Page 6 - HCPVitalityChronicles

Vitality Champ Carmen Carrillo Inspires Results

Carmen Carrillo, MA, at the HCP Del Mar office in Pasadena, is everything a Vitality champ
should be. She’s motivated, dedicated to good health and she enjoys helping people try to
reach their fitness goals. And it all started with being the Biggest Loser.

Last year, supervisors in her department decided to motivate staff members to lose weight
by starting a contest. Those who lost weight during the month would receive a $20 reward.
Over the course of four months, Carrillo won the jackpot – and lost 36 pounds in the process.

Her formula for success: she bought an Elliptical machine on which she exercised twice a
day, for 45 minutes each time. She completely eliminated fast food from her diet, opting
instead for healthy foods. And no sugary drinks; she only drank water.

She has maintained her weight and even shed some more pounds – 44 to date. Her goal
is to lose 14 more. But it’s about more than a number on a scale. For Carrillo, being healthy
is about a lifestyle dedicated to good choices, and making health a priority.

As a Vitality champ, she encourages exercise among her coworkers. Over the course of
three months, she brought a Zumba DVD to work and she and her coworkers did the
workout together twice a week. She has since replaced that workout with a 3.2-mile walk
she and her colleagues Linda Benton and Renee Girges do during their lunch break, every
Monday and Wednesday. She still does the Elliptical, and she makes sure to exercise every
day of the week. Often weekends mean long walks with her husband and three children
and their German Shepherd.

She will definitely continue being a Vitality champ. “What I love the best is being able to
motivate my coworkers,” Carrillo said. “When someone tells me ‘I woke up at 4:30 a.m.
to do my workout, and now I have so much energy,’ I absolutely love hearing that.”

Carrillo also doesn’t hesitate to suggest healthier diet choices to people. If a coworker says
they are going to McDonald’s for lunch, she will say, “How about Subway instead?” She does
the same with her family, encouraging and preparing healthier meal choices.

As a champ, she tells people to just get started with Vitality, reminding them that just for
completing the initial health risk assessment they will accumulate points. “If you log on
to the Vitality site and look at all of the features, it is a win-win,” Carrillo said.

Monique Fimbres, Administrator II at HCP Del Mar, said Carrillo is truly dedicated and
committed to the Vitality cause and inspires others in their health and wellness goals.