As a new employee in 2013, Registrar Services Coordinator Sara Sullivan chose to take advantage of her University of Iowa benefits and meet with a health coach. At the time, she was feeling frustrated with her weight and level of activity. While talking with her health coach, Carla Melby-Oetken, she made a plan to start walking on the treadmill while watching TV and try running during the commercials. It worked, and she felt good seeing that she could go a bit further each time. Melby-Oetken encouraged her to start making small changes and to give herself credit for every small step and every healthy choice.

Sullivan stayed committed and over the next four years was able to shed 85 pounds by making time for daily activity, improving her nutrition, and being proactive about planning her meals. She went from a size 20–22 to 10–12 and reduced her body fat from 32 to 17.5 percent, close to the level of elite athletes. Running turned into a regular hobby, and she began to run short races, finally working up to competing in a marathon.

liveWELL recently sat down with Sullivan to talk about her success.

What made you decide to meet with a health coach?

When I first started at the university, I was informed about the Personal Health Assessment (PHA) and the benefits associated with it. After taking the PHA, I met with Carla and she asked me what my goals were. I made short-term goals about exercise and food but also positive self-talk goals to reassure myself that I could do it. I started to write down what I ate and kept track of things in my life for which I was grateful. I started to run during an hour-long TV show on the treadmill: First, I ran through the commercials and walked during the show. Next, I ran during the show and walked through the commercials. Finally, I just ran through the whole thing! Then I started running outside and made different routes of different lengths.”

How did UI personal training and classes factor into your success?

I scheduled my sessions with Brody (Sullivan’s personal trainer) strategically so that I could have a session and then practice the things he taught me before the next session. I wrote them all down and got a membership to the CRWC so that I was able to repeat them. I also did the “Daily Burn” exercise programs: Black Fire, Inferno, Inferno HR and even yoga. (It is not easy!) I made a goal to run “Iowa’s Longest Marathon” in Iowa City. After I ran the first one, I made the goal to beat my time on the second one and run it under two hours. I reached the goal: 1 hour and 59 minutes! After that, I made plans to run the Quad Cities Marathon. I finished even while managing an injury and heat. I hope to do a Spartan Race sometime in the future.”

I am proud to have finished the marathon, but I am even more proud that I was able to train for it and complete it while I was working fulltime, in school fulltime, tutoring, and following my two sons around for their activities. Seeing my sons, husband, sisters, nieces and nephews, and friends standing there cheering for me at the end—it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it!”

What would you tell others who are thinking about making a change like you did?

My health coach, Carla, made a difference not only to me, but to my sons and my husband too. She helped me find myself so that I could be there for them and helped me realize that I couldn’t help anyone else until I helped myself. I firmly believe that if I had not taken that first step to go to coaching, I would not have taken the ten million steps I have taken since. She wasn’t there to do it for me; she was there to help me see that I could do it myself. And she was right. I didn’t think I could until Carla showed me that I was much stronger than I thought I was.

What else have you learned on this journey?

It’s important to focus on all of the wonderful things an exercise regimen can do for you. I know it’s cliché to say not to focus on the weight, but weight literally has been the least important part. I feel better. I have more energy. I can do so many more physical things than I thought I could, and I am strong. I still have bad days, but I continue to set goals and attempt to meet them—in fact, I still use the calendars and folder that Carla gave me. I have every single exercise that I have done written down since I started, and comparing them is really motivating. I know that I am setting a good example for my kids too. My youngest son often asks if he can work out with me, and six-year-old planks are pretty cute.