I started the weight loss program this week, but I will tell you about my experience so far in another post, probably Tuesday. First I wanted to give you a little description of what I’ve gotten myself into.

The weight loss program is offered by our health club and, provided you qualify, 80% of it is paid for by our insurance. That’s a good thing because it’s really expensive, but a fabulous thing because I REALLY qualify.  The 20% out-of-pocket is still a pretty hefty chunk of change, which is also good because it means I’m invested. Actually, I’m doubly invested because I talked my husband, we’ll call him Sparky on this blog, into doing the program with me.

This weight loss program has a name, but here I’m just going to refer to it as The Program. I know, I know, that makes it sound like a cult, but really the nickname is just for my convenience. In all honesty, the whole thing may sound like a cult to some of you anyway, but it’s what I need to do to get my lifestyle habits on track. I’ve faced the fact that I can’t do it on my own. I need to be more invested in it than just doing something for me. That brownie tastes good and makes me feel better in the moment, so I need something more than my willpower to stop me from eating it. The Program has already taught me that it’s about more than willpower anyway. There’s this chemical imbalance thing I’ve got going on that needs to be addressed. Until I do that, my willpower alone doesn’t stand a chance.

Here’s what the program entails:

–       Intake appointments

  • Blood draw for full metabolic panel
  • Meeting with a psychologist
  • Fitness evaluation
  • Meeting with physician to discuss results of blood draw and prescription for the program

–       Twelve week program

  • Meet 3x/week with personal trainer for hour workout
  • Work out 2x/week on your own
  • Video bikes – watch videos on various aspects of the program while pedaling the stationary bike
  • Meet once a week with dietician
  • Track meals daily
  • Meet every other week with the psychologist
  • Meet every 5th week (I think) with the physician

–       Twelve week maintenance program (part of the plan, too)

  • Meet 2x/week with personal trainer for hour workout
  • Work out 3x/week on your own
  • More video bikes
  • Meet every other week with dietician
  • Track meals daily
  • I’m not sure how often you meet with the physician or psych at this point

I did my intake appointments last week and started with my personal trainer last Monday (3/8/10). I met with the dietitian on Tuesday, weighing in at 230 (why, yes, I did manage to gain 5 pounds in under a week). I didn’t start my diet until Wednesday, though, and by then I had managed to get myself up to 232 pounds. I’m going with the weight from the dietician’s office just for consistency.

Here are two pictures of me on Sunday before starting:

So, that’s where I am. I think I will try to post about The Program on Tuesdays after my dietician appointments. Then I’ll scatter other posts in as I go along.

Thanks for stopping by. And thanks for the support!