We would like to recognize our Lemoine Wellness Champion for the Month of May – Stacey Schexnayder!

For those of you who don’t know, Stacey will be celebrating her one-year anniversary with Lemoine on July 9^th. She is currently a Proposal Coordinator/CRM Administrator.

We asked Stacey what is something she does every day to stay healthy. She said, “Living in downtown New Orleans helps me to stay healthy as I am walking distance to anything I do on a daily basis. I rack up a lot of steps walking to work, home for lunch, the grocery store, festivals, or just a curious adventure around town. I typically listen to music while I walk since it puts an extra pep in my step and increases my pace. My building has a very nice gym and a pool, so I make sure to take advantage of those opportunities as well. My two favorite healthy activities include spinning and yoga which I do typically 6 days a week. I eat a healthy diet for the most part (I do live in New Orleans after all, so much good food!) that consists of a lot of veggies, fruit, and protein.”

When asked what motivates her to stay healthy, Stacey said, “When I was younger, I didn’t really think about the effects of exercise and healthy eating habits, both long and short term. But as I’ve gotten older I certainly realize what an impact they have on your overall wellbeing. I am very lucky to say that I don’t take any medications to maintain my health, whereas I know many people my age that take daily medications to regulate their health issues.
I definitely notice a difference in my mental wellbeing and attitude when I don’t work out. I prefer to have a high level of energy, positive attitude, and good mood… working out on a regular basis is absolutely a contributor to that outcome. 
But the thing that drives me to stay healthy and active the most is my 8 year old grandson. If I don’t stay fit, I can’t keep up with him on all of our exploration adventures and that would leave us both very, very disappointed!”

We also asked Stacey how she began this journey. She said, “I think I’ve always been an active individual, starting as a child participating on a competitive swimming team to becoming an aerobic instructor as a young adult. I have had periods in my life where I made some detours from a healthy focus, but when I look back at how I felt during those times, the negative aspects always steered me back to the health minded journey.”

If Stacey could tell someone one thing about living a healthy lifestyle, she would say “I have two pieces of advice that I have repeatedly shared over the years – first, it’s never ever too late to start; just take one small step. The second has been my mantra for the majority of my life – a body at rest stays at rest, a body in motion stays in motion.”

We are extremely proud of you Stacey! Congratulations on how far you have come! Continue striving to be a healthier version of yourself every day!

We would like to recognize our Lemoine Wellness Champion for the Month of April- Barrett Landry! 

For those of you who don’t know, Barrett started working at Lemoine in April of 2003. He was originally hired as an Estimator and is currently a Market Preconstruction Manager over Commercial West.

To stay healthy, Barrett keeps track of his weight by weighing himself every morning. He also tries to workout in the morning before work 3-4 times per week. His workouts consist of 30 minutes of strength training and 30 minutes of cardio (elliptical mainly). Barrett’s motivation to stay healthy and active is feeling great and happy in the morning when he wakes up.

When asking Barrett how his journey began, here’s what he said, “After years of defiling my mind and my body with stress, alcohol, and bad eating habits, a life changing event last year opened my eyes to a better way of life.”Barrett gave up alcohol and limits the amount of carbs, sugar, and salt that he intakes daily. He tries to average about 12,500 steps per day. He achieves his step goal by pacing while he talks on the phone at work and at home.

Barrett’s advice about living a healthy lifestyle is, “Make the health of your mind and body 1^st priority above all things, especially work!”

Here are some benefits that regular exercise can provide from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise#section2

• It can make you feel happier
• It helps with weight loss
• It can increase your energy levels
• Reduces your risk of chronic disease
• It can help your brain health and memory

We are extremely proud of you Barrett! Congratulations on how far you have come! Continue striving to be a healthier version of yourself every day!

We would like to recognize our Lemoine Wellness Champion of the Month for March- JD King!

For those of you who don’t know, JD started his Lemoine journey November 1st of 2017 as a Lead Estimator and is currently still in that role.

To stay healthy, JD emphasizes how important a routine is. JD wakes up at 5 AM every morning and runs 5 days a week. He always gets a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night. He also does a set of push-ups and sit-ups to failure before taking a shower.

When asking JD what motivates him to stay active and healthy, here’s what he said, “My military career. As a platoon sergeant, I lead 40 soldiers and strive to be an example for them, especially when it comes to physical fitness. We must pass a Physical Fitness Test every year which consists of how many push-ups you can do in 2 minutes, then how many sit ups in 2 minutes, followed by a 2-mile run for time.”

