Obituary for Kathleen Hancock

Graduation Photo - 1977

Celebration of Life

Kathleen Hancock

August 4, 1957 - November 24, 2015

On November 24, 2015, Kathleen Hancock transitioned from this world into the Heavenly Realm. She was welcomed into her eternal home by her mother, Marida Estelle Hancock, her father, Willie Raymond Hancock and her brother, Larry Hancock. She is survived in this world by her sister, Willie Jean Hancock and her brother, Wayne Hancock. She was more like a sister to her nieces Kerri Smith, Kim Schulz and Cynthia Morse and her nephews William Grimes, Kevin Hancock and Michael Sandoval. She also enjoyed her great-nephews Drew Smith, Michael Barnes, Matthew Barnes, Morgan Sandoval, CJ Grimes, Miranda Sandoval and Sam Grimes. She was fortunate to have known her great, great-niece and nephews Shaylyn Barnes, Jackson Smith and Julianne Smith.

2013

Kathy, as she was known, was born on August 4, 1957 in Panama City, Florida. She was the youngest of four children. In fact, she was the late-in-life baby that enjoyed the attention of her much older siblings. She was a curious, happy child that loved animals especially her dogs and cats. No stray ever went hungry.

She graduated from Rutherford High School in 1977 and was married briefly following graduation. Kathy loved police and security work. She was employed at the Panama City Airport for more than 20 years. During her tenure, she was a well-known and well-liked member of the security team.

Celebrities that frequented the airport knew her by name and she welcomed them with a hug. People like Willie Nelson, Burt Reynolds, Rick Flair and many more knew her by name. She also caught the eye of the son of King Al Khalifa of Bahrain. They dated for a period of time but she would not leave her country for him.

She made friends easily and offered a friendly smile to all. She enjoyed traveling and was fortunate to travel to several exciting destinations. She cherished the road trip she took from Panama City to Jasper, Alberta, Canada with the love of her life Dustin Basham and her visit to Alaska. Most of her favorite travels actually took place in her red 1978 Chevy Camaro that always garnered attention – a beautiful blonde that knew how to drive a performance car.

She studied Kempo Jiu Jitsu, was a Certified Nursing Assistant, managed several retail stores and worked in food service over the years. She loved cooking gourmet dishes and decant desserts, all genres of music, movies, classic TV shows and was a whiz at trivia.

A Celebration of Life service will be held Thursday, December 3, 2015 at Carolina Olive Oil at 5:30 p.m. at 104 S. Main Street #2, Simpsonville, SC 29681. She will be interned in Greenwood Cemetery in Panama City, Florida in December 2015. In lieu of flowers, make donations to your local animal shelter, animal rescue or donate dog and cat food to Meals on Wheels. 

Final Step #8 - Toyota's Eight Steps to Problem-Solving Applied to Weight Loss

Standardizing the Process

After losing 60 lbs. 

This week is filled with great emotion as this series comes to a close. Last year, I set a goal of writing about my weight loss journey. To be honest one of my bad habits when I feel overwhelmed or vulnerable, is to quit. In fact, knowing that I have this tendency kept me from ever committing to do anything that would put me in either of these situations.

I looked at the outline I originally developed and the new blank page each week with dread, but over the last eight weeks it has gotten easier. Once the first sentence was written, the rest came tumbling out and excitement took over. Writing the articles taught me that facing fears helps to break undesirable habits. This also happened in setting my weight loss goal. The fear of ridicule, failure and acceptance no longer controlled my actions, or worse, lack of action.

Inaction can be crippling. Living in the world of excuses may feel safe in the moment because it’s easy to blame others for the life we are living. Taking control of your thoughts and actions will give you courage to create your future.  Reaching goals will become reflex like simply breathing.

This final step of “standardizing the process” is one of the most important. When I reached my “goal weight” in the past, the bad behaviors crept back in and snuggled up with me on the coach while watching TV and munching on the worst foods. Believe me if you go back to those habits, your weight will quickly find its way back and bring all their friends.  

