The Big Reveal!!

So the big reveal!

I have been given a wonderful opportunity to get into a better place physically and I am going to chronicle the entire journey.

My physical decline started when we began our business during the recession in 2011. I am sure you can relate to a life changing experience that enters your life causing everything else to reshuffle. Exercise was the first to go and eating was whatever and whenever. Our focus was our business.

Then I tore my meniscus. It took months for it to repair as I didn’t opt for surgery. I just couldn’t, my insurance was garbage and the doctors could not reach a consensus. It felt risky at best and foolish at worst. After about 6 months I was walking again and did what I did...ignored it.

Then the heart thing...

After a conversation about health with a dear friend last February I started a new line of thinking. She was leaving the country for 3 years and felt a strong impression to get stronger and healthier. We talked about it a lot but she did something about it while I kept talking.

She transformed her eating and exercise. When I tell you she simply looked incredible after a few months I am not exaggerating. And my definition of incredible is how strong and vital she became. And the enemy to all people, fatigue, was less, she simply felt so much better.

She told me about the place she was going to that brought about this change. It is called Biometrix. She explained to me that it was like a team of people completely invested in your well being.... truly a Wellness Center. People who worked together to get the most comprehensive and personalized plan you could have to help you feel better.

Part of my problem (aside from inertia) is every time I think about working out I wonder what I can do. The doctor keeps telling me my heart thing could happen again, so how far do I go? I had no idea and it was a perfect excuse for me to not do more than walk.

Everything my friend described to me sounded like what I needed, accountability, structured workouts and a nutritionist/dietician. What I was most concerned about was having people around me who knew what to do with my particular physical challenges. Before I even stepped foot inside the gym I had all my blood work done right on the premises with their specialists and their equipment. They did a full blood panel including thyroid, vitamin levels, metabolic panels, hormones and what she called preventive markers for inflammation. Want to know what inflammation looks like up close? My feet are swollen most of the time causing a resemblance to my Aunt Eunice.

Next they did an EKG, (test I am very familiar with) and then a full on dexascan which they said would not only show my bone density but BMI....body mass index or “the true reveal”. Turns out my number was pretty high, making me practically a solid. Each test was given by a patient trained specialist. I am a veteran at tests but up to this point I had not gotten any tests that were preventative. My focus is now on prevention. I had a Dexascan test last year as part of my take-every-test-there-could-possibly-be-year, but they only checked to see my bone density.

Next was my fitness test which I desperately wanted to run into the dark Nevada night to avoid. Everyone who worked there kept telling me this was my beginning. Who cares where you are right now except to have a starting point? I reluctantly agreed with them but it sadly didn’t stop me from seeing how far I was from the place I wanted to be physically. My fitness evaluation was a series of aerobic tests, with the infamous bike, heart monitor, weights, and timed tests. Suddenly I didn’t care how well I did with the tests, but concentrated on surviving the tests...which I happily did.

Now they had enough information for me to get started working out. In the gym I have someone who watches everything I do which gives me the confidence to work much harder than I ever would have. My trainer takes my heart rate several times during the workout which gives me another level of confidence and he never lets me do anything that could hurt me. They have evaluated what I can do and that is what I do. The workouts are different every time I go, incorporating aerobics with strength exercises. We have used a kettle bell, heavy ropes, weights, rowing machine, elliptical, treadmill, heavy ball, bands, that big body ball and I have only gone 5 times! One of the best parts is how quickly I am able to finish. From beginning to end it is never more than 55 minutes...often 45 minutes, three times a week. This is a huge plus for busy folks who have to carve out time for themselves.

I am only two weeks into this and what I have learned is why (I am so embarrassed to admit this) I have a difficult time getting up from a chair. My quads are so weak it is hard to hold my frame up without help. Sad? Actually scary. Also my core is so weak from the surgery I had I know it will eventually lead to back problems. And last but certainly not least...my balance. Balance is what keeps you from falling and mine is very tenuous. Another personal marker of fear for me.

And one more thing....a therapeutic massage is included each week. The masseuse has your workout sheet for the week and she knows everything you have done. So those are the muscles she works on. Was I sore the first week? Yes I was but it was a controlled sore and not a “hurt”. I have always looked at massages as a luxury, now I see them as part of the plan of getting well.

A wellness plan for Donna and I have only scratched the surface. Each week I will honestly share my journey, and there is a great deal more to this program but I am just starting. I see my health as a job now, a true responsibility.

Biometrix is subsidizing a portion of my monthly fee for an honest assessment of the program.