#wellcoin

1) Goal: Build community at the office

Solution: Try using a social platform to connect employees, similar to Facebook or Instagram. Employees who can share their healthy activities with others will find a new way to connect with colleagues, and be further incentivzed to stay on track.

Start Your Employee Wellness Program With Wellcoin Employee Connect

2) Goal: Attract and retain high-performing employees

Solution: Your strongest job candidates are likely considering offers from other employers, and comparing benefits and perks can be a significant factor in the decision-making process. Wellness programs provide a strong signal for potential hires that the company cares about their well-being, at work and beyond. Likewise, wellness programs demonstrate this investment to existing employees. Request stats on employee retention rates when exploring program options to see how participation fares over time.

3) Goal: Secure participation from a diverse employee base, with a wide-range of health statuses

Solution: Choose a program that reaches beyond diet and exercise to a more holistic take on wellbeing. Programs that engage participants on a range of healthy actions beyond diet and exercise will appeal to a wider spectrum of employees, including those who might have physical limitations or handicaps. 

Start Your Employee Wellness Program With Wellcoin Employee Connect

4) Goal: Integrate your existing wellness offerings

Solution: Look for a program with an easy-to-use centralized platform. If you are already offering wellness events and activities throughout the year, a proper program should help you market these events more efficiently and track participation.

5) Goal: Inject some fun and healthy competition into workplace wellness

Solution: Find a program that allows you to run competitions, like step challenges or healthy bake-offs. Allowing employees to compete internally can provide a much-needed dose of encouragement during trying times, like the crazed holiday season or a busy work season.

6) Goal: Reward employees for their positive efforts

Solution: Choose an incentives-based system that sets thresholds for success and provides rewards when achieved. Depending on your budget, reimbursements for expenses that encourage healthy living are often a great investment. For example, reimbursements for gym memberships or health insurance plans. Check out plans that have custom reward options that allow you to get crafty if you are on a tight budget. For example, you can use a premium office parking spot or lunch with the CEO as a highly sought after reward.

Start Your Employee Wellness Program With Wellcoin Employee Connect

7) Goal: Reduce employee health care costs

Solution: This goal can be the trickiest to measure, partly because of the sensitive data required, and partly because of the necessary time lag to track change. Most wellness programs face a natural tradeoff between protecting employee privacy and recording biometric data, so make sure to consider which is more in line with your company’s purpose and culture. Regardless of what program you choose, you’ll need employees to stay active over time to provide meaningful data. Look for a program that automates participation and engagement tracking to equip yourself with the data needed.

If the goals above are in line with your wellness wish list, be sure to check out Wellcoin Employee Connect, a free social wellness platform that can help you achieve all of this and more.  

WT: Hi George. We’re so happy to have the opportunity to sit down and chat with you. You have such an inspiring weight loss transformation story and we’re excited for this chance to share it with our readers. To start, could you please tell us a little about yourself?

GM: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my story.

Hi everyone! I’m George. I am 32 years old and I am originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana but currently live in Cleveland, Ohio. I am a father of 3 amazing children (2 boys and 1 girl), a husband (13 years strong), and a Retail and Sales Manager. I enjoy music, cooking and surfing the internet.

WT: When did your weight loss story begin? What happened that triggered you to make a change in your daily habits?

GM: Around July 2014 I went out with a long time friend of mine and his group of friends. The plan was to head to the Cleveland Indians game but meet up at the local sandwich shop before the game. When I met up with everyone at the shop, I noticed that I was the biggest person there. My friend, who was previously large like me, had visibly lost about 50 lbs. When I asked him how he did it, he said he did it by changing his diet and regularly working out with a personal trainer.

The rest of the evening was incredibly fun. The game was exciting and everyone had a chance to relax with a drink. By the end of the evening, however, I could not help but notice that I was a little depressed and not particularly happy for my friend’s great weight loss achievement. I wanted to desperately be happy for him but could only think about my situation. I was 296 lbs.

When I got home, I shared my feelings with my wife. We did not talk about it again until we were at the Goodwill Store a few days later. I saw a treadmill for $50 and I thought to myself, “I need to buy this. I need to make a change.”

I bought the treadmill but before doing so, I asked my wife if she would join me on my weight loss journey. I knew I would not make it without her.

From that day on, we started using the treadmill 20 minutes a day.

A week later, my oldest son asked me to take him to Cedar Point, a local amusement park and roller coaster hot spot. After riding a few roller coasters, we got in line for the Gatekeeper - one of the hottest rides of the season. Despite the line being 2 hours long, we patiently waited to board. When it was finally our turn and I saw down in my seat, the safety bar would not lock across my body. Two workers came by and tried to close it but that still did not work.