There will be times during the year when it will be harder to follow your counter measures. Anticipate those times and develop strategies before they occur. Holidays and emotional anniversaries can derail even the most determined. Journaling can help identify the rhythm of life and provide insight.

At some point, your body will cry, “uncle” and refuse to allow one more ounce to be lost. The best practice is to embrace the plateaus and allow your body to catch up. Strive to keep your weight the same during this time. Re-examine your counter measures and recommit.

“The only proper way to eliminate bad habits is to replace them with good ones,” said Jerome Hines. By following the Eight Steps to Problem Solving, you can overcome any challenge and replace bad habits with new ones that move you closer to your goals.

Kerri Smith is a marketing professional by trade but dedicates her life to learning and challenging the status quo. Smith is a wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman, professional speaker, teacher, student, author, survivor and lover of life. Learn more at www.cuexceed.com.

Step #7 - Toyota's Eight Steps to Problem-Solving Applied to Weight Loss

Check Results

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps,” is attributed to Confucius and is very appropriate for this week. We are coming to the conclusion of the series and this step will determine whether you experience success or failure. Monitoring results must be a daily process. Think of your scale as your BFF not your enemy.  

There will be days where you will go up in weight by as much as three pounds that may have been caused by eating out the night before. Water weight is real and is caused by too much sodium (Hello, Chinese food.) By logging your water intake, meals and noting whether you prepared your meal or the local restaurant will give you clues to the fluctuation.

One lesson I learned is that if you do see weight gain in the morning, either eat only one meal in the middle of the day of protein and good fat (no carbohydrates) or fast for the day. Usually you will see a loss of the gained weight by the next day.

As we discussed last week, stable blood sugar is very important to weight loss because when blood sugar increases, the body has to produce insulin. Insulin is a fat-storing hormone and when blood sugar is similar to a roller coaster, it is nearly impossible to lose weight and even harder to sustain it.

One strategy that I learned in Wheat Belly Total Health by William Davis, MD, is to use a blood sugar monitor to check your blood sugar before and one hour after a meal. Ideal fasting blood sugar would be <90 mg/dL and <100 mg/dL one hour after a meal. Using this testing method, I have been able to determine which foods cause issues.  For instance, white and sweet potatoes do not raise my blood sugar outside of the target range if eating in small portions along with either butter or coconut oil; however if I consume them in multiple meals within a 24-hour period, my levels rise.

Breakfast sets your blood sugar for the day; therefore eating protein and fat will stave off hunger throughout the morning. I enjoy two cups of coffee with a scoop of chocolate whey protein, stevia and about two tablespoons of whole raw milk. It is so yummy and satisfying.  

Here’s to your success, “If you are happy, you can give happiness. If you don't love yourself and if you are unhappy with yourself, you can't give anything else but that.” - Gisele Bundchen

Final Article - Step #8

Kerri Smith is a marketing professional by trade but dedicates her life to learning and challenging the status quo. Smith is a wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman, professional speaker, teacher, student, author, survivor and lover of life. Learn more at www.cuexceed.com.

Step #6 - Toyota's Eight Steps to Problem-Solving Applied to Weight Loss

Implement Counter Measures

“Only as you do know yourself can your brain serve you as a sharp and efficient tool. Know your own failings, passions, and prejudices so you can separate them from what you see,” said Bernard Baruch in one of my favorite quotes. The counter measures outlined last week become our action steps to reach the goal.

Tools are very important to assist in monitoring and implementing counter measures; however, tools will not cause you to reach your goal. For me to lose 50 lbs in 2014, I chose the FitBit Flex to keep track of my weight, measurements, daily step count, exercise and food journal.

To address my mobility issues, I was fortunate to hear Dr. Joe DuPuy speak about his passion to heal people through chiropractic care. I made a commitment to follow the plan he outlined for me.

Also, I found Nikken products helped with healing and muscle pain. Their CM Complex Cream is by far the best product for sore muscles and their magnets assist the body in healing.  

