Lifestyle Matters: How Angel's Small Changes Are Adding Up

Caring For Others Starts With Caring For Yourself

July 21, 2025 [Gillette, WY] – Angel, a passionate early childhood teacher, spends a major part of her day crouching, lifting, running, and engaging in a whirlwind of activity in a classroom filled with toddlers.

Amid the joy and challenges of her role, she found herself caught in a cycle of exhaustion, before realizing she wanted to feel better. Less tired, more energized, and a little lighter on her feet.

A Life Full of Motion

Angel had always been active.

She grew up ranching and rodeoing; hauling hay bales, and staying fit without thinking much about it.

“My daily routine became a juggling act, and I noticed my energy levels fluctuating a lot. I work with children aged 3 to 5, which involves a lot of running around, picking them up, and rearranging furniture in the classroom. I found myself struggling with these physical demands and realized my biggest concern was the lack of energy.”

After undergoing gallbladder removal surgery, Angel described her body as 'falling off.' The situation soon escalated when she found herself in the ER, convinced she was having a heart attack due to a bad reaction to medication.

Determined not to let this experience derail her progress, Angel knew she needed a change.

The Road to Wellness

And change came in the form of the Functional Fitness Class at Hoskinson Health and Wellness Clinic's Lifestyle Center.

At the start, Angel admits she didn’t know what to expect.

"Honestly, I came in blind. I didn't know what to expect and was a bit intimidated," she said. She feared she might be asked do something she wasn’t ready for. "Regardless, I was open to learning and willing to challenge myself."

Under the guidance of exercise physiologist, Kristin Peterson, Angel began building a routine that worked for her body and her schedule.

No fad diets. No burnout. Just movement, consistency, and support.

"She’s been incredibly consistent, and that's what I need. I need people to talk to me, because I don't know what they're capable of," Kristin noted. “I always want to err on the side of conservative, but with Angel, she was fighting and that was good. She understands her limit, and that's what I need.”

Angel emphasized how her workout routine has helped reduce stress from her teaching job. Still, fitness was just one piece of the puzzle.

Nourishing Change

Nutrition is a vital component of health transformation, and both Kristin and Angel recognized its impact. With the help of Heidi Gillette, the clinic’s dietician, Angel was able to reframe how she fuels her body.

“I think that the biggest one is cutting out sugar. Yeah. It was huge.”

Clean eating, less caffeine, more water, and a focus on protein, especially hitting 30 grams of protein at breakfast, became Angel's daily mission.

“That's what Heidi and I started off with, hitting my daily protein goal. Getting 30 grams of protein sounds hard, but that’s like four or five boiled eggs.”

Angel highlighted her focus on clean eating, saying, "I wanted the right calories and portion control. I’ve switched to low-carb options and cut out caffeine significantly, which has made a huge difference."

As her diet improved, so did her energy. The afternoon crashes faded and her body began responding in small but noticeable ways.

The Community Built Around You

Within just two weeks, Angel started noticing changes.

"I realized my clothes were fitting looser, and I was able to move more freely without pain," she said. "I even dropped a pant size!"

Even more, she stopped waking up with morning aches. For the first time in a long time, Angel didn’t feel drained by her day-to-day routine. Teaching, working out, even just getting up in the morning. It all became easier.

Angel expressed how being surrounded by a supportive community helped her stay motivated and encouraged her through tougher days. It wasn’t just about what she was doing but also who she was doing it with.

She’s even turned her colleagues into workout buddies, motivating each other along the way. “One of my coworkers who also works out at the Lifestyle Center at Hoskinson Health. She comes in the morning. I do afternoons, and we motivate each other. It’s fantastic!”

Looking Ahead

“I work for the Children’s Development Center. I’m their long-term sub, and my job varies from high exertion activities to quiet moments. At first, I didn’t feel like running on the playground. Now I can pull wagons, climb stairs, slide, and pick kids up without taking breaks. Holding a small child on the swing with one arm was impossible before, but now it’s easy. That was one of my biggest reasons for starting.”

She learned about the Hoskinson Health and Wellness Clinic's Functional Fitness program through her health insurance network, seeking a more comprehensive approach to her health. “I wanted to find the cause, not just put a band-aid on it,” Angel said.

But she isn’t stopping at fitness goals. "Next year, I plan to take a safety course for a women's retreat hunt and pack out my own elk or moose. That’s a big goal for me.”

Now looking back at her first-day-of-school photo from a year ago, she’s amazed at her progress. "The difference is remarkable."