I was petrified. I could not believe that I had let my weight get so out of control. It not only affected myself but it now affected how I could spend time with my family. I knew that I needed to be a better man, a better father, and to take better care of myself. I vowed on that day to change my eating habits, my way of life, and the way I felt about myself.

WT: Wow. What a story. What are some of the tools that you used to help you in your journey?

GM: The first thing my wife and I did was download the “Lose It” app. For those of you who are not familiar with the app, it is an app that allows you to keep track of your meals and exercise. We also started Googling new recipes and finding foods that were lower in saturated fats and calories. We knew that our diet was a major problem. We replaced red meat with fish, turkey, chicken and shrimp. We started portion controlling, eating salads and soups, and listening to cues from our bodies that we were full.

The first 50 lbs. fell off easily. The remaining weight loss was harder but I kept at it. I started taking photos of my weight loss journey and posting them on my social media accounts. I received tremendous support, encouragement and motivation. I also purchased a Fitbit to keep track of my daily steps, floors climbed and calories burned.

WT: How long did it take you to lose all the weight?

GM: It took me 9 and a half months to lose 130 lbs. It was the hardest thing I have ever done and I do not know where I found the strength.

I did have a great support system, which helped me tremendously. Posting everything online also held me accountable because I knew others were watching my journey and cheering me on. I did not want to let anyone down.

WT: If you could share 3 tips with our readers that are interested in making a change similar to you, what would they be?

GM: The first thing I would say is to love yourself, regardless of what you weigh. Losing weight cannot make you happy. It can only improve your self image and health. Happiness is something that you can have at any size. Decide to make a positive lifestyle change because it can help improve your life and health not because you think it will make you happy.

The second tip is to make sure you have a good support system. Even the most self-motivated person will experience moments of weakness. Surrounding yourself with people who care about you and your goals will help get you through those moments of weakness.

The third tip is to set a realistic visual goal. When I started my weight loss journey, I went to the store and purchased a nice button up shirt that was 3x smaller than my then-normal size. I put the shirt in my closet and every time I went to get dressed, I would look at it, remind myself of what I wanted and made sure I was taking steps towards achieving that goal.

WT: How has Wellcoin helped you in your weight loss and healthy living journey?

GM: Wellcoin made my weight loss journey more fun. It made achieving my goals rewarding. I was going for a daily run already. Logging them not only helped me see the work I was doing, but it also gave me a feeling of accomplishment. It literally made me feel like I was being paid to lose weight and to continue living healthy!

Because I take pictures of my breakfast, lunch and dinner, I am much less likely to eat something unhealthy as I know my friends will see them. I feel like Wellcoin is a new best friend. You know, the healthy cool one that everyone loves!

WT: Wow. Thanks for the compliment. What are some of your favorite things about using Wellcoin?

GM: I love that it is a mobile app. Because I always have my phone on me, I can log my healthy activity and earn Wellcoins from anywhere. I do not have to worry about missing an opportunity. I also love that it is a great conversation starter. Whenever I mention that the app pays me to be healthy, everyone in the room wants to learn morel! They love the idea of being encouraged to live a healthier lifestyle.

WT: What are some of your favorite ways of earning Wellcoins?

GM: I love logging my meals. I always take pictures of my dinner so it is as if I do not need to do anything extra to earn my Wellcoins. I also love that my Fitbit automatically syncs my steps and sleep data with Wellcoin everyday. Even if I happen to be incredibly busy with work or family, I am still able to earn Wellcoins. I also love logging Buying Healthy Groceries and Spending Time with My Children at the park. With Wellcoin, I get to do the things that I normally do but with the added bonus of being rewarded. It is a win win situation.

WT: There are a lot of cool things in the Wellcoin Marketplace. What have you spent your Wellcoins on so far?

GM: I’ve spent my Wellcoins on lots of things so far! I bought a brand new pair of PUMA Running Shoes. I love them and wear them on my morning runs! I also bought some Wild Zora Meat Snacks. Healthy Jerky! They’re delicious.

WT: Wellcoin has a broad and balanced view of health. Allowing members to earn Wellcoins for all sorts of healthy behavior including volunteering, helping your child be healthy, seeing a health practitioner, etc...Has Wellcoin encouraged you to try new ways to live healthy?

GM: Once I started watching what I ate, I immediately started wondering if I was doing the same thing for my children. I realized that I was not doing enough to make sure that we were all, as a family, learning to live healthier. I now make a much greater effort to offer my kids fruit when it’s snack time. We also go to the park more. As a family, we love using Wellcoin. The kids get really into taking new photos to log.

