Polk County Public Schools, Staff
Do you have a success story to share? If you would like to inspire others with your success please download a release form here and send the release form and your story by courier to
Wellness Program
Success Stories
Rt D
or by U.S. mail to
PCSB Wellness Program
3425 New Jersey Road
Lakeland, Florida 33803
My name is Josh Dampier, and I have been teaching for Polk County Schools for 4 years. I have always had difficulties with my weight, I have fluctuated from as low as 230 pounds to my most recent 315 pounds. Back in September I was spending some time with my parents at their home and they mentioned to me that my brother was very concerned for my health and weight. This definitely upset me. My parents offered to purchase Nutrisystem for me to get me going on a healthier path. I received my first shipment of meals in late September and began right away.
I started out by cutting out all soft drinks and juice and stuck to my morning coffee and water. To make the transition, I would drink water based drinks like gatorade and crystal light; eventually drinking only water. With Nutrisystem, you are retraining yourself to eat proper portion sizes. A typical day would start with breakfast, like oatmeal or a fiber based cereal usually around 100 calories. For a morning snack, I would eat a fruit and low fat yogurt. Lunch was typically soup or chicken salad around 200 calories. An after school snack like a granola bar or rice cakes. There were various dinners that all were around 200 calories. I never ate after 8:00pm. The trick I learned is that eating multiple small courses throughout the day kept me satisfied, if I was still hungry, I drank more water. If I wanted to snack, I would snack smart with carrot sticks or an apple, no chips.
I have been off Nutrisystem since January and have continued to lose the weight.
As for exercise, I figured I need to train my self to eat right first, so for the first 3 months or so I didn't exercise, it was too painful with all the excess weight. So, I would park my car in the back of parking lots and stick to the sidewalks around campus to give me a little extra cardio. Currently, I try to exercise at least three times a week. I'll jog Lake Hollingsworth, ride my bike, and sometimes go to the fitness center at my school. I have found that the more I exercise, the more I enjoy it. It also helps with sleep.
I am also a violinist and had to purchase a new tuxedo for performances last year. My pants were a size "54" at the waist. Last week, I purchased some jeans that are a size 38 and they are already a little lose. I was wearing XXXL shirts, now I'm in a large. My goal is to lose 100 pounds before the end of the school year.
My biggest tip for any one who is trying or thinking about losing weight is don't rush. A diet needs to be a lifestyle change, who cares if you didn't lose 2 pounds this week, just keep eating right and the weight will drop. Also, do it for yourself. If you live a healthy lifestyle, you will save yourself the medical costs down the road.
I hope my story will help inspire my colleagues to take charge of their health so that they will be more happy, energetic and inspirational in the class room.
Good luck,
Joshua Dampier, Orchestra Director, Tenoroc/Jewett Academy/Garner Elementary
I participated in the 2010 Boot Camp this summer with the Wellness Team at Gold's Gym and it did something amazing...it got me off my television watching behind and started me walking a mile a day. Now I do not walk everyday, but the class inspired me to start by walking 3 times a week. Now I know what you are thinking.....it's too hot to walk...no, I walk inside...I turn my brighthouse channel to 353 and walk following the directions of a TV exercise host. In fact, as of this week I am now walking 2 miles every 3 days. Even better than that I have started eating healthier thanks to the reminders I heard in the class.......more fruits and veggies and less chips and donuts. These are small changes but the commitment is huge and the way I feel is better/stronger/ healthier. So, the lesson learned is this....the Wellness team for Polk County does care about teaching us to take our health seriously, that small changes lead to bigger changes and that with a little motivation from the PCSB Wellness Team we can make a difference....so take a class, read the newsletters, email them and get moving. You'll be glad you listened.... and to the class instructors: thank you for taking your summer time to help me make some life changes that I am now enjoying and certainly needed:)
Susan K. Burden
Sandhill Elementary
Haines City
I hate that the challenge has ended!!! It was a real motivator for me. Thanks to the challenge and my son, I was working out five to six times a week at Gold’s Gym or doing other things to get my workout in. I have gained weight (muscles weigh more than fat I have been told), but I have lost inches and fitting comfortably in size 14. My goal is to fit into a 9-10 comfortably by the end of the year and weigh less than 170. I will shoot for smaller numbers next year.
I loved watching the numbers increase on the pedometer once I learned how to wear it in the correct position. Each day I was determined to get up and move around more at work. I am hoping I can continue to go to the website each day and log my steps even though the challenge is over. Please bring this program back next year. I am ready for the challenge. In the mean time I will be practicing and improving during the summer. Thanks!!!
Ingrid Stewart
Financial Aid Secretary
Traviss Career Center
I have been meaning to email you to share my story, and thank you too.
Our school has been doing the wellness project (where you come in and do the health evaluations at the beginning of the year) for two years now. I will admit that I completely ignored it the first year - went in one ear and out the other. When we got our results at the beginning of this school year, nothing new - high cholesterol, triglycerides, and overweight. I only changed how I ate a tiny bit, and I may have walked in the same room as my elliptical. Then I talked a friend into going to the health fair with me. I just wanted to see how my cholesterol was doing, and heard there were cool free goodies. So, still not in it for the health value. A sad attitude, I know. And, probably a pretty common one.
