Lost 75 lbs; gained a lifestyle.
Q. Hey, Samie! Thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Let's start with you - tell us a little about yourself.
A. I’ve spent over 15 years as a healthcare consultant (currently an SVP leading national accounts for a provider offering direct primary care to the employer market), but only recently fully embraced what I strategized about. I am passionate about empowering individuals to navigate and prioritize healthcare needs to live happier & healthier lives. I also LOVE to bake, cook, entertain, and I find mentoring others very rewarding.
Q. Who was Samie prior to 2020? What was your lifestyle like then?
A. For the majority of the past 15 years I was a senior health and welfare consultant who worked an average of 70-90 hours each week and had travel up to 90%. In 2019, I became a super commuter for a new job - every Monday I flew from the East Coast to the Midwest, then drove an additional 90 minutes; a 6-7 hour door to door commute by the time you contemplated airport logistics. I took the reverse trip Friday afternoons to get two days with my friends and family. During that period, a friend of mine told me he had never seen me so stressed in my life. The lifestyle-induced stress and travel drove my prior weight gain over time.
Q. Who or what inspired you to lose weight and get fit in 2020?
A. A friend of mine had some success with the 'Lose It' app so I downloaded the free version after he suggested it a couple of times. I knew that I couldn’t do it via diet alone so I decided to put my treadmill/WalkTop™ to work -- I had purchased it years ago and let it just collect dust.
Q. Do you think you would’ve been on track to lose weight if you weren’t working from home?
A. If hotels have WalkTop’s™, then I could have but I can’t put my WalkTop™ in my luggage (wait, can you make a portable one??) and travel with me so I would say a big 'no way'.
Q. I know you used a few apps and other means but the WalkTop™ Treadmill Desk played a big part, right? Tell us about it and your routine using it.
A. I contribute the WalkTop™ to at least 50% if not 75% of the success of my 75 lbs weight loss. I use it every day as part of my lifestyle - usually treadmilling 4-6 miles a day but some days 10 miles. I walk at 2.5mph while I work and attend conference calls. I don’t have extra time to go to the gym because I have so much work to do so the ability to multi-task was critical to my success.
Q. While we were talking earlier, you told me a funny story about your husband wanting to buy a house in Florida and you not being too keen because you didn’t have a treadmill there. What's that about?
A. Well, I don’t have time for the gym so I have to get my exercise in while I work. My husband wanted to buy a two-bedroom condo. I said it didn’t have enough bedrooms for my WalkTop™/treadmill room. Then he wanted to rent - well, I couldn’t bring my WalkTop™/treadmill to a rented space. The houses ready to buy with more bedrooms had tile floors but I didn’t like the style and the waitlist to build is almost 2 years so no Florida house. We can visit up to a week or so - the longest I can go without my WalkTop™.
Q. What words of wisdom do you have to share with the folks reading your story?
A. For all the busy folks balancing life and work, the WalkTop™ is a super-easy way to make health fit into your life. It reduced my stress and allowed me to multitask. It’s become a critical part of my lifestyle. I just didn’t lose 75 lbs, I gained a new lifestyle to ensure long term success.