Armand Tecco’s Evaluation and Plan for Erin

Assessment Form for Erin

First Name: Erin

Gender: female
Age: 24
Height: 5 feet, 9 inches
Weight: 213 pounds

MEDICAL HISTORY

1.

2. What daily medications and vitamins do you take? Wellbutrin and Desogen

3. Do any blood relatives have diabetes, heart trouble or high blood pressure?No

4. If yes, please specify:  

5. Please describe your typical daily food & beverage intake including snacks and amounts:

NUTRITIONAL HISTORY

6. How many meals do you eat out per week typically? between two and four

7. What type of restaurants do you frequent? fast food and sit down (Italian, Mexican)

8. Do you drink alcohol? Yes. If yes, how often? a few times a month

9. List any food allergies: nuts, shellfish, cod

10. List foods you crave: occasionally chocolate, mainly sweet things like ice cream

11. Describe your mood and/or situation when you snack: Typically at work on the computer, usually when things are hectic

12. What do you attribute your weight problems to? Past alcohol use, low energy, allergies

13. In the past, what ways have you tried to lose weight? Some exercising

EXERCISE HISTORY

14. Have you been exercising regularly (minimum two times per week) for at least the past eight weeks? Yes

15. If yes, briefly describe your routine: For the last few weeks, I’ve been walking/jogging on a treadmill. A few months before, I did some stair stepping and some work with weights.

16. How many days per week can you realistically devote to exercise? Three or four

17. How many minutes can you realistically devote per exercise session? 20 to 30 minutes

18. What physical activities are you interested in doing and have easy access to? Skating, walking, exercise room

19. What is your resting heart rate? 82 beats per minute

(To determine resting heart rate, get into a sitting position. Place two fingers on your wrist and feel for your pulse. Count the number of pulses in 30 seconds.)

20. Provide the following measurements: Waist 36 inches; Hip 49 inches

21. What is your waist-to-hip ratio? .73

22. If female, what is your dress size? 16

23 . If male, what is your pants size at waist?

24. What is your primary reason(s) for participating in an exercise and nutrition program? I’d like to feel better about my size and have more energy.

Hello Erin,

Welcome to the  Four Get Fit program! It sounds as though you have already made tentative steps toward embarking on an exercise program. To succeed, you must make a real commitment to improving your health. Volunteering as a member of Four Get Fit is a good sign of that commitment! Now we will work together to accomplish your goals – specifically, to feel better and be more energetic.

Each week, please provide me with plenty of details about your exercising so that I can give you the proper guidance and advice. Be sure to fill out your exercise log completely and accurately. Then, in your journal, tell me how the exercise makes you feel. Let me know of any concerns or questions you have. If you encounter impediments to exercising, explain them so that we can work to overcome whatever is getting in the way of your fitness goals.

Once you begin to experience the benefits of exercise, I am confident that you will choose to make fitness a permanent part of your life. You will see that it enhances every aspect of your life: your general attitude, your work, your personal relationships. I am excited for you, Erin, and wish you the best of luck.

Since it appears that your schedule is very busy and does not allow much time for exercise, I want to make sure you maximize each workout session. While weight training is an interest of yours, we will need to concentrate initially on cardiovascular exercise. We can add weight training exercises when your schedule permits you to devote more time to exercising.

Cardiovascular exercise is crucial to your program because it will help you burn extra calories, which will lead to weight loss. Cardiovascular exercise is also an important factor in improving your fitness level in areas such as heart rate efficiency, blood pressure, cholesterol and circulation. Furthermore, it will give you more energy, which you stated was important to you.

Cardiovascular Exercises

• Type — I recommend that you cross train by performing at least two different exercises during the week. The ones that would be good for you are walking, stair stepping and in-line skating (which might be a fun alternative to ice skating). By varying your exercises, you will not only reduce boredom but get into better shape as well. For now, stick to the treadmill for your walking since you indicated a problem with allergies.
• Frequency — Four times per week. Do two or three sessions of walking and one or two sessions of either stair stepping or in-line skating.
• Amount — Begin with 15 to 20 minutes per session for the first week. See how you feel. If you are comfortable, add five minutes per session over the next two weeks. The target goal is to get you up to 30 minutes of non-stop exercise.
• Intensity — I would like you to exercise at a pace that elevates your heart rate to between 120 and 150 beats per minute. Most importantly, you must be comfortable while you are exercising. I do not want you to get out of breath! Exercise at a pace that allows you to carry on a conversation. While walking, use a natural stride length as well as a natural arm swing. Do not use any hand weights at this point.A good speed for you on the treadmill would be 2.8 to 3.4 miles per hour to start. Do not use the treadmill’s elevation yet. While stair stepping, make sure you use the handrails for stability only and not for support. You should be lightly holding on to them rather than leaning. While skating, be sure to incorporate your upper body with a natural arm swing. 
• Warming up and cooling down — Start exercising gradually to warm up the muscles prior to your workout. After your workout, gradually decrease the pace to cool down the body. Never start or stop exercising abruptly.

Flexibility Exercises
At the end of your exercise session, I would like you to perform numbers one through five of the Basic 10 Stretches. Stretching is great for relaxation and improved posture as well as for increased flexibility and injury prevention. The stretches will also minimize muscle soreness. Because they are so important to your program, be sure to include the stretches in every workout.

Do not bounce when you stretch. Instead, hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds to the point of mild discomfort or where you “feel” the stretch. The muscles should be stretched so that the pull is felt in the center of the muscle, not at the joints. Take it slowly, relaxing and exhaling as you go into a stretch, then breathing normally.

Additional Recommendations
I further recommend that you integrate physical activity into your daily routine, especially since you admitted to being inactive. Take the stairs more; go out for mini-walks after lunch. Because your job is sedentary, look for new opportunities to move your body more. You can even perform the stretches at your desk during work. The reason is simple: little increases in activity add up to big improvements in fitness.

I’ll be rooting for you, Erin!

Armand