Destiny Bell knows what it feels like to want to give up. During her weight loss journey, there were days when doubt crept in and quitting felt easier than starting again. But every time, her phone would ring.
“Myra never stopped calling,” Destiny says. “She never gave up on me, even when I almost gave up on myself.” That kind of steady, personal support is at the heart of Healthy Lives, a free health and well-being program offered to every FMOL Health team member.
Destiny connected with Myra Russell, RN, a Healthy Lives health coach who works one-on-one with team members to help them reach lasting weight management and healthier lifestyle goals.
It is one way FMOL Health invests in the people who care for our patients, helping team members build healthier habits, feel supported in their goals and bring their best selves to work and life.
For Destiny, a guest services concierge at FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake, it has made all the difference.
A Turning Point with the Right Support
Destiny had struggled with her weight for much of her life. She joined Our Lady of the Lake in 2022 and enrolled in Healthy Lives that first year, but 2024 was the year she truly committed to the process.
At the time, Destiny was seriously considering bariatric surgery. She had already met with a nutritionist and was weighing her options. Then she started talking with Myra.
“Speaking to Myra brought things into perspective,” Destiny says. Together, they built a plan that felt doable. Myra helped her ease into a calorie deficit, commit to working out three to four times a week and, importantly, start slow.
“We started with walking, doing my steps and making sure I got my water intake in,” Destiny says. “All that really balanced out. It became part of my daily routine. It really helped.”
Destiny has since lost more than 88 pounds and is working toward her final weight loss goal.
More Energy, More Confidence, More Momentum
Ask Destiny what has changed, and the weight is only part of the story.
“I feel lighter on my feet. I can run longer distances now. I couldn’t run before,” she says. “That was the biggest thing. I have a lot more energy. My confidence is up. My daily life is better.”
Her outlook shifted, too. Where she once came home from work sluggish and unsure of what to eat, she now heads straight to the gym. Sundays are for meal prepping. She keeps her protein high, her routine steady and her mindset kind, even on the harder weeks.
“I’m more mentally aware of what I consume, and mentally aware of when I don’t work out,” she says. “I don’t tear myself up if I don’t work out. But if I didn’t get as much in as I should have this week, let me at least go for a walk.”
Her role at Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute plays a part, too. Walking patients to and from their appointments helps her chase her daily step goal. “I try to get 10K daily,” she says. “If I get 9,000, I’m not mad.”
Destiny got creative to stay motivated, dancing along to YouTube step videos and using her Healthy Lives incentive points toward new clothes and an upcoming cruise.
“The gym is fun to me now,” she says. “I turn my music on and it’s my fun activity of the day. It’s not something I used to hate anymore.”
Support for Different Health Goals
Destiny’s story is one of many unfolding across FMOL Health, and Healthy Lives is designed to support many kinds of health goals.
Glenda Selders, a certified nursing assistant at Our Lady of the Lake, found her own kind of victory through the Musculoskeletal (MSK) Health Program, another Healthy Lives offering focused on flexibility, mobility and injury prevention.
When Glenda enrolled in 2024 and completed her MSK evaluation, the results were, in her own words, “not good.” Soon after, she received a call from MSK coach Monique DeVille, who offered to help.
Monique walked Glenda through a range of exercises and techniques tailored specifically to her body, and they continued to meet throughout the year.
The results spoke for themselves. Within 12 months, Glenda’s overall MSK health index climbed from the 60% range to the 80% range, helping her improve her balance and mobility while experiencing far less pain. It is a powerful example of how the right support can help team members feel better in their bodies and in their daily work.
Destiny’s Advice: Take the Next Step
Destiny’s message to fellow team members considering Healthy Lives is simple and sincere.
“Take the olive branch and just do it. You won’t regret it,” she says. “Accepting the olive branch has changed a lot for me, not only at work but in my personal life as well.”
Destiny also recognizes how meaningful it is to have this kind of support available through work. “I appreciate that they give us the opportunity to not only do better but a chance to feel better about myself, mentally and physically,” she says. “I work in healthcare. I see people every day who can’t walk or run because of their health. Having that tool helps a hundred percent. I wish all jobs had this. I’ll always brag about it.”
And through every step, that steady encouragement carried her forward. “Each milestone has reinforced my resilience, proving that small wins lead to remarkable victories,” she says.
Together, stories like Destiny’s and Glenda’s show why Healthy Lives is more than a wellness resource. It reflects FMOL Health’s commitment to creating a workplace where team members feel cared for, encouraged and equipped to take meaningful steps toward better health.
Supporting Life Inside and Outside of Work
Through personalized health and well-being resources, team members can find encouragement, build healthier habits and take meaningful steps toward goals that matter to them.
For Destiny, that support helped turn small daily choices into lasting momentum. For Glenda, it meant better movement, less pain and more confidence in her daily work. Across FMOL Health, Healthy Lives reflects a simple belief: when team members feel supported in their own well-being, they are better able to bring their best to the people and communities they serve.
The next milestone is closer than it may seem. As Destiny reminds us, small wins really do lead to remarkable victories, especially when people have the support of a workplace that believes their well-being matters.
