Hawaii Kai resident Jeff Shonka is well versed in risk management practices thanks to his role as president and chief executive officer of First Insurance Co. of Hawaii. But it didn’t dawn on him until last year that he needed to manage his own health to minimize the risks of age-related ailments.

A routine medical checkup revealed high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. His doctor also warned him about the risk of diabetes. And the scale below his feet was a weighty reminder of what he had become: He weighed 265 pounds.

“The high cholesterol should have gotten my attention,” said Shonka, 53. “So should the high blood pressure. What I was actually worried about was my blood sugar level. My doctor said to me, ‘You’re going to be a diabetic.’”

Getting in shape had never been a priority for Shonka, but he turned his reality check into a walking habit and lost 70 pounds. Now he walks as much as 10 miles a day.

“I’ve never felt bad, even though I’ve been large,” he said. “I kept putting it off, and (getting in shape) just never got to the top of my list of things to do, so I took the news from my doctor as my initiative to do something.”

Shonka started with small changes to his diet, adding chicken and fish and moderating or eliminating food such as pizza, pasta and bread. He also began to exercise more, turning to the simple act of walking to help him become healthier.

“I wasn’t sedentary, but I wasn’t nearly as active as I am these days,” he said. “What I thought I would do was moderate my eating and just start walking a bit more. I didn’t know how well I could have felt until I got in shape.”

Shonka started walking last fall from 4:15 to 5:45 a.m. before he left for work. Initially, he walked 3 to 4 miles about five days a week. He soon began adding additional walks on weekends and increased his mileage to about 6 miles before work and another 4 miles on a treadmill once he finished in the office.

Although he’s married, Shonka walks by himself.

“All you need is a good pair of shoes and you’re ready to go,” he said. “Anyone can do this.”

While Shonka lost 20 pounds over the first two months of his new walking regimen, he said the goal wasn’t about hitting a certain number on the scale. More important was the ease with which he could perform his workout both at home and on the road, as he travels frequently for his job.

“It didn’t begin for me as a weight-loss objective. It was about getting my levels under control,” he said. “But the better I felt, the more I wanted to do it.”

Shonka brought a long-term view to his exercise routine.

“My issue is sustainability,” he said. “Whatever I do, I don’t want to overdo it to the point where I can’t keep going. As I’ve progressed, I just felt that my body could handle it. Another reason I chose walking is that I don’t want to beat my joints to death.”

Between his workouts and simply getting around, Shonka now logs 20,000 to 30,000 steps per day on the Fitbit activity tracking device he wears religiously. The tech accessory is great for a “data-driven” guy like him, providing both information — his steps, heart rate, miles covered, calories burned — and motivation at the same time.

“I do watch all that stuff,” he said. “At some point during the day, I do kind of compete with myself. I may leave the office, walk around the block three times and then come back. Whatever works, right?”

As Shonka’s health improved, so did his participation in charitable activities. With more energy from his exercise program and a new passion for promoting health and wellness within his company and community, he got more involved with the local chapter of the American Heart Association. Next year he’ll serve on the executive leadership team for the 2017 Heart Ball, and he was selected as the designated chairman for the 2017 Heart Walk.

One year after that fateful doctor’s visit, Shonka said he now weighs 195 pounds, and his cholesterol and blood sugar numbers have dropped to levels his health care provider considers normal.

“I feel great,” he said. “My doctor tells me she has no more advice for me other than to keep doing what I’m doing. I think for people who want to change their life a bit and feel better, it’s important to choose something you’ll stick with.”