But, when I got those results back, I was floored. My cholesterol had gone down just a tiny smidge, but my triglycerides had gone through the roof. That, combined with the other numbers, my weight, and family history... I was a walking heart attack just waiting to happen, and only 37 years old. I got on the elliptical that night. And, I didn't just walk, I jogged and jogged - got the heart pumping and sweat pouring. From that moment to now (and forevermore), I drastically changed how I eat, my exercise routine, and my whole outlook on a healthy lifestyle. It hasn't even been three months yet. I have already lost 26 pounds. I went from my BMI being in the obese range to now being in the normal range. I had set a goal of 125 pounds, and have already passed that. I have to set a new goal, but can't decide what to go for (Going to join the gym next week and have a personal trainer help me with that one). I went from a size 12 pants to a size 6. I had a blast shopping for a whole new wardrobe. Now, annoyingly enough, all my new clothes are getting loose too. I went from jogging 30 minutes on the elliptical at level 1 to 60 minutes at level 8 along with a jog through the neighborhood. The first time I took my workout to the streets, it took me 20 minutes to make a mile and I was winded afterwards. A few weeks ago, I ran the Mayfaire in 38:06. My goal is 30 minutes next year. I am already working on quickening my pace.
All this from a proudly professing couch potato. I was content with my pudgy self, didn't care that I would get winded playing in the yard with the kids for 5 minutes, or that it took effort to bend over my belly to tie my shoes. Now, I am full of energy - kids can't keep up with me. In addition to my own new found health, healthiness is spreading around me. My family is working out. Friends at work are actually attending the gym that they pay for. And, we're all eating better. Good health is contagious. I have been very fortunate to have one friend at my school who has encouraged me and cheered for me since day one. It has spread and spread, and now we are all encouraging one another.
So, thanks for all that your department does for us. If not for you all, I would never have known what hit me until after being admitted to an emergency room. You have saved my health, and my quality of life. I am so grateful.
Thank you so very much,
Sunny Cambron,
Medulla Elementary
Here at PCSB Support Services we love to eat! We have some great cooks and some of us have the waistlines to prove it! It was Feb.’08, after winter break when some of us decided enough was enough and established the Support Services Biggest Losers Club, emphasizing healthy eating and daily physical activity, with weight loss the icing on the cake! We pooled our money, bought a good scale and began weekly weigh-ins and group support meetings to stay on track and maintain our motivation. Each member paid $10.00 per quarter, and at the end of the quarter the 3 top losers won the jackpot with 60% going to the biggest loser, 30% going to the second biggest loser, and 10% going to the third. After 15 months we are still going strong, and to date the group has lost over 180 pounds!
Weigh-in takes place Thursday mornings in my office, followed by group meetings at noon which focus on education and social support. Last quarter we studied a 10 step course to help us make better lifestyle choices. This quarter we will take several weeks to study a video covering lifestyle management, goal setting and motivation. We also have an exercise group that does a 3-mile walk video every day for 45 minutes, burning over 400 calories… easily done during your lunch break. Whew!!!! It is very quick paced, but we have lots of fun!
We are proud of all our “losers”, but we are especially proud of Teresa Smith, Routing Specialist, who has lost nearly 70 pounds! Do you realize, that is like losing a 3rd grader? Way to go Teresa!
The Biggest Losers Club is beginning a new quarter, and we welcome any new participant to join for a small fee of $10. If you join our group, everyone will surely be seeing less of you, and you will be feeling wonderful, knowing that you are on your way to better heath! If I can help you in any way, or answer any questions, I am here for you!
Sandra Lancaster Merrill
Support Services, Area 6 Manager
Phone: 534-7305 - Suncom 51164
Fax: 519-7541 – Suncom 51156
<mailto:Sandra.Merrill@polk-fl.net>
To be quite honest, I was never a big participant in the District’s Wellness Program. Like most of us, I was too busy... until the fall of 2007. Our principal at Highlands Grove Elementary asked all of the staff to take part in the program at our school.
One day we were asked to do a fitness evaluation. I was working with Jan and she seemed very concerned about my breathing difficulties after the evaluation. Her reaction worried me so much that I scheduled an appointment with my doctor. I knew that I was tired and feeling run down, but I was not prepared for the phone call that I received from my doctor. When he called, he told me to go immediately to the hospital. He wanted to begin blood transfusions that evening.
My hemoglobin levels were dangerously low. Later I learned that he was not sure that I would even make it through the night. Now I view the Wellness Program as a very valuable tool that the District has provided us. I am so thankful to the staff for all time and energy that they put into the program. They truly saved my life!