JD began his journey 16 years ago when he joined the military. He really got serious about wellness during his deployment to Afghanistan. JD’s advice about living a healthy lifestyle would be setting goals and having an accountability partner. JD told us “That goal shouldn’t be ‘to lose weight’. It should be something that means a lot to you like ‘be able to play with my kids without getting winded’ or ‘run a 5k’. I am the most committed when I sign up for a race with someone else and we hold each other accountable!” 

Here are some benefits of having a routine from http://www.skilledatlife.com/18-reasons-why-a-daily-routine-is-so-important/

• Makes us more efficient
• Creates structure in our lives
• Saves time, our most valuable resource
• Reduces procrastination
• Saves us money

We are extremely proud of you JD! We are sure you will continue to set an example for your men and us! Continue striving to be a healthier version of yourself every day!

We’d like to recognize our Lemoine Wellness Champion of the Month for February- Deanna Saizon!

For those of you who don’t know, Deanna started her journey with Lemoine in June of 2012 as an Accounting / Contract Administrator. She has since transitioned into the position of Executive Assistant for Lenny Lemoine, CEO.

To stay healthy, Deanna is a member of Tribe Fitness gym in Lafayette. Her goal is to try and schedule 2-3 boot camp classes during the week and she takes a spin class on Saturday mornings.

When asking Deanna what motivates her to stay active and healthy, here’s what she said “My family is the biggest motivation to stay healthy and active. Both my husband and I strive to live healthy lives by being active and having a healthy diet. Most importantly though, my children are my true inspiration. Being a mom of two, it can sometimes be a struggle to get to the gym. So many times the kiddos come with me! It always amazes me how ecstatic they are to come with me and how they watch every minute. We always leave the gym and both of them try to mimic the movements in the workout that I did! I only hope that them being a witness to me in the gym will motivate them to always live an active and healthy life!”

Deanna began her journey about a year and a half ago. She states “I have always been an active person. Once I started my family, the daily routine of going to the gym went completely away. Raising children and taking care of my family, along with everyday life obligations, the gym was on the bottom of the list and most likely not happening. I can’t remember the exact day but one and half years ago I decided I needed a change. This is when I became a member of Tribe Fitness and the rest is history as they say!”

“Looking after your health today only gives you a better optimism for tomorrow. Healthy living is a lifelong effect!”

These are some exercise tips for parents from webmd.com:

• Be active all day
• Defy the myth of time
• Define your priorities
• Cultivate social support
• Establish family fitness
• Set goals
• Put in the effort
• Be a role model

We are extremely proud of you Deanna! Continue striving to be a healthier version of yourself every day!

We’d like to recognize our Lemoine Wellness Champion of the Month for January- Chris Ardoin!

For those of you who don’t know, Chris began working with us in February of 2018 as an IT Support/Data Analyst in the Lafayette office. 

At one point in Chris’ life, he weighed 230 pounds. In 2013 he decided to make some serious changes in his life to lose weight and get in shape. Chris began his journey by working out at Anytime Fitness, while also sticking to a very strict diet for about two years. After two years, Chris started Brazilian Jiujitsu as a new way of staying in shape. 

Chris is motivated everyday by seeing how far he has come and is determined to stay in shape. The advice Chris has to offer about living a healthy lifestyle is “Do some type of exercise three-five times a week. When it comes to your diet, you can have cheat days occasionally where you can eat whatever you want. Just don’t make a habit of it.” 

If you are considering starting a weight loss program it is important to understand the benefits of losing weight. Motivate yourself by considering all the different ways that losing weight may improve your social life, and your medical/psychological health. You don’t have to lose hundreds of pounds to enjoy the medical benefits of weight loss. You may be able to lose just a small amount of weight to improve your overall health. 

These are some of the benefits you may see from losing weight: verywellfit.com 

• Decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and stroke
• Lowered blood pressure
• Improved cholesterol levels, mobility, and blood sugar levels
• Reduced back and joint pain

Getting started is always the most difficult part of becoming a healthier version of yourself.

www.healthline.com offers a guide on how to get started and to stick with it!

We are extremely proud of you Chris (left)! Continue striving to be a healthier version of yourself every day! 

We’d like to recognize our Lemoine Wellness Champion of the Month for December- Bubba Bonnette!

