LaTasha Dandy had been on weight-loss journeys in the past, but she always gained the weight back. That all changed in October 2015.
Dandy, a subcontract program manager at Lockheed Martin, was tasked with taking the lead on Health and Safety Day for Lockheed’s Connect and Engage event. There, she first heard about Blue Zones Project and how small changes could have a big impact on her well-being.
When she learned how making healthier choices could be easy and fun, she thought, “Wow, I need to get my life together!” And she did just that.
Since then, she’s up bright and early every weekday, hitting the gym at 5 a.m. To date, she’s lost 60 pounds. Dandy also takes time to meditate, allowing time to reflect on the week and ways to improve.
However, her biggest commitment was to be more present. “Diet and exercise are part of it, but not everything,” she said. “You can be doing all of that, but if you have stress, your body will be impacted in a negative way.” For her, being present is about spending more time with family.
Before Blue Zones Project, Dandy would get up, take her stepchildren to school, go to work, come home, have dinner, talk to them a little, and go to bed. Today, she makes it a point to stop and converse with her family, rather than trying to connect on the go. “Doing that has built our relationship,” she added.
To allow more time for family, Dandy had to dial back on her volunteer activities. But when she does support causes, she simply brings the children along, making it a family affair. She feels fortunate to have an employer that allows her to devote some volunteer hours during work. “I knew that once Blue Zones Project got embedded at Lockheed, they would embrace it,” she said.
Dandy is determined to live for the present but also looks forward to a healthier, longer future thanks to Blue Zones Project. “I don’t want to be defined by family history,” she said. “I don’t want to battle high cholesterol, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
“I want to live better. That’s why I’m committed to it.”