Dee Lee
ESE Teacher
Highlands Grove Elementary
Last school year I took the “Get Off The Bus” challenge offered by the Polk County School Board Wellness Program. I got off the bus and walked! The newsletter we get once a month has a lot of interesting advice for all of us who want to live healthy lives. I have read and re-read my newsletter and have applied a lot of the facts myself. Any exercise is worth a try. You just have to find the one that suits you. Mine was walking as I love to be out doors anyway. While doing this I also made another commitment--to walk 60 miles in 3 days for the Susan Komen Cancer Walk. I signed up and got to walking.
I was able to do the 3-Day Cancer Walk and what a great experience that was for me. To walk 60 miles not only at my age (59) but for those who are attacked by disease. The Wellness Program challenge kept me on track with my exercise, eating the fruits and vegetables I needed and of course drinking enough water. I am walking again this year, so have begun training already.
I wanted to thank you for my prize from Play It Again Sports, for winning the “Get Off the Bus” challenge! The gift certificate was more than I ever dreamed it would be. I put it to good use and got another treadmill to walk on. I used my first treadmill so much during training for the 3-Day Walk that the roller broke.
Thank you for the Wellness opportunities that you extend to all school baord employees. I challenge all Transportation employees to get out and just walk or exercise in some way. In our times, the stress is undeniable. I have found the fresh air and the beauty around us soothes the mind and relaxes the body just enough to take the next step. Let’s walk for a healthier life!
Thanks again, Bonnie Gangle, Transportation
On December 16th, the “Air Walkers” celebrated a small landmark. The walking group, comprised of nine PCSB employees, walked or ran a combined total of over 232 miles, the road mileage from Tampa to Kingsland, Georgia, since November 14, 2008. The celebration, including a piece of Georgia pecan homemade pie, made the landmark a little sweeter.
The original trio of walkers, consisting of Terri Jenks, JoAnn Woods, and Janie Whealton, started immediately after moving in October, 2007. Since that time, Ann Hild, Gladys Wilcox, Chris English, Madonna Wise, Vickie Griffis, and I have contributed to this healthy habit. As a group, we try to walk the one mile course twice a day, with those who walk for time and those who just want to walk. I look around the group and have to grin, because there could never be a sports endorsement here. Some wear street shoes, others have walking or tennis shoes, and one even wears sandals!
I had no idea that moving from the Jim Miles building to the Bartow Municipal Airport and the Learning Support Division would ever become beneficial to me. The School Board had done a marvelous job remodeling the Professional Development Center, and I lost my office with a window. The air base was farther away from home, and it looked as if we were going to be jammed into a building with little space. My perspective has changed considerably since the move.
Since joining L.O.S.E. Too, a Weight Management initiative with the PCSB Wellness Program, I knew I needed to find support to succeed in my weight loss goals. Since finding this group, I have found a family. My attitude has changed as well. I no longer see ESE, FDLRS, and Student Support as separate entities. I am a part of a community of caring people who work together for the good of our children.
“The next stroke could be the BIG ONE!” Pat Searfoss, cafeteria manager at Garden Grove Elementary, reached a turning point in her life after having a stroke in January 2008. As a consequence of the stroke, Pat lost 60 percent of her kidney function, but realizes it could be worse. Complicating matters even more, Pat also had diabetes, as well as elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure, which increased her risk for developing kidney disease. Pat knew that she needed to do something to improve her health, and applied for the LOSE Plus weight loss program offered by the Polk County School Board Wellness Program.
Pat was accepted into the program and faithfully attended classes taught by the
Wellness Team. She acquired valuable skills that enabled her to make healthy lifestyle changes
including learning how to read food labels and selecting appropriate foods to control her
diabetes. “I also changed my eating habits both at home and when eating out.” Pat learned
the importance of portion sizes, specifically filling her plate with half vegetables, and dividing
the other half between starches and meat or protein. “I used to hit a drive-thru every day on
the way home, now I bring fruits for snacks instead.” Pat also applied the nutritional tips and
resources learned in the LOSE Plus classes when eating out. Portion control is crucial
since most restaurants serve two to three times the actual recommended serving size. Pat
has learned to eat less and take a to-go box home.
Not only has she changed her eating habits, but she is more physically active as well. Pat walks 30-60 minutes each day and plans to join the YMCA soon. “I used to think that exercising would make me even more tired than I was, but it is amazing how much energy you have after walking.”
Pat is enjoying her success and improved health. Not only do the scales show a loss of 83 pounds, but her most recent lab results confirm improvements in cholesterol and triglyceride levels. “Although I still need to work on my blood pressure, my diabetes is now under control and the doctor has decreased my medications.”
LOSE Plus is a comprehensive weight loss plan designed to provide one-on-one assistance by health care professionals who specialize in weight management. This seven step approach to permanent weight loss includes biometric screenings, required weekly educational sessions, prescription drug coverage for weight-loss medication (optional), relapse prevention and on-going personal evaluation.
CONGRATULATIONS! With small changes including diet and exercise, Pat has not only lost weight, but improved her quality of life as well. Her outlook on life is great, feeling younger than she has in years. “Before I lost weight, I felt sluggish and tired most of the time. Now, there is nothing that I can’t do!” Pat encourages everyone to take an active role in their health. “It is worth the effort!”