For those of you who don’t know, Bubba began working with us in July of 2018 as a Civil Superintendent. Bubba’s current project is Coulee Ile des Cannes
in Scott, Louisiana.

Bubba has smoked and dipped tobacco for the last 33 years. He recently decided to take advantage of the wellness program offered by The Lemoine Company.
Bubba signed up for the Lemoine Cessation Program. This program is eight weeks long and in his fourth to fifth week (November 6^th), Bubba became 100% nicotine and tobacco free!

Bubba explained that the greatest motivator for him to stay healthy and active is his wife, seven children, and his grandson. Bubba knows a huge part of
staying healthy for his family is to remain tobacco free. We asked Bubba, what is one thing about living a healthy lifestyle that you want to share
with others? Bubba said, “living a healthy lifestyle is very important. It takes some discipline, but the rewards are great.”

Because we care about your health, we want to offer the best resources to help you quit nicotine for good. Join the Sterling Wellness Commit to Quit program
and take steps to eliminate nicotine from your life. The eight-week program utilizes new and effective evidence-based strategies, web-based tools along
with support and guidance of a personal health coach. Plus, you can earn 100 wellness points!

Here are some benefits of being tobacco free from health.howstuffworks.com:

• Feeling better about yourself and becoming role model for family and friends
• More stamina for work and play
• Whiter teeth and fresher breath
• Cleaner-smelling clothes, furniture, and car
• Decreasing risk of serious illnesses
• Freedom from the restrictions of smoking
• Saving money

An important step in changing any behavior is the ability to visualize success. Picture yourself not using tobacco, healthier, and more energetic than
you have ever been. See yourself moving through the day, free from your tobacco habit. You will be able to accomplish more and achieve greater personal
satisfaction.

We are extremely proud of you Bubba! Congratulations on meeting your goal and striving to be a healthier you!

 

We’d like to recognize our Lemoine Wellness Champion of the Month for November – Joshua Shay

For those of you who don’t know, Joshua began working with us in April of 2017 as an intern on the Southside High School Project and has since transitioned
into the role of Project Engineer working out of the Lafayette office.

Josh and his wife, Kristyn, meal prep together every Sunday for the coming week. Each meal is balanced with a protein (chicken, turkey,
or fish), vegetable (broccoli, asparagus, cooked spinach, zucchini, or squash), and a carbohydrate (usually sweet potato or quinoa). These are some
of Josh’s favorites, but these can be adjusted to fit your preference.

Josh chooses to drink only water, coffee, and unsweetened green tea (“and occasionally a beer or two”). He points out that sodas have a ridiculous
amount of sugar in each can. For example, Coca Cola has 36 grams of sugar per can! Cutting out sodas or limiting the amount
of sodas you drink is a great way to cut back on those sugars daily.

Here is more on what motivates Josh to stay healthy:

“My kids motivate me to stay in shape and remain healthy. I don’t ever want to get to the point where I can’t run or play with my kids. I’ve known a lot of people, including family, who have had complications and died early in life due to heart attacks and different types of cancers. I want to be as healthy as possible to live a long, healthy life so I can see my kids grow up.”

To follow up on this motivation, Josh sets goals for himself throughout the year. Since joining the company, he has gotten more information and become
more involved in the various race opportunities around Lafayette. He completed both the Miles Perrett Mini-Triathlon and Camelia Crossing 5k this year.
For 2019, his goal includes two 5k’s and 2 Mini-Triathlons throughout the year.

Josh gives some great advice about how to kickstart a healthy lifestyle:

“The mind is a powerful thing. You can push yourself farther than you’ve ever possibly imagined if you just believe in yourself. Don’t listen to anyone including YOURSELF when they (or you) tell you that you can’t do something.It may be a rough journey and at times you may want to quit but I promise you if you continually tell yourself that you can do it and stay positive then you will achieve whatever goal you have set for yourself.”

Congratulations, Joshua, on achieving your goal and striving every day to be a healthier you!

 

Lemoine joined industry partners and peers at Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) New Orleans/ Bayou Chapter annual Chapter Awards Gala on Thursday,
November 1^st.Along with the presentation for the Excellence in Construction Awards, members were also recognized for their STEP participation.

