Last year, Michelle Nagle and her husband planned a trip to Rome. Part of the preparation included shopping for cute, comfortable clothes for the trip. Michelle found some awesome pink jeans—but was disheartened when the pair she tried on did not fit.

“I was not going to go up a size, period,” says Nagle, a nurse in the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center who has been at the University of Iowa for almost 30 years.

In that moment, she remembered an invitation from the liveWELL Health Coach Service. With the trip just months away, Nagle figured any help would be great.

Nagle met with liveWELL health coach Carla Melby, and together they explored different strategies for weight management.

“Carla is wonderful! She set me up with a personal trainer who, over the course of nine sessions, helped change my body and attitude,” Nagle says. “Carla kept me accountable to my goals. I wanted to have more stamina, eat healthier food, and be able to button that pair of pants.”

“Michelle was highly motivated to fit into the pink pants, which in turn would support longer-term goals of weight loss and improved health,” Melby says. “I was excited to see her regular progress by the improved life choices she was making on a daily basis. Michelle is a great example of how one positive choice has a ripple effect into many more positive health choices.”

Nagle hit that clothing-related goal: “I was down five inches and bought the jeans in the size I wanted, and had a fabulous time in Rome!”

This year, Nagle’s goals continue to focus on weight management and improved health. She eats more fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats. She has also increased her social support, as her husband has joined her in this healthy diet. In addition to improved nutrition, Nagle walks at least 30 minutes a day and does yoga, Nia, Zumba, or strength training a few times a week.

“Carla helped me make SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-based—in a warm and non-judgmental fashion,” Nagle says. “I would encourage anyone to work with a health coach—whether you want to make a healthy life change, or fit into some new pants.”