HEART CHALLENGE

June 5 — PROVO — After losing a combined 7.5% body fat and dropping 240 points from their triglyceride levels, Kim Love and Diane Wilkins are the winners of Utah Valley Heart & Vascular Services’ 2012 Couples 100-Day Heart Challenge.

 

Wilkins remembers getting several “urgent” messages from Love near the end of January. She couldn’t help but think something was wrong and was very anxious until she finally got back in touch with her friend. Little did she know Love was going to tell her they’d made it into the Couples 100-Day Heart Challenge.

 

“I figured the days are going to go by anyway, so you just have to decide that you’re going to get your [behind] off the couch and do something to be healthier,” Wilkins said. “This has been a great experience.”

 

Bob and Becky Smith, of Springville, took 2nd place in the Couples Heart Challenge while Alan and Monica Page, of Payson, captured 3rd place. Ten couples, age 30 and above, started the Intermountain-sponsored Challenge in the middle of February. Personalized exercise and diet plans, weekly nutrition classes and weekly sessions with a trainer helped them along their journey to better heart health.

 

“Improving your diet and getting regular exercise will decrease many of your risk factors for developing heart disease. Showing people how to do that is what the Heart Challenge is all about,” says Maria Black, APRN, Clinical Services Director for the Urban South Region.

Love lost 15 pounds during the Challenge and also dropped three inches from her waist and lowered her total cholesterol from 213 to 175, which puts her in the healthy range. Wilkins lost 11 pounds and three inches from her waist and brought her blood glucose down to 98, also within the healthy range.

 

Becky Smith says her husband, Bob, discovered he loves running during the Challenge. She loves the fact that Bob is now off his blood pressure medication and has dropped into the healthy range for his blood glucose – two improvements that definitely caught the attention of Bob’s physician during a recent checkup.

 

The winners of the 100-Day Heart Challenge are determined by which couple makes the most improvements in the 11 factors that contribute to heart health. Consistency in reporting weekly exercise and tracking food intake is also factored into the decision.

 

Most improved awards were given in each of the categories that were tested during the Challenge. Results are below:

Cholesterol:   Michelle Bohn (228 to 155) 
Triglycerides:   Monica Page (384 to 179)
Glucose:  Bob Smith (131 to 89)  
Blood pressure: Bob Smith (159/101 to 120/78)
Pulse:   Melissa Woodruff (84 to 56 bpm)
% Body Fat:  Kim Love (down 4.8%)
Weight loss:  Bob Smith (29 lbs)
% of weight lost: Brooke Phillips (down 11.5%)