By General Manager GM Andrew Slade
U-Haul Moving and Storage of O’Fallon, Mo.
Andrew Slade (right) knew he had to make some lifestyle changes when he tipped the scales at 356 pounds and his blood sugar was dangerously high.
O’FALLON, Mo.—My story is like many others. I come from a big family and we like to cook and eat. As a result, I weighed in at 356 pounds. For someone who is only 5′ 7”, that is severely overweight. I needed a lifestyle change.
About a year ago, I went to the doctor for a routine checkup, and later that day I received a phone call from the doctor’s office asking how I was feeling. I said I felt OK. The doctor proceeded to tell me my blood sugar was 525. I had no idea what this meant, so he explained this was dangerously high. (According to the American Diabetes Association, a normal, non-fasting level should be less than 180.) Should I feel anything at all, he said to go straight to the ER, and if not, to come see him first thing in the morning.
Well sure enough, later that evening I started feeling extremely bad and had to rush to the ER. I was introduced to the world of Type 2 diabetes the hard way. Needless to say this was a scare and wake-up call. Who knew?
Support from everywhere
Since then, with the support of U-Haul and our Wellness Program, I have made a complete lifestyle change. I started seeing a nutritionist and reading the literature U-Haul has been providing. I am happy to say that I now weigh in at 297 pounds. I have dropped 58 pounds and I’m well on my way to my first goal of 250.
Slade’s daily walkaround of his self-storage facility gets him well on his way to his goal of 10,000 or more steps every day.
I bought myself a Fitbit and try to hit my goal of 10,000 steps per day, which is quite easy if you incorporate it into your daily work routine. I have a large self-storage facility and doing a daily walkaround not only accomplishes my goal of checking my building and providing great customer service, but it is also great exercise!
Has it been easy? No, not at all. Does it take support from your family and co-workers? Yes. Luckily my marketing company president is committed to the Company’s plan of healthy eating, and encourages it. My family is also in my corner helping. We have made it a family thing and are all eating healthy. We have eliminated the bad carbs and are focusing on a high-protein, low-carb diet. As a result, not only am I feeling better, but my blood sugar is under control and my dependence on insulin has decreased. I have been with U-Haul almost 15 years and plan on being around for another 15!
