Member Dumps Golf Cart, Starts Walking 18-Holes for His Health

Since joining The Prevention Plan three months ago, Russell (Russ) Simpson has lost over 22 pounds and lowered his LDL cholesterol by 53 points.

Living with his wife and two kids in Summerfield, North Carolina, Russ is your average 53-year-old guy. He enjoys spending time with his family and playing 18-holes of golf when he can get away from his busy job as a Vice President for Booke Seminars with Aon Benfield. 

"Historically, I’m someone that you wouldn’t consider to be healthy but, I’m not completely unhealthy either. I go through cycles of three months on and three months off of exercise, occasionally getting caught up in fast food spurts," Russ said.

Russ learned through his Prevention Plan that he was in a high-risk category for high cholesterol and needed to focus his prevention efforts on weight loss and nutrition.

"I met my doctor in January and he agreed with the report I received. I was over 200 pounds and my LDL cholesterol was at 171,” Russ said. “The Prevention Plan was like a wake-up call, telling me I needed to focus more on taking care of my health before my risks turned into serious issues."

Russ, determined to lose weight and lower his cholesterol, participated in numerous Action Programs and Trackers, including Nurse Teri’s Fitness Challenge.

"The Eat Healthy Tracker and Healthy Eating Action Program were very good,” Russ said. “Even though I chose to do them without a Nurse Advocate, I felt that they were very easy to follow and kept me motivated and focused on my overall goals."

With the help of various Action Programs, Russ has learned to incorporate four to five servings of fruit into his daily diet and has started exercising regularly.

"I walk on the treadmill for at least an hour everyday. Also whenever I play a round of golf, a buddy of mine and I will walk the course instead of renting a golf cart. It’s an easy way to get exercise in without thinking about it," Russ adds. 

Today, after three months of healthy habits and a few rounds of golf later, Russ has lowered his LDL cholesterol to a very healthy 118 and currently weighs in at 178 pounds.

"My goal is to weigh 170 pounds so, I still have a little ways to go,” Russ said. “The fact that I can track and see my daily and weekly progress on The Prevention Plan is what makes it a perfect tool for me."

Russ plans to continue walking the golf course and eating healthy in hopes of reaching his goal weight. He is currently active in four Action Programs and shows little sign of slowing down any time soon.