WT: Now that you have lost all this weight, do you have any new healthy living goals in mind?

GM: I plan to keep up on my healthy lifestyle. I want to continue enjoying my brand new wardrobe! :) I have all new clothes. I went from a size 42 to a size 28 in jeans; a 3XL to a small in shirts.

Since I started making more of my own meals, I have become a bit of a chef. :) My next goal is to write a cook book so that I can share my new food ideas and choices with people who may also want to eat well and lose weight like I did. I really want to be able to help others. I think if I had the help and encouragement, I would have made this change much sooner.

WT: That’s really great. We will be the first in line to purchase your cook book.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us today. We love learning about our members’ healthy living journeys. Everyone has a different one and they are all so motivating. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

GM: Thank you so much for letting me share my story. Thank you for also creating Wellcoin. It has truly helped me in my weight loss journey. Losing weight was the hardest thing I have ever done. It is not something anyone should ever have to do alone. With apps like Wellcoin now, no one ever has to embark on that journey alone now. Thank you so much for that!

New to Wellcoin? Register for your free Wellcoin account here and join us today.

Do you have great lights on your house? Did you cook something amazing? Have a fantastic new outfit for New Year’s Eve? We want to see your style, smarts and creativity! Break out the camera and enter to win.

Contest Details

Contest Dates: 12:01am PST Dec 14, 2015 – 11:59pm PST Jan 3, 2016

How to Enter Your Photo in the Contest:

Add your entry photo when you log an activity on Wellcoin. Your photo must reflect the healthy activity for which it is submitted.

In the Comments section, include a caption and the hashtag: #WCHOLIDAY

Tweet the activity and photo from your personal Twitter account. Only tweeted photos with hashtag #WCHOLIDAY will qualify.

How Many Times Can I Enter the Contest?

Enter as many different photos as you like during the contest period.

Duplicate photos will be disqualified.

Winners:

Wellcoin will select 3 winning photos and feature them in a post on the Wellcoin Today blog. Each Wellcoin member with a winning photograph will receive a $100 Amazon gift card. Winners will be selected by January 6th 2016.

Judging Criteria:

Photos will be judged based on creativity, artistic expression, accompanying photo caption and of course, how well it captures winter holidays.

Terms & Conditions:

By submitting your photo and including the above hashtag, you agree that Wellcoin may use your photo in our social media and other public relations efforts.

Winners will be notified by email.

The $100 Amazon gift card is considered a prize for entering this photo contest. It cannot be exchanged for anything else in the Wellcoin Marketplace.

Wellcoin is not responsible if the gift card is lost or stolen.

Winners must be Wellcoin members.

You can only submit photographs that you have snapped. Photos submitted that do not belong to you will be disqualified.

Best of luck!

Happy Holidays and happy picture taking!

I live a pretty healthy life these days. I’m a yoga instructor who loves vegetables and exploring outside. But that wasn’t always the case. I know how hard it is to trade unhealthy habits (smoking, too much beer) in for better ones (meditation, green tea). It’s not always easy to be active and eat right every day. It’s an evolving process that takes constant attention. When you throw late work nights, busy weekends and family into the mix it can seem downright impossible to stay committed to personal health.

The great news is that it’s not impossible and when you’re earning Wellcoins towards rewards like new sneakers or healthy food, it can even be fun! Healthy living includes things like running around with your kid at the park, playing with your dog or donating to charity.

If you feel discouraged because you may never run a marathon or stand on your head in a yoga class, take a small step. Drink some water or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Know that you are doing YOUR best. Know that everyone’s best is different.

Small steps in the right direction lead to not only Wellcoin rewards, but to the ultimate reward of a full and happy life! I think a full and happy life also happens to include occasional nacho plates and lazy days on the couch binge watching TV (Game of Thrones, anyone?).

Each day is a new opportunity to take care of yourself. I’m here to encourage and support you as you take and maintain control of your health. As our Wellcoin community continues to grow we can share our victories and encourage each other, all while enjoying fantastic health rewards.

I’d love to hear your story! Connect with me on Wellcoin or follow me on Twitter. Say hi, reach out and let me know what rewards you’ve redeemed. Tell me what you love about Wellcoin and what we can do better. Let’s make our community awesome, healthy and fun!  

#ItPaysToLiveHealthy

Kat Bondi is the Content and Community Manager for Wellcoin. She’s a runner, yogi and lifelong musician. Find her on Wellcoin, or on Twitter @OMGKatAttack.

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