WEIGHT LOSS IS AN ONGOING EFFORT

EDITOR'S NOTE: In October, staff writer Heidi Nieland volunteered to go through a diet plan new to Cape Girardeau. She shared her successes and failures in a weekly series.

So this is it.

I've let readers peek at my bathroom scale. They served as temporary priests as I confessed my horrible eating habits. Now I'm writing the final article in my series on Biometrics.

I started Biometrics at St. Francis Medical Center six weeks ago weighing 283 pounds and carrying 43.1 percent body fat. Today, I weigh 265 pounds and have 34 percent body fat.

They say figures don't lie, and I agree. My figure is fitting into some old jeans I shoved into the back of my closet last year.

I feel like a newly born-again Christian, preaching the Biometrics gospel to anyone who has the misfortune of asking me about it. Take that into consideration before you ask me how things are going.

The 42 other people who signed up for St. Francis' first Biometrics class saw good results, too. Bill Logan, wellness coordinator, said most clients lost 12-15 pounds in the first six weeks. The Biometrics corporation predicted only 8-12 pounds would be lost.

"I knew it was a good program, but I didn't have any idea what to expect going through it the first time," Bill said. "By and large, it was tremendous."

Debbie Leoni, who administered the program for Southeast Missouri Hospital, said her clients lost 8-18 pounds in six weeks.

"We have had excellent results," she said. "This is finally a program we feel combines everything we've been looking for: a balanced diet the whole family can eat and exercise that aids in preserving muscle."

To me, the only downside is cost -- about $225 for the average participant. That isn't too prohibitive for most working people and includes six weeks worth of shopping lists and menus and 18 visits with a personal trainer. Considering my last corporate diet program cost me $11 per pound lost and didn't coach me through exercise, Biometrics is a bargain.

Anyway, I'm still far away from my goal of 185, but I plan to get there in a year or so. As part of my effort, I'm signed up for the Biometrics Lifestyles program. For the next six weeks, the company will provide menus each day. In addition, I'll eat 300 extra calories through an exchange program -- two bread exchanges, one fat exchange, etc.

I'll also add cardiovascular work to my weightlifting. With at least 20 minutes of the Stairmaster plus another 30 minutes of weights, the fat should come peeling off.

During my first six weeks on the program, I was doing the resistance portion of the weightlifting motion for 10 seconds and the release for two seconds. Now I'll do the resistance portion for two seconds and the release portion for four seconds. This is supposed to maintain the muscles I've built while still allowing enough energy for cardiovascular work.

I hope hearing my experience encouraged other people to assess their physical well-being and take healthy steps to improve it. You don't have to do Biometrics. You DO have to eat a low-fat, low-sugar diet with plenty of exercise using correct form.

If I can lose weight, so can you. See you in Slimville.

Heidi's Statistics

Height

6 feet, 3 inches

Weight

Beginning: 283-1/2

After Six Weeks: 265-1/4

Body Fat

Beginning: 43.1 percent

After Six Weeks: 34 percent

Right Arm

Beginning: 15-1/2 inches

After Six Weeks: 14-1/4 inches

Chest

Beginning: 44-3/4 inches

After Six Weeks: 42 inches

Lower Abdomen

Beginning: 52-1/2 inches

After Six Weeks: 49 inches

Hips

Beginning: 53-1/2 inches

After Six Weeks: 52 inches

Right Mid-Thigh

Beginning: 27-3/4 inches

After Six Weeks: 25 inches