Twin Cities American Heart Walk with #TeamJenny and Nicole Sullivan

Did you know that Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women?  Or That Every year about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack?  Pretty scary stuff, right?  What about strokes, do you know that strokes are just as deadly?  Strokes kill nearly 130,000 Americans every year. 

Let me tell you a little bit about why I am passionate about the American Heart Association Walk and then I am so pumped to share the day that I spent with Nicole Sullivan at Target Field! 

My Dad has heart disease that started when he was 40, yep you read that right.  He is now in his 50’s and has 18 stents in his heart.  18!!  If you don’t know about heart disease, blockages, stents etc., 18 is a lot.  He is very lucky because with all of these stents he has had minimal damage to his heart.  Not everyone is that lucky. 

I also have a 35 year old cousin who has had a major heart attack.  He is alive and doing well but it has forever changed his life.  You see, heart disease runs in families and is a risk factor that you need to make sure you are aware of. 

I have my own story as well.  I had a stroke when I was 30 years old.  I am lucky too, I have no damage or lasting effects from it.  It changed my life a lot though, so when I was asked to participate in the Twin Cities American Heart Association Walk, I jumped at the chance to get involved. 

Jenny Craig is the national sponsor for the Heart Walk and they try to encourage everyone to get out and walk 30 minutes each day to maintain a healthy weight.  Actress-Comedian Nicole Sullivan was at the Twin Cities Heart Walk to get us warmed up before the walk, give a speech, and then I got to walk with her and the rest of Team Jenny! She is one of the funniest and nicest people that I have had the chance to meet. 

Here are a couple ladies that had amazing results with the Jenny Craig program.  They are an inspiration to everyone on how to get healthy!

Tressa Boespflug – lost 46 lbs.* on the program
When Tressa Boespflug’s size 14 clothes began to feel a bit too snug, she knew it was time to take action and lose weight, not only for her figure, but more importantly for her health. During both of her pregnancies, she had gestational diabetes and due to being overweight, Boespflug was at high risk for heart disease and other weight-related diseases. Once Boespflug joined Jenny Craig, she learned to improve her eating habits by cutting out junk food, practicing portion control and Volumetrics, where she learned to get fuller on fewer calories, and she also began to increase her activity with the support of her consultant. As the pounds began to fall off, she became more active and now exercises 4-5 times per week, running 5 miles on the treadmill. She says that the exercise has become a great, healthy, stress-reliever for her as well and credits her workouts as becoming her “sanity.” One of the biggest rewards of losing 46 lbs.* with Jenny for Boesfplug is that she is able to be more active with her daughter, playing in the backyard and riding bikes and running with her husband. Her healthy habits are also rubbing off on the rest of her family as she is preparing more balanced, nutritious meals for everyone, while also making exercise a priority.

Marijo Greenman – lost 34 lbs.* on the program
Losing her 42-year-old brother to heart disease was the biggest wake-up call for Marijo Greenman. She was overweight, had high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which was putting her at a much higher risk for heart disease. Greenman considered herself pretty active, utilizing her gym membership frequently and she thought her diet was fairly healthy as well. It wasn’t until she topped the scale at 180 lbs. that she decided it was time for a change. She tried diet shakes and lost a few pounds, but it wasn’t the long-term change she was looking for and she still found herself very hungry. Help came when she saw a commercial for Jenny Craig and she decided to contact her local centre to begin her weight loss journey. The pounds started to fall off immediately and Greenman knew she found the success she was looking for. Her consultant taught her portion control, how to incorporate Volumetrics into her diet, adding foods such as vegetables to increase her meals without adding extra calories and she became more active in the gym. Greenman lost 34 lbs.* with Jenny and has been taken off of her cholesterol medication and reduced her blood pressure pills. She has more confidence and enjoys new activities like dancing and skiing and shopping for smaller sizes to reward herself!

*Clients following our program, on average, lose 1-2 lbs. per week

I am so honored to be a part of this great cause with Jenny Craig and The American Heart Association.  Raising money and education awareness of heart disease is so important for everyone.  Not to mention, I had a blast with the Twin Cities Jenny Craig team and Nicole Sullivan, despite the 39 degree weather. 

Since Jenny Craig is celebrating their 30th birthday they are offering 30% off their premium program to celebrate!!  If you are thinking about trying the program out, this is a great time!

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