In Control!
Taking charge of your life and health!

