Getting active and losing weight is one thing. But doing it while working in the food service industry is quite another challenge. Donald, or "Chef Don" for folks in the Triad, is meeting that challenge head-on. Today he tells us how he's faring, no doubt with the help of tasty, healthy fare like the Shrimp Louis Salad featured in his video:
"Last year I started in the IDEA program at Wake Forest University, which stands for intensive diet and exercise for arthritis. So far in the last 12 months I counted what I ate and tried to stay within my daily calorie budget of 1,800 calories. So far I have lost 40 pounds and my goal is to lose 50 pounds.
"That last 10 pounds is very hard. I found that I must adjust my daily budget to 1,600 calories, this is very hard for me because I am a professional chef. I teach at Guliford Technical Community College, and have to taste food every day. I am a caterer as well. I have found that people will always do what they want to do, 100% of the time, and I really want to lose all this weight that I have been carrying on me for the last 16 years.
"This Million Step March has encouraged me to continue with my goal. I won't give up, neither should you. Hang in there. WE CAN DO THIS!!!"
OK gang - forgive the blog headline. A guy's head can turn to mush after 150 miles of walking!
The Blue Ridge Mountains in April were beautiful alright, but nothing like the beautiful oasis the skyline of Charlotte provided. It was good to finally arrive Wednesday at our first major city since leaving Asheville over two weeks ago. And the crowd on The Green Uptown could not have greeted us better. There is a real momentum in the air these days. The Charlotte media came out to cover Kathy and me arriving – WSOC-TV, KATT Radio, and 96.1 FM among them. The video with this post captures our day quite well.
On stage, an eclectic mix of community leaders, sports personalities, Charlotte Bobcats cheerleaders, local Charlotte types, you name it, greeted us warmly and asked for stories from the road. Our rally was a fun-spirited event.
That night we all went to the final Bobcats game of the season, our campaign video was played on the big screen, and Kathy and I were introduced at center court, all while basketball legend Michael Jordan sat just feet away. Now all this was pretty cool... but you know me. My sights are already on the lights of Winston-Salem, just four to five walking days to the north.
That's how you do it here on a 600+ mile walk. You don't think about the distance. You take it a week at a time and a major city at a time. You do the math: 12-mile days times 6 days per week of walking equals more than 70 miles a week. It adds up, doesn't it? And with any luck we'll see you in Winston-Salem on Tuesday for another rally!
The Million Step March pulled into Charlotte today, and we have some early photos to share from the huge event at The Green Uptown.
First up is Kathy Higgins, joined by Fred Whitfield (left), president and chief operating officer of the Charlotte Bobcats, and Mark Richardson (right), president of the Carolina Panthers.
Then we have Gary Marino taking a culinary lesson in fruit juice drinks from Heather Tidwell. Heather is a chef-in-training in the culinary arts program at the Charlotte campus of Johnson & Wales University.
We'll have much more to share from the Charlotte events.
Throughout the Million Step March, Kathy and Gary are joined by at least one "guest walker" each week from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Kim Ashley, program manager in Commercial and Government Operations, joined the walk recently and gave us this report from the road:
Old U.S. 70 ended at the Pisgah National Forest "Old Fort" picnic area where we met up with the support van. From there, we walked into the town of Old Fort. Unable to resist, we stopped in for a quick break at a local coffee/art house, and ended up spending quite a while there. Good coffee, interesting local art and crafts, and very interesting people.
It's always fun to watch people's faces when they ask how far we're hiking, and the answer is "to Wilmington." Everyone is interested in the story and seems to be captivated by the idea of walking across the state. We often hand out pedometers and give the Web site URL out, and I believe the folks we talk with will participate.
Not only am I enjoying myself in this portion of the walk, I'm developing a greater respect for and understanding of the work that the company is doing toward cultivating healthy lifestyles and choices. Conversations on the road are giving me a glimpse into the motivations and passions that drive our viewpoint, and I find that I 100 percent agree with and support those motivations. What a good feeling!
During the final mile of the day, the rain that's been predicted since Monday finally hit. The worst part of the rain may be the splashing as the cars go past. Ick.
One piece of advice for the walkers: Jacuzzi! After a 13-mile hike, you must take advantage of the hotel Jacuzzi. It does wonders for the muscles and the spirit.
