the health coach chronicles

A form letter came in the mail from the health insurance company last month. Fill out an on-line survey and receive a discount on your premiums, it said. OK, how bad could it be; I'll do it. So I start clicking the mouse, trying to decide which pre-programmed answers best fit my situation. This should be no problem, I thought, I don't smoke, I exercise regularly, wear a seatbelt while in the car, ect. But somewhere along the line, I clicked on something that red-flagged my survey. Maybe it was because I got a lengthy phone call from a family member in the middle of doing the survey but tried to multi-task by talking and clicking at the same time, not focusing on either task. Or maybe it was because I responded that I was frequently frustrated (job-related stress). Maybe it was because I admitted to being overweight. Anyway, I was assigned a health coach that calls me once a month to check up on my progress with my weight and my stress levels. My first coaching call was a few days later. I was feeling down about both my weight and my job situation.

Last night I had just returned from the Ohio River and had totally forgotten that it was time for the second health coach phone call. As I was pouring a glass of relaxation, the phone rang. Now I had eaten very little during the day and was also somewhat dehydrated. As the call progressed, I worked on my beverage. By the end of the call, I was cheerful and optimistic. I told her I was eating fruits and vegetables instead of ice cream and pizza (true) and that I was going to actually plan healthy meals in advance and make a grocery list (less likely to be true). She thought I had made great progress since last month.

The power of positive drinking!