Success Story
Shannon McKeeth
Every small step makes a difference
Read here below Shannon's story and watch her video.
Goals: Lose weight and have more energy
Success: "Hates to sweat," but has joined a fitness center and is enjoying her workouts!
Late in 2010, the Heart of New Ulm Project encouraged members of the community to apply to be the next “Face of New Ulm.” In 2011, we will follow the winners who are publicly setting out to improve their lifestyles, root for them to overcome barriers they are sure to face along the way, and celebrate their successes on the road to improved heart health. Shannon is one of the four winners of the casting call.
Shannon McKeeth, owner of Bingham Hall Bed & Breakfast, is always on the go so her goal is to learn to prepare “tasty yet nutritious” meals for her family. She is the mother of two teenage daughters and found preparing quick, tasty, nutritious meals for her family to be quite challenging. Recently, Shannon discovered low-fat frozen meals that were easy to prepare and provided guidance for portion control. Shannon enjoys golfing with her husband when there’s not snow on the ground! Her goal this year is to make sure that any changes she makes to improve her health and lose weight are ones that she can maintain.
April 2012 Update When it comes to improving your health, every small step makes a difference. Shannon McKeeth may not have achieved her larger health goals as she set out to at the end of 2010, but she has indeed made some small but significant improvements.
For example, she is drinking fewer sodas, adding more fruits and vegetables to her eating plan, working out on her treadmill three to four times a week, and drinking more water. Shannon said those minor changes have changed her energy levels more than she could've imagined. Now her focus is on portion control and eating out less.
“My big goal was to lose 60 pounds and be fit and trim,” said Shannon. “That hasn’t happened yet, but it will come."
As one of the Heart of New Ulm Project’s casting call winners, Shannon perceives her participation with the project as “divine intervention.” The year 2011 threw many obstacles into her path, but those obstacles actually helped her discover some pressing health issues that might have gone undetected if not for her participation in some HONU activities.
“We are all creatures of habit, and it can be difficult to break those habits," explained Shannon. "So there will be times we will fall from grace, but the key to success is not to beat yourself up over it.Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps and try again!"
The advice she'd love to give to others is geared toward young parents, in the hope they can help their children create good habits for a lifetime.
"If parents help kids get on a healthy path at an early age, it won’t be such a struggle for those children when they’re grown and 47, like me," said Shannon. Her quick tips for parents:
· Have your children drink water.
· Get your children moving — outside whenever possible!
· Help your children discover and learn to enjoy food and beverages that do not have a lot of added sugar.
· Enjoy everything in moderation.
Shannon summed it up, "This last year has been a revelation for me. I'd like to thank the Heart of New Ulm for helping me become aware of what I need to do and providing the tools to help me make positive changes in my life."
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