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Amy Boswell and Karen Bean trade messages with recipes, recaps of workouts and updates on well-being.
For Boswell, the correspondence seems like chatting with a friend, which is why she enjoys the experience. Boswell has met with Bean, a health coach for LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, for nearly a year for guidance on losing weight. Boswell has lost 31 pounds in the past year through LIVE FOR LIFE’s health coaching programs.
“Karen is so supportive and motivational,” said Boswell, program manager for Oncology Patient Education at Duke Cancer Institute. “I tried to lose weight on my own for a long time. Karen helps me get into the right mindset, just like a friend would.”
LIVE FOR LIFE offers four health coaching programs for free or low cost:
- Prevention Based Health Coaching – Employees without risk factors who want to maintain or improve eating habits, body weight or other concerns can meet with a coach over the phone. You must complete an online health assessment and get a health screening no more than three months prior to enrolling in health coaching.
- Risk Based Health Coaching – Employees with certain body mass, cholesterol, blood pressure or glucose conditions can meet with a health coach in-person or over the phone. You must complete an online health assessment and get a health screening no more than three months prior to enrolling in health coaching.
- Pathways to Change – This program is available to employees or dependents who meet certain criteria for bariatric surgery.
- Tobacco Quit Coaching – Components include free co-pay visits with a provider and low-cost nicotine replacement therapies.
“Health coaching is a great benefit to our employees because it offers an ongoing connection with a professional who will meet them where they are on their wellness path,” said Esther Granville, manager of health coaching and nutrition programs for LIVE FOR LIFE. “The coach helps the participant take small steps forward by providing a consistent touch that counteracts the fickleness of behavior change.”
Emma Albright, staff assistant for the Pratt School of Engineering’s administration office, started meeting with a health coach over the phone about six months into a new fitness goal.
Albright began January of 2018 trying to lose weight after being tired of the way she looked in photos. She had a solid workout plan – with weight training and conditioning classes three times a week – but needed help adjusting her diet.
The health coach taught Albright to compare her portion size to the recommended serving size on labels and avoid saturated fats. Albright has lost 65 pounds since working out regularly and adjusting her diet.
“There were weeks where I didn’t lose any weight and would get really frustrated,” Albright said. “My coach would say, ‘Don’t worry about that. Look how much you’ve accomplished.’ It’s very encouraging to have someone like that in your corner.”
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