How has participating in Wondr changed the way you feel about yourself? 

I am proud of myself for sticking to something that was out of my comfort zone.

I started this purely for myself.  I was frustrated with my weight, etc. and really did not tell anyone other than my husband that I was even trying it.  I thought, if I try and it doesn’t work, then nobody will know. 

I think, however, that my proudest moment was one day this past fall when my 17-year-old son looked at me and said, “Mama, I’m proud of you.” I asked, “Why, what do you mean?”  He was looking at some family pictures. He looked at me and looked at the photo and said, “This. Not that you looked bad before, but I’m just really proud of you.”

What makes Wondr different from other wellness programs? 

Most of it is common sense, but sometimes even if you have common sense, you need to be reminded of it.

What would you tell a colleague who was considering signing up for the next Wondr class? 

Do it! I appreciate not only the Wondr program, but also my insurance that offered this to its employees.

Anything else you’d like to share? 

The Vital Needs portion was more important than I thought.  I have found myself doing more things just because they make me happy.  I truly believe that has contributed to my overall well-being.