With the demands of daily life, prioritizing your wellness can easily slip to the bottom of your to-do list.

This is exactly what happened to Curtis Thompson, a service engineer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE). Constant joint pain, health concerns and general unhappiness affected how he felt day-to-day, and improving his health had been on his mind for years.

“I knew something needed to change,” Thompson said. “I just didn’t know the right steps or how to be able to do it properly.”

That realization marked the beginning of his weight loss journey and a personal commitment to improving his health. Rather than viewing it as a short-term goal, Thompson knew it was something he wanted to change permanently so he could be there for his loved ones.

“There was no reason not to take that jump,” Thompson said.

Thompson began his weight loss journey in April 2025. Over the next six months, he learned about nutrition, exercise techniques and how to utilize the gym effectively. After receiving new equipment in 2025, the BCBSNE gym, which is available to employees 24/7, became an essential part of his routine.

However, Thompson believes the support from his community impacted him the most. Through their attentive listening and words of encouragement, he developed a positive outlook on his health journey.

This positivity also gave him the motivation he needed to schedule his first physical exam in years. Routine preventive care, such as annual check-ups, is an important step to staying healthy and can help detect health problems early, when they’re easier to treat.

Even after his six-month focus, Thompson has continued applying the lessons of his commitment to wellness. He now finds himself choosing healthier foods and incorporating more activity into his routine, including utilizing his standing desk at the BCBSNE office. He has even added workout equipment at home to stay consistent.

Now, Thompson knows his journey isn’t quite over. Through dedication, he has lost 95 pounds and aims to lose an additional 23 pounds by the end of spring 2026.

“It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” Thompson said. “It’s an endurance race that you have to get your mind into, because if you go too fast, it’s more harmful than anything.”

To read more stories like this, visit Health and Wellness.

*Wise & Well is a wellness series highlighting BCBSNE employees and their dedication to health and wellness.