Teacher finds harmony in 90-Day Men’s Health Challenge

“The program helped me refocus, recalibrate.”

 

Music teacher Wydell Croom was looking to make a change in his life when an intriguing email arrived in his MNPS inbox.

 

“The school district has all kinds of programs to help teachers,” Wydell says. “I saw this 90-Day Men’s Health Challenge come across.”

 

The Challenge is overseen by a nutritionist and a medical doctor. It emphasizes plant-based eating and establishes routines for a better, healthier way of life.

 

Wydell took the plunge.

 

“Everything is virtual,” he says. “The first week is pretty intense — lots of information, meeting every night virtually. Then it goes to one night a week.”

 

To round out each session, organizers open it up for participant questions. Wydell learned a lot in the 90 days — a whole lot.

 

“They give you so much information,” he says. “Scientific information, recipes, health information.”

 

After finishing the Challenge, Wydell felt invigorated. But with the sheer amount of new information he faced the first time, he knew he still had more to learn. So, after a break of less than a year, he enrolled in the program for another round. It was just what he needed.

 

“I’m in my 50s,” he says. “Overall, there’s a psychological way you feel about yourself. The program helped me refocus, recalibrate.”

 

Never one to closely watch the scale, he estimates he’s lost around 25 pounds through the challenge.

 

“I’ve had so many people who see me on a regular basis say, ‘Man, you’ve lost weight,’” he says. “’You look great.”’

 

And the pain he used to feel during a brisk walk or bike ride has disappeared. Now, on walks around Radnor Lake with his wife and teenage daughter, Wydell easily sets the pace.

 

“I’m spending a lot of good time with my family,” he says.

 

Wydell also credits his improved nutrition to building a stronger immune system.

 

“That’s the thing about giving your body the right nutrients,” he says. “You can fight off just about anything.”

 

The program also is forgiving.

 

“It’s not something where you’re looking for somebody to be perfect,” he adds. “It’s a gradual lifestyle change. If you step off sometimes, it’s not the end of the world.”

 

Not only has the 90-Day Men’s Health Challenge improved Wydell’s physical health, it has also inspired him to begin a journey of stronger self-fulfillment.

 

He sees it this way: “Everybody was born for a purpose: things that we were created to do well. Right now, I am in pursuit of my purpose.”

 

Wydell heartily recommends the 90-Day Men’s Health Challenge.

 

“There’s proof out there that men’s lives are being changed by making better choices,” Wydell says. “I think any man, no matter where you are in life, should look into this program. I don’t care if you’re only 20 years old.”

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