I have spent a decade learning about nutrition and food. I saw the most dramatic weight loss when I eliminated wheat, gluten and grains from my diet. Dr. Davis makes a strong case on how today’s wheat destroys the body. The following sources helped me tremendously in identifying a plan that works for me:

·      Wheat Belly – William Davis, MD

·      Eat Right for Your Blood Type – Dr. Peter J.D’Adamo

·      Atkins Diet – Dr. Robert Atkins

·      Dr. Weston Price Foundation 

Hormone replacement was critical for me because of having my ovaries removed a decade ago. Low testosterone levels have been linked to chronic pain. And yes, women need testosterone, too. Belly fat produces estrogen and estrogen is a fat-storing hormone. Balancing these hormones and others are very important to overall wellness.

Vitamin D, magnesium, B-12, vitamin C along with a multi-vitamin are crucial for weight loss. There are several labs that will check your levels without a doctor’s order. These vital nutrients help with a host of symptoms such depression, fatigue and energy. Without them your body cannot function properly.

To address the mental/emotional aspect of my plan, I joined a MasterMind group studying “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.  Inspiration, support and revelation allowed me to open my mind to new possibilities.  The most profound lesson I learned was the Law of Attraction that if you focus on positive or negative thoughts, you can bring about positive or negative results. The one thing we completely control in life is our thoughts. Make them positive and you will see positive changes in your life, too.   

Next Article - Step #7

Kerri Smith is a marketing professional by trade but dedicates her life to learning and challenging the status quo. Smith is a wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman, professional speaker, teacher, student, author, survivor and lover of life. Learn more at www.cuexceed.com.

Step #5 - Toyota's Eight Steps to Problem-Solving Applied to Weight Loss

Create Counter Measures

In this step, we begin defining the path to achieving the goal. For me, it was to lose 50 lbs. in one year, on average one pound per week. I realized during past attempts that severely restricting my caloric intake and increasing exercise dramatically, my body quickly went into survival mode making weight loss very difficult. Appetite would increase and fatigue would set in.   

I knew I needed small wins every day, every week to stay motivated.  For instance, saying I was going to start out walking 10,000 steps a day from basically zero, was simply setting me up for failure.  Neck, back and leg pain would become debilitating and discourage establishing a successful routine. Also, I knew I had to hold myself accountable and this plan had to be a priority everyday. Weighing each morning ensured that the goal was top-of-mind throughout the day.

Learning about vitamins and minerals that are important for the body to function properly became a passion for me. I also spent a great deal of time learning about hormones and how they regulate the systems of the body. If the body is not producing or utilizing hormones properly, weight loss will be inhibited. 

With this knowledge in mind, I developed the following counter measures to the root causes outline in last week’s article:

1.     Weight – Lose 50 lbs.

a.     Weigh every morning  and record in weight log

b.     Measure and log chest, upper waist, waist and hips once a month

2.     Mobility – Neck and back pain

a.     Chiropractic

b.     Massage

c.      Natural pain remedies

3.     Diet – Emotional eater, poor food choices, instant gratification

a.     Food journal

b.     Eliminate one problem food per week (sugar, wheat, soda, grain)

c.      Substitute movement for snacking during evening

4.     Exercise – Lack of movement

a.     Walk 5,000 steps per day

b.     30 minutes of exercise three days per week

5.     Health – Lack of hormones, nutritional deficiencies, prescription medications

a.     Start a hormone replacement therapy

b.     Vitamin D, Magnesium, B-12 and Vitamin C

c.      Eliminate use of prescription pain medication

6.     Mental/emotional – Secrets, regrets

a.     Daily devotional

b.     Journal

“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination,” said Earl Nightingale. Take time to write down in detail your counter measures this week creating your road map to reach your goal.

Next Article #6 - Implement Plan

Kerri Smith is a marketing professional by trade but dedicates her life to learning and challenging the status quo. Smith is a wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman, professional speaker, teacher, student, author, survivor and lover of life. Learn more at www.cuexceed.com.

