Delivery nurse drops donut day for Performance Triad

By David VergunApril 14, 2015

Delivery nurse drops donut day for Performance Triad
Capt. Frances Young meets Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, the Army's surgeon general, during the Army Nurse Corps' C. J. Reddy Leadership Awards Dinner on Fort Belvoir, Va., April 1, 2015. Horoho was impressed with Young's achievements with incorporating t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WASHINGTON (April 13, 2015) -- Capt. Frances Young used to have doughnut day with her family every weekend.

After filling up on donuts with her husband and two children, ages 3 and 4, she said she would get an initial sugar rush and then feel sleepy and crash for the rest of the day.

Young, who is the officer in charge for the Mother Baby Unit at Darnall Army Medical Center on Fort Hood, Texas, said she was not just tired all the time, she was feeling depressed with how she was feeling about herself and her lack of motivation.

And, it was not just doughnuts, Young said. She would snack on junk food throughout the week and was "completely oblivious to serving size and healthy foods." She said she was pushing the Army height/weight limits too.

Fitness was taking a hit as well. Young said activity was basically just preparing for the twice-a-year Army physical fitness test. She said she was doing the bare minimum necessary to pass.

So out of shape she was, she said she could not do a single pull-up, lunge, or even hold herself up on a foam roller.

October 2013 marked the low point in her life, Young said. That is when her weight was the highest and her fitness was the lowest.

That month, she said she saw a Performance Triad flyer, and something clicked. She realized that she needed to make a change before her life spiraled out of control.

Performance Triad is the Army's focus on sleep, activity and nutrition, as a way to improve resilience and reduce injuries.

Young joined a gym, got a personal trainer and started strength training three times a week, and cardio four times a week.

Right away, she said she noticed improvements in her strength and running speed, and her mood improved. Besides that, she was feeling more productive at work.

At the same time, she said she changed her diet. She added a variety of fruits and vegetables to her diet and did the same for her children. The kids started to enjoy snacking on healthy foods, she said.

She also dumped doughnut day, replacing that activity with weekend park day, where she and the children play in the playground.

"I honestly was already getting around seven to eight hours of sleep per night, but it was a poor quality of sleep. I was sleeping, or shall I say, crashing due to poor dietary choices and would come home, eat a big bowl of ice cream or cereal before bed as a snack and fall asleep, only to wake up in the middle of the night, hungry again.

"Once I changed my nutrition to eating more mindfully, I was able to have an improved quality of sleep," she said. "Exercising and increasing my activity level also helped ensure I was sleeping through the night and waking up re-energized for the next day."

After three months of fitness improvement, Young took it up a notch and in January 2014, she entered her gym's body transformation challenge. She was up against many others in her age category from more than 650 national gyms. She took first place in her age group for being the most improved.

People at work took notice too, she said, particularly after she had to get new uniforms after dropping down two sizes.

As the weeks passed, Young grew stronger and stronger. The ultimate motivation pump came in August 2014, when she volunteered for air assault school, something she said she would never have dreamed of doing.

The school is tough, she said, and includes 12-mile ruck marches and rappelling out of helicopters. She said she thrived on it and passed the course.

Young is now transitioning to a new job at the medical center - as officer in charge of the postpartum section.

"Performance Triad really changed every aspect of my career and my lifestyle," she said. "I've been able to do things I thought I'd never be able to do.

"It's exciting because I feel like if I can do it anyone can," she said. "It's really incredible how much your life changes."

Performance Triad is important for everyone, but it's especially important for Army leaders, she said. "We can't take care of our Soldiers unless we first take care of ourselves."

AFTERWARD

"Young continues to apply her achievements and is mentoring six Army Nurse Corps Officers in her unit to achieve their own professional and fitness goals," said Lt. Col. Tamara S. Funari, nurse lead, System for Health and Performance Triad, Office of the Surgeon General.

Related Links:

Army Medicine: Performance Triad

Army News Service

Army.mil: Health News

Army.mil: Ready and Resilient

STAND-TO!: Performance Triad - Nutrition

STAND-TO!: Performance Triad - Sleep

STAND-TO!: Performance Triad - Activity