Oct. 14, 2020

This paid piece is sponsored by Profile by Sanford.

When Greg Sands was beginning his drywall business, he was naturally active.

“I was in the field as a drywall finisher, burning 200 to 300 calories an hour because I was physically working,” the owner of Sands Drywall said.

“And then, I went and sat behind a desk. And I was only gaining 7 or 8 pounds a year, but I did that for 10 or 12 years in a row.”

Before he knew it, he’d gone from 200 pounds to 294 at his heaviest.

“I was building this company, and I’m a stress eater and an emotional eater, and we would just eat whatever we wanted.”

It didn’t help that he’s a self-described “really good chef” and his wife, Pam, an equally “excellent baker” and that “I just love good food,” he said.

“So we’d make something and it would be so good, and I’d overeat. I’m a foodie. I’ll drive to Sioux City to have a certain hot dog. So we just ate whatever we wanted with no discipline until it came to a point and had a moment of clarity that we wanted to change.”

That was about five years ago, when Pam introduced her husband to Profile by Sanford.

“She had met with them and got a coach, and I got on her coattails, and we did the program together,” he said. “I’m not big on that stuff typically, but I did it.”

He bought in fast, though.

“Within 30 days, you’re seeing results,” Sands explained. “And that was a real catalyst for both of us. So we stuck to it and both had coaches, and it worked very successfully.”

In six months on his personalized Profile weight management and nutrition plan, he had dropped 40 pounds. Pam did too.

“Profile is a great starter,” Sands said. “It’s the starting line to having a healthier life. You’re seeing results, and that’s motivating you.”

The experience is one shared by many executives, said Dr. Stephen Herrmann, Profile’s senior director of innovation and research.

“It’s quick results, and that builds confidence,” he said. “Our members are smart and successful in a lot of areas of life, and this is an area they need help with. It’s an area of life where they just haven’t paid much attention to themselves because they have so much going on, and this is a way they can focus on themselves. But they need someone to check in and push them, and that’s what the health coaches do.”

Sands’ weight gain also is common among people who transition to more desk-based jobs, Herrmann said. That’s been especially true this year as people have stayed home and possibly become less active.

“As people get promoted to more sedentary positions at work or they begin working more at home, they’re less active. Even that little bit of activity of going into the office and walking around isn’t happening, so if you even look at burning 300 fewer calories a day, three or four days a week, in a month that’s 2 pounds and over a year it’s 20 pounds, so it can go up drastically.”

But with Profile, the weight starts dropping right away, he said.

“Weight is a simple scoreboard,” Herrmann said. “Sometimes, people try making small changes and make sacrifices, and it’s tough to see progress in a short amount of time, and they get defeated. On the flip side, when you join a program like ours, there is early success that can be reinforcing and motivating.”

For Sands, becoming a Profile member led to bigger, lasting lifestyle changes.

“Pam and I quit everything together,” he said. “We quit smoking and started eating healthier, and the first catalyst was Profile.”

He found such success – ultimately losing 60 pounds – that he estimates he has recommended the program to 40 friends.

“It works, and people see results,” he said.

“It was the rocket fuel for us to changing our lifestyle. The fact I lost 40 pounds in six months was great, and you feel good, but it’s really why my life is healthier today than it was five years ago.”

Profile has seen growth during the pandemic as people put more emphasis on their general health and nutrition, Herrmann said.

“When it’s COVID now or something in the future, taking care of yourself can put you in a better position to succeed,” he said.

“Finding out things like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes make it worse for people with COVID is not surprising because those are the usual suspects linked to just about everything. But it does make illness more severe and increases the likelihood of hospitalization, so we think if people come out of this understanding they need to focus on their health and make that a priority that it will be a positive. The fact that more people are choosing to invest in their health and wellness is amazing, and we’re hoping that mind-set shift continues.”

For Sands, it has been nothing less than life-changing.

“It was very successful for us. Pam had a Profile shake this morning. I am on a relatively low-carb diet and managing my weight through portion control and exercise. It just worked really well for us, and I’m glad to see they’re expanding that brand in other cities because it’s something a lot of people are going to find very manageable.”

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