Bill's 20/20 Lifestyle Program

Well, today was my big fitness evaluation. This is where they find out how out of shape you are so that you have something to gauge yourself against at the end of the program. They also go over the policies of the program. Some of the things that I have to commit to are:

• Meet with the personal trainer 3 times weekly
• Meet with the dietitian weekly
• Meet with the doctor as appropriate
• Work out twice a week on my own
• Keep track of everything I eat in a food journal

Some of the other things I learned:

• No caffeine (yikes!)
• No alcohol (not a problem)
• At least 64 oz. water per day (not a huge problem)

Nelson conducted the evaluation, during which he made the following measurements:

• Weight (it was over 220 on their official scale! Yikes!!!)
• Body composition (percentage of body fat, measured with electrodes connected to my hand and foot)
• Blood pressure (which was rediculously high [145/105], I think partially because of all the water I've been drinking)
• Body measurements, including chest, waist, hips, arm circumference, and thigh circumference
• Strength (I did a bicep curl on a machine)
• Flexibility (I had to do a sort of toe touch on the same machine)
• A lung test using something called a spirometer
• A sort of stress test on a treadmill (I had to walk on a treadmill that increased speed and incline every 3 minutes; Nelson timed how long it took my heart rate to get to 152)
• A recovery test (Nelson recorded my heart rate 1 minute after the stress test was over)

We also went over my blood test results. Generally, things were not too good. My blood suger was slightly above normal, as was my cholesterol (which was one of the things that got me into the program). My good cholesterol was too low, and my triglycerides were over twice what they should be (not good). Nelson assured me that after 5 weeks things would be much better. I certainly hope so...

Finally, I paid for the whole thing today ($1,222), took my "before" photo, and got a kickin' water bottle! Next up is my consultation with the doctor that happens next Monday.

Stay tuned...