“I started noticing Merle walking on her lunch break, and she would stop by my desk to talk about how it was making a difference.” (Merle was featured in our Fall 2014 edition of For Your Benefit.)

“I am so happy with the changes I’ve been able to make and, of course, with the results and the way I feel. Now, I just want to pass these healthy habits on to others!”

Patricia began walking on her lunch hour, often with Merle when their schedules would allow it, and said she started to notice a difference after only a few weeks. Encouraged by the good feeling that she couldn’t entirely explain and the support from her friends, she kept up her routine and also began to change her diet. She started to bring fresh fruit to work every day and replaced sugary beverages with water. For lunch these days, Patricia most often has a salad, and between meals—which was once her toughest time—she has given up sweets, substituting more nutritious options like almonds, carrot sticks, apples and oranges.

After losing 28 pounds and going from a size 14 to a size 10, Patricia said she wants to share her secrets. “I am so happy with the changes I’ve been able to make and, of course, with the results and the way I feel,” she said. “Now, I just want to pass these healthy habits on to others!” And that includes her three grandchildren. “I make sure they eat healthier than they used to,” she said. “We still have ice cream or a brownie now and then, but mostly we stick to yogurt and low-fat smoothies.”