Step #4 - Toyota's Eight Steps to Problem-Solving Applied to Weight Loss

Root Cause Analysis

In this step, we apply critical thinking to understand why we find ourselves in our current state.  Diet and exercise were factors I had previously addressed and modified in the past only to gain the weight back. One area I hadn’t considered before was the emotional aspect. 

Was it possible that the layers of fat that grew around my body were literally the result of decisions I chose to make or not to face decades ago. When I set the goal last year to get healthy, I knew I had to look at my whole self and had to consider everything.

My working theory at the time was that secrets and regrets build upon the body. Think of it like candle-making, first there is a cotton string that represents these things. In the beginning we have a choice, we can share that secret, face that regret and it will burn quickly out. It’s dealt with and it is over. I chose long ago to hold onto secrets for fear of hurting others and I had to constantly insulate myself from them. Every time a situation arose that could possibly expose the truth, I believed my body would literally add a new layer to hide it.

My point here is don’t be afraid of the hard stuff. Denial will keep you from realizing dreams and reaching goals. Take time to outline what you believe to be the root causes for your current state that you identified in step #2. Be specific when record your ideas. Creating real change is complex and your root causes will be diverse if done thoroughly.   

Here’s my abbreviated root cause list:

1.     Mobility – Neck and back pain

2.     Diet – Emotional eater, poor food choices, instant gratification

3.     Health – Lack of hormones, nutritional deficiencies, prescription medications

4.     Mental/emotional – Secrets, regrets

I know now that real weight loss did not happen until I finally revealed the secret I had carried for 38 years. At first, it felt much like the candle being lit. It hurt deeply at first, but dealing with the emotions melted away the anxiety of the constant fear of discovery.  My soul became lighter and my body responded.

Weigh loss and a healthy life will come when we can fully accept ourselves. Be honest and open to what may have hindered sustained results in the past. Success lies in exploration and discovery.

Next Step - Counter Measures

Kerri Smith is a marketing professional by trade but dedicates her life to learning and challenging the status quo. Smith is a wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman, professional speaker, teacher, student, author, survivor and lover of life. Learn more at www.cuexceed.com.

Step #3 - Toyota's Eight Steps to Problem-Solving Applied to Weight Loss

Set A Target

Once when I interviewed for a job, I was asked the question, “What’s one word that would describe you?” I have interviewed for many jobs over the years and this is one question that frequently comes up so I was prepared. I responded confidently, “resourceful.” The man interviewing me sat back with an audible, “Hum!”

It’s my belief that humans are all resourceful because what we truly desire, we achieve. If we don’t define what that is and establish a date to achieve it, we are rewarded with disorganization and discontentment.  Last year, I surveyed my life and that’s exactly what I had achieved.

I would say things like, “I wish I could lose weight.” If I was as resourceful as I proposed in my interview, why hadn’t I ever achieved sustained weight loss? Last year, I realized because a wish or goal is empty if not tied to a concrete target and completion date. As long as I didn’t set targets, then I didn’t fail because I could start tomorrow or next week or next month or next year.  That’s what I did year after year.

My 50^th birthday loomed and it was imperative to set a reasonable target and date to see lasting results. After much research, the consensus seemed to be losing one pound per week was the healthiest. It keeps your body from going into “starvation mode” that results when you drastically reduce calories and suddenly start high-intensity exercise. 

I kept reminding myself that I didn’t gain my extra 100 lbs. in a year or even in a decade. One pound per week is 52 pounds in a year.  When we set unrealistic goals, we are resourceful in that we will sabotage our health, mind and spirit to achieve them and that’s exactly what I had done in the past only to gain what I lost and more.

So, I settled on my target and completion day as:

Lose 50 lbs. by April 7, 2015, my 51^st birthday

What will your target and your completion date be? Remember, you didn’t get to where you are overnight.  Be realistic and you’ll see your resourcefulness emerge.  Write it down and post it where you can see it each morning and every evening.

Next Article - Step #4

Kerri Smith is a marketing professional by trade but dedicates her life to learning and challenging the status quo. Smith is a wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman, professional speaker, teacher, student, author, survivor and lover of life. Learn more at www.cuexceed.com.