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The Myers Group Health Hero of the Month - September 2024
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Jeremy Oudekerk – September Health Hero 2024

I am thrilled to announce Jeremy Oudekerk as MG’s September Health Hero! Jeremy joined us in May as a meat cutter at Super Bear in Juneau, AK. His brother, JP, was our May Health Hero and Jeremy’s weight loss journey has been equally impressive. Jeremy has lost 160 pounds in the last year. His life has been completely transformed from this weight loss and the positive lifestyle changes he has made. 

Jeremy and his brothers, JP and Jake, spent an active childhood in Alaska, hunting, fishing, and playing outdoors. However, like many of us, when Jeremy grew up and settled down with his wife and kids, he slowed down. Work and family took precedence, and he got out of the habit of regular exercise. Family meals became “kid friendly” (i.e. chicken nuggets) and lunch became fried foods from the deli counter. As expected, he put on weight and got out of shape.

‍Then, in 2021, Jeremy caught Covid and became extremely ill. He was admitted to the ICU for 2.5 weeks. He developed congestive heart failure and extreme fatigue and had to be placed on multiple medications. Long Covid left him bedridden for many months. It was a stressful time because he had just purchased a new house and acquired a puppy. Unable to work, play with his kids, or help his wife around the house for 8 months, he understandably became quite depressed. Although his family was emotionally supportive, playing board games and watching movies with him, the stress of feeling helpless led him to find comfort in food. The combination of more food and less activity led to substantial weight gain. By June of last year, he weighed 400 pounds. He was also diagnosed with pre-diabetes.

Concerned for his health, Jeremy’s doctor put him on multiple heart medications and later, Wegovy, a GLP-1 medication developed for diabetes and weight loss. Jeremy’s wife, who had also put on weight, studied nutrition, then put together a healthy eating plan for the family. In the beginning, the colossal task of losing over 100 pounds and regaining his health felt nearly insurmountable. But Jeremy drew strength and inspiration from his daughters, especially his 12-year-old daughter who has been blind since birth. She has always had an optimistic, positive outlook on life. He felt that if she could face her challenges with such a “can-do” spirit, he could as well.

Jeremy and his wife completely changed the way they ate. They tossed all the packaged and processed food they had in the house. They now cook their meals with fresh, whole ingredients, mainly protein and vegetables. They avoid refined carbs like pasta and white rice, fried foods, deli foods, and all forms of sugar, including sugary beverages. Snacks are typically carrots and hummus. They also frontload their calories by having bigger meals in the morning and smaller meals (e.g. salads) for lunch and dinner.

The effect of these dietary changes is that Jeremy has lost weight and his blood sugar levels have stabilized. He has been taken off all diabetes and heart medications. His wife has also dropped 80 pounds in the last year. Tapering off Wegovy, he feels confident that they will maintain their weight loss due to their dietary changes.  

Since Jeremy joined Super Bear in May, his activity level has also increased by 75%. Working in the meat department requires carrying heavy 50-75 lb. slabs of meat. His Smart watch is recording 20,000 steps per day. Thus, his strength and stamina have increased dramatically in the last 5 months.

Jeremy’s life has improved in every way in the last year. He used to wake up tired and feel fatigued throughout the day. It was difficult to get off the couch when he got home from work. Now he wakes up more alert and feels energetic and motivated all day. He wants to get out of the house to do fun things with his family and dog. For example, he gets on the trampoline with his kids when he gets off from work and takes his dog for long walks. He also feels more confident. Everything from work to home projects feel less daunting. He and his wife socialize with friends more often and have rekindled the romance of their early years of marriage. His goals are now to go hiking with his brothers and work on his new home.
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Tara Saunders, Super Bear’s Assistant Store Director wanted to share this about Jeremy: "I am beyond proud of Jeremy for making good health a priority. His determination and commitment to losing weight are an inspiration for us all here at Super Bear." We are all proud of Jeremy for his incredible weight loss journey and we feel so fortunate to have him as a role model at Super Bear and across the company!