Healthy Selfie
In this month’s Healthy Selfie, employee Juan Diasgranados, from the Miami- Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Department, shares his wellness journey and how he took steps to improve his overall health.
My journey!
I started with Miami-Dade County five years ago this February.
When I started with Miami-Dade Corrections, I was around 185 pounds. Not bad for someone my age and height.
Working at the Corrections headquarters, we are surrounded by lots of soul food restaurants and food trucks. We’re also one big family here in Corrections, so when someone has a birthday or retires, we would often celebrate. Cake, Ice cream, you name it, I was always first in line.
The AvMed Biometrics team would come to the MLK building twice a year and monitor my biometric levels. Every visit, I noticed my weight would increase by 3 or 4 pounds. Never thought anything of it. Since it wasn’t significant each time, I just brushed it off as “it’s gradual weight because I’m getting older.” But then I also started to notice my jeans were getting a little bit tighter and my walks up the stairwell would leave me out of breathe. COVID didn’t help either. Working remotely and ordering Uber Eats was my daily routine.
It wasn’t until I visited the AvMed biometrics team, this past September, and I stepped on the scale and it said 230. I was floored. Embarrassed. And confused, I asked myself. ‘How did I gain so much in such a short tenure with the County?’ Days later, I had a co-worker who I hadn’t seen in more than two years. He made a comment and said, “Juan, you’ve been eating well…”
And that was my aha moment. I went home that same evening and researched different workout gyms. I was torn between f45, CrossFit and Orangetheory. They all had great reviews, but of the three of them Orangetheory offered the most cardio. I signed up for a class, and the rest is history. It’s an hour-long class that focusses on cardio and weights. After a couple classes, my coaches told me I needed to change my diet as well. Good bye ribs and KFC wings that I would eat daily, and hello to chicken wraps and Caesar salads.
Since October, I’m down from 230 pounds to 194 and still counting. It hasn’t been easy, but I can honestly say once you start, it’s hard to stop. I now feel better and have more energy. Instead of coming home and taking a nap afterwork every day, I drive to my class and I burn roughly 800 calories in one session. It’s now addicting. The classes are fun, I’ve gotten to know my coaches and peers, and we hang out outside of class as well. It’s been a long journey but I think the toughest part of starting a new exercise program is the thoughts of actually starting an exercise program.
My favorite quote when running on the treadmill is “Remember why you started.”
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