When shared goals lead to shared success.
Enjoying the Sunshine Coast, married couple Rick and Susan were retired, active, and living well. They never imagined that a simple online Health Check would spark a profound change in their lives.
After years on blood pressure medication, Susan started searching for a natural way to improve her health and that’s when she stumbled upon My health for life.
“I was just looking for a way to naturally reduce blood pressure,” Susan recalls. “I’d been on pills for about 15 years. I came across the program, filled in the questionnaire, and thought, well, that’s interesting. And now, can you believe, I’m off my blood pressure pills.”
For Rick, the wake-up call came in the same form, through the online Health Check. “The needle was firmly pointing to the red zone, at high risk. That was a shock. Looking at others around me, I thought I was in good place, I just had not expected it.”
Susan was the first to sign up, but it wasn’t long before Rick joined her. What began as a personal quest for each, quickly became a shared journey.
From the start, they approached My health for life health coaching as a team. “We could go walking on the beach together, lifting weights together, doing the video exercises together,” Susan says. “There was also the motivational factor that’s true on a daily basis.”
They quickly learned that supporting each other was key. “I do the meal planning, and Rick does a lot of the sous-chef work,” Susan explains. “We do the grocery shopping together, we’re eating a plant-based diet, and we carefully check sodium content. We motivate each other to exercise and eat well.”
The changes were dramatic. Susan’s blood pressure dropped, and she was able to stop her medication. Rick lost 14 kilograms and reduced his waist circumference by more than 15 centimetres. “I keep a log of what exercise I do every week. I’m also a park runner. When I started losing weight, I noticed my park run time started to drop,” laughs Rick.
But it wasn’t just about numbers. My health for life brought them closer, reshaping their routines and even their relationship. “To have a partner in crime is well worth it,” Susan says.
Of course, there were challenges. Cutting down on alcohol, resisting late-night snacks, and finding new ways to reward themselves took effort. “The big challenges were right at the beginning,” Rick admits. “But being answerable to someone, our health advisor, Zeenia, and to each other, kept me going.”
Their advice to other couples? Don’t wait. “Work at it together, learn to cook together, shop together, exercise together, and it can only be successful then. It’s a lifestyle, a healthy one,” Susan explains.
Rick agrees. “It’s like riding a tandem bicycle. You’re both in together. If one person is doing their own thing, it messes up the other person’s ability to be successful. Your likelihood of success probably quadruples… it’s more than the sum of the parts.”
Looking back, both are proud of how far they’ve come, and determined to keep going. “We’re still sticking to it because it is My health for life. So, I’ve changed that around to my life for health,” Rick smiles.
Their journey is proof that with the right support, and the right partner, change is possible at any stage of life.
If you’re ready to take the first step towards a healthier lifestyle, start with the free online Health Check to see if My health for life is right for you.
