As I enter my 56th year, I am committed to making some serious changes in my life. After more than 25 years of a lifestyle that could be described as anything but healthy, I was 80 pounds overweight and physically inactive. I knew that I was a strong candidate for a heart attack or a stroke, but it was still difficult for me to make a major lifestyle change. Or more accurately, I was having a hard time accepting what the changes were that I had to make.

Because my energy levels were low, my focus on business had waned. This resulted in my company experiencing needless challenges and facing unnecessary risks. So as 2007 came to a close, both my fiscal and my physical well-being were under serious duress.

Early in the New Year I met with Dean Hartman, the president and CEO of Nubody’s, a chain of health-and-fitness clubs throughout the region, to create a plan that should lengthen my life. First he enrolled me in Simply for Life (SFL), a program that helps people make healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices. I met with Roger Young of Dartmouth’s SFL to talk about my history and my goals. At weekly sessions I am challenged to think about my nutritional choices and their consequences. The meetings are personal, private, and encouraging. After just three weeks I had lost 15 pounds and was starting to feel better about myself.

The second element Dean introduced was a personal trainer who worked out of the Burnside Nubody’s location. Cathy Grad is an accomplished coach and instructor who has a wonderful approach to her clients’ well-being. To be honest, I couldn’t really imagine why I might need

the service of a personal trainer twice a week for a few months. However, when you’re trying to make a radical shift and embrace a new healthier approach, you need a solid support system. Dean knew this, and I was about to discover it.

Cathy helps me work on strengthening my core, cardiovascular activity, balance, and self-control. Just weeks after starting SFL and Nubody’s, my physical wellness has begun to improve. Both Roger and Cathy are professional, enthusiastic, firm, and they genuinely want to help me succeed. Neither offer quick fixes or short-term solutions. What they do provide are programs that show me how I can meet my own challenges over a time period that suits me.

Both SFL and Nubody’s have locations across the region, and they can operate independently or collaboratively; it’s up to the individual to find the most effective approach. For me, the need to stop a downward cycle of stress that led to excessive drinking and unhealthy food choices simply had to end.

I plan to keep working with SFL and Nubody’s for a while. I want to enjoy my family and friends for a long time, keep building a successful business, and remove as much stress as possible from my life. Admirable goals, yes, but they come with enormous challenges. But I’m pretty confident that I’ll succeed, because my family, friends, and employees are supporting me.

And of course, I’ve got Roger and Cathy. They have no intention of letting me fail. And to help keep me accountable, I’ll be writing a regular blog about my own progress on the Progress website, www.progresscorp.com.