General Interest, Our Firm

Mr. Transformation: Shawn Hunt

August 6, 2009

Almost three years ago, when I first met Shawn Hunt, I had to look him in the eyes and tell him that his pre-employment handwriting analysis revealed that he had early diabetes symptoms. Now, I am proud to introduce you to a healthy Shawn who successfully serves Law Elder Law, LLP as both an intake paralegal and our super-creative graphics designer.   During the time that he has been with us, he has dedicated himself to the oh-so-difficult change to a healthier lifestyle. This is how Shawn told me his story: “Three years ago, our company insurance agent at Law Elder Law told me that I had been denied health coverage. I was devastated!  My health issues were due to a genetic predisposition and my weight.  I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds, and it was taking a serious toll on my health.  I would get random bouts of numbness in my hands and feet and sometimes climbing stairs felt more like I was mounting an expedition to the Mount Everest’s summit.  I knew that change had to happen, as my life was in jeopardy. I started my transformation changes at 397 pounds with a size 48 pants.  The first week of dieting was pretty tough, as cravings and temptations seemed to abound—but I ended week one with a 16 pound loss. Wow!  ‘This isn’t too hard,’ I thought—but soon my weight loss crept to a halt.  Then I knew that diet alone would not be enough and that I would have to add exercise and weight training. Once I started lifting weights and running, I started to gain more energy every day. Cutting out pop and replacing it with water also helped greatly.  My meal plans were drastically overhauled.  I vowed that I wouldn’t put another dollar through a drive-through window for a long while. My body started to change and fat slowly gave way to muscle.  I started to drop pant sizes quickly.  I put myself on a strict diet consisting of six small meals a day roughly the size of my palm.  Maintaining the routine and schedule of eating like this wasn’t all that easy, but I seemed to be able to manage it.  I cut out most fried foods, all junk food, pop, and red meat.  I replaced these things with fish and chicken, vegetables, fresh juice, oatmeal, vitamins, and many other healthy choices.  I grew to love them over time. I have lost 115 pounds of scaled weight and gained a large amount of muscle.  I have gone from a 48” to a 38” waist.  My health has been greatly improved, and my overall sense of well being has been restored.  I really can’t put into words the feeling of accomplishment that I feel right now.  This has been one of my greatest challenges and also one of my greatest victories.  Don’t get me wrong, I know that  I’m not done—but now I look forward to the rest of the journey!” Shawn is not doing anything magical. He is following the time-tested path of healthy eating and consistent exercise.  All of us at Law Elder Law are happy to see him looking good!  He even went tent-camping in the woods last weekend and came back peppy.  Congratulations, Shawn!

Tags: diabetes, diet, exercise, handwriting analysis, lifestyle, weight loss