Page 23 - HCPVitalityChronicles

Changing His Head Changes Jeff Dixon’s Life

Life can change in an instant. This was the ing. Typical items in his diet now in-
case for Jeff Dixon, Laboratory Supervisor, at clude co-age cheese, Greek yogurt,
HCP Long Beach Plaza. In 1999, six months plenty of fruits and vegetables, and
fresh out of the military, Dixon was a picture appropriate por,ons of meat.
of good health and he ran four miles a day.
Then, a severe car accident le him with a “It is all about changing your head,”
broken neck; subsequently, a blood clot in his Dixon said. “The Living Lean program
leg traveled through his heart and lungs, gets into your head and makes you
which necessitated open heart/open lung sur- conscious of the decisions you are
gery. Physical recovery from the whole acci- making. Before I would just think,
dent took five years, but the recovery process ‘Go ahead and do it.’ You have to
has been ongoing for the past 15 years. change your head first.”

Ulcers on his feet prevented him from walk- The change is working for Dixon. “I’ve
ing, and while taking steroids to help with his lost 55 pounds in six months; I feel in-
various medical condi,ons, Dixon gained a credible,” Dixon said. “I’ve gone down
great deal of weight. The turning point? See- two clothing sizes, I feel healthier, my
ing the number 398 on the scale. “I did not back and knee pain have gone away.”
want to hit that 400 mark,” Dixon recalled. “I
thought, ‘Something has to change.’” In addi,on to changing his diet, Dixon
walks for 30 minutes every day. Be-
Two years ago, Dixon joined the Vitality pro- cause of his accident, his bones hurt
gram. Vitality’s Living Lean program really trig- so he has to be careful with the
gered a change in thought process for Dixon. amount and type of exercise he does.
The program encourages the use of a card
every ,me you purchase food or are about to His goal is to get down to 278 pounds
eat something. “The card says, ‘I choose to eat Jeff Dixon, swimming in his clothes. His by the end of this year. “I want to
this because …’” Dixon said. “At that ,me, my goal is to reach 278 pounds by the end take my family on a train trip, up the
of 2013.
answers were, because I have no will power, coast to Oregon,” he said, adding
because I can, because I want it.” It was not uncommon, in that, if you are extremely heavy, train travel is very difficult
the past, for Dixon to eat an en,re pizza all by himself. and uncomfortable.

He also went through a program for gastric bypass surgery, He has come a long way already. There are two ways to
because it had become medically necessary for him to lose deal with the repercussions of a bad accident, Dixon said:
weight. But by ea,ng different foods and changing his por- get bi-er or get be-er. He has chosen the la-er. “I s,ll deal
,on sizes, he was able to start losing weight on his own. with residuals from the accident every day,” he said. “But
Today his diet is focused on healthy foods and healthy eat- that’s the least of my worries. I’m just lucky to be here.”

All informa,on in the Vitality program is HIPAA protected. Members have chosen to share their personal health accomplishments.
For more informa,on about Vitality, visit www.powerofvitality.com. Contact Janet Galli for further program informa,on.