Grant Regional | aspire to live well | Spring 2018

In addition to his determination to be health- ier, it was essential for Jon Jackson to have weekly accountability. Registered Dietitian Tracy Ackerman’s program helped keep him going. He had eight individualized consulta- tions over a 12-week period. “She was so knowledgeable about nutri- tion and provided helpful insight on calorie counting,” Jon says. “It was crucial to log my food daily, including everything I ate. One of the biggest factors that I learned in weight- loss success is practicing portion control. This includes three meals per day with healthy serv- ings of vegetables, fruits, proteins, starches and dairy. She also shared the importance of exercise and stretching.” Secrets to success Jon shares other tips that worked for him. ●   ● Eat slowly. We need 20 minutes for our brains to catch up with our stomachs. ●   ● Eat veggies, fruits and soft foods first to fill up. ●   ● If you eat snacks, measure your snack first (versus eating from the jar). ●   ● Stay away from processed food. ●   ● Forget about deep-fried anything! ●   ● Go ahead and enjoy that piece of pizza, but write down those calories. ●   ● Shop for fresh vegetables and fruits, keep lots of variety on hand and snack on those. ●   ● I continued to visit my doctor after weight loss for maintenance of my daily caloric goals and had weekly weigh-ins. Grant Regional’s Healthy Transformations program As a result of Jon Jackson’s weight loss: ●   ● His shoes fit better, he has less foot arch pain, his ankles don’t get swollen at night and his knee pain is gone. ●   ● He no longer has lower back pain, needs to take high blood pressure medicine or needs a sleep aid. ●   ● “I can wear my wedding ring again after 15 years!” he says. ●   ● He went from wearing 46- to 38-waist pants. “Even my kayaking sun hat is too big!” he says. ●   ● He has more choices in shopping for clothes, better vision (compared to how prediabetes was affecting his eyesight) and more self-esteem. BY THE NUMBERS ●   ● Body mass index: Jon started at 37—obese (320 pounds). He is currently at 26.6—overweight (220 pounds). His goal is to be at 25—normal (215 pounds). ●   ● Total cholesterol: decreased by 29 percent. ●   ● LDL (bad cholesterol): decreased by 27 percent. ●   ● HDL (good cholesterol): in- creased by 29 percent. ●   ● Triglycerides: decreased by 44 percent. Head-to-toe health benefits Family ties Jon and his family are rooted in this small community’s history. His dad, Robert Jackson, was a physician in Lancaster in the early ’50s. His office was across from Walker’s, where Blue Boy Bakery is now. Jon’s mother, Margaret (Marmie) Morse, was born in Lancaster. His grandfather and uncle, Edward Morse Sr. and Edward Morse Jr., had a law office on the square where Walker’s is now. Jon was born in Lancaster in 1956 and lived here until he moved out of state around 1961. He moved back to Grant County (to Cassville) in 2010 with his wife, Jennifer. He is an environmental and safety specialist for Alliant Energy, WPL–Nelson Dewey Generating Station. 5 SPRING 2018