Below The Surface

How often do we step on the scale and turn that thin piece of equipment under our feet into a remote control for how we feel about ourselves for the day or even the week? While it's true that when losing weight the scale is the greatest indicator of success, we must not forget about other very important "side effects" that come along with eating healthy and exercising. At Real Life Fitness and Health we have began tracking lipid profiles upon clients entry and exit from the program. It has been great to show our clients who have worked so hard week after week the progress that they have made. Today, Jen went home and we went over her progress with her and the results were no less than amazing.

1. Triglycerides went from 156 to 72. Yes, that's cut in half.
2. Total Cholesterol dropped from 152 to 132
3. HDL (that's the good cholesterol) raised from 27 to 33
4. LDL (that's the bad cholesterol) cut from 93 to 84
5. VLDL (another bad one) dropped from 31 to 14
6. The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL dropped from 5.6 to 4.0

These are factors that no only affect how we feel and our overall health, but can also add years to our lives due to lowering our risk for diseases associated with them. So, next time you step on the scale and either jump for joy or droop in disappointment, remember that there is more often than not, much more going on under the surface then we can see. Just like a single blood test or blood pressure reading is never used to diagnose a condition, one weeks weigh-in should not lead to discouragement. It is impossible to follow all the rules of eating correctly and exercise and not have your body change. Hang in there, stay consistent and results are guaranteed to come.

Adam Funke
Program Director
Real Life Fitness and Health