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Lemoine obtained two Award of Excellence Honors:

Name of Project: Patrick Taylor Hall at LSU

Entry Category: Mega Projects (Projects over $100 million, regardless of type)

Name of Project: The Center for Coastal and Deltaic Solutions

Entry Category: Commercial; $25 – $100 million

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Lemoine also received Merit Gold recognition for the following project:

Name of Project: Southside High School

Entry Category: Institutional; $25 to $100 million

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In addition, Lemoine was recognized with STEP Diamond certification.Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP), is ABC’s safety and benchmarking
improvement tool that dramatically improves safety performance among construction industry participants.Diamond is the highest level achievable.

 

We’d like to recognize our Lemoine Wellness Champion of the Month for October- Andrew Sexton!

For those of you who don’t know, Andrew began working with us in November of 2002 as an Office Engineer and has since transitioned into the Vice President of Lemoine Disaster Recovery, LLC. Andrew is currently working on expanding Lemoine’s footprint in the Texas market.

Andrew practices a dietary program known as “Ideal Protein”: A Medically Developed Ketogenic Weight Loss Protocol. He found an Ideal Protein coach in Texas and started one week at a time. After 12 weeks in the program, Andrew has lost between 45-50 pounds. His weight loss goal is to lose a total of 70 pounds and from there, begin to lift weights again.

One of the challenges that Andrew faced during his journey was the extreme pace of the Texas Preps Program that lasted from May to June of this year. He explained that it was difficult to feel fully rested. After tracking his sleep with his Fitbit device, he realized that the 5-7 hours he thought he was getting every night, turned out to only be between 2.5-4 hours. He then discovered that he had severe sleep apnea and got a CPAP machine to help him at night. Once finally resting, Andrew was motivated to make significant changes, like starting his health journey.

Andrew describes, “It was like a fog was lifted off my brain”.

Andrew received the results of his bloodwork from our recent company-wide wellness screening. The results were better than they had ever been. Andrew says he feels so much better and has more mental capacity to complete the things he wants to do. He says, “I have a very happy wife and I am able to do a lot more with my kids”.

Here is more information about the Ideal Protein Protocol from idealprotein.com:

• It’s a medically developed 4-phase protocol containing two key components: (1) Weight Loss and (2) Healthier Lifestyle Education

• The Phases can be broken down into the following steps:
  • Phase 1: Ketogenic Diet
  • Phase 2: Learning the Fundamentals of Food & Your Body
  • Phase 3: Smarter Eating Habits and Better Lifestyle Living
  • Phase 4: Maintaining Your Ideal Weight and the New You!

• In 2013, Obesity was labeled as a disease. 70% of Americans (20 years or older) are overweight or obese.

• The Protocol ends up (in most cases) being neutral in cost. Meaning that you’re simply redirecting the money spent on bad habits to invest in good, healthy options. It averages about $5/meal or $15/day including supplements.

• Resources available include:
  • IdealSmart: App, Fitness Band, Scale, & Online Portal
  • Online Recipes as well as their own Product Selections
  • Success Stories, Blogs, and more

Congratulations, Andrew, on achieving your goal and striving every day to be a healthier you!

 

 

We’d like to recognize our Lemoine Wellness Champion of the Month for September- Robert Wingerter!

For those of you who don’t know, Robert began working with us back in 2010 as an Operations Intern and transitioned into the Project Manager Role.

To stay healthy, Robert wakes up at 4:50am every morning to eat breakfast and then go to the gym before work. He started to count calories and macros and
as a result, lost 40 pounds!

He began his journey by simply making small changes one day at a time.

Robert’s best advice about living a healthy lifestyle is “it’s all about what you eat. You have to eat the right amount of protein, fats, and carbs whether you’re trying to lose weight or build muscle.”

The attached photo includes a picture of Robert (right) from July 2017 and (left) July 2018. The changes Robert has made over the course of one year are
inspiring!

Here is more information about the definition and breakdown of macros and micros from micronutrients-vs-macronutrients:

• Macronutrients – provide or bodies with the energy-giving caloric components
  • Carbohydrates
  • Fats
  • Proteins
• Micronutrients – what exist within those larger building blocks
  • Vitamins
  • Trace Minerals
  • Antioxidants
  • These are vital for the health of our bodies
• While all foods contain fat, protein or carbohydrates, not all food contain large amounts of micronutrients.
  • A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and unprocessed animal products is extremely high in micronutrients.

Congratulations, Robert, on achieving your goal and striving every day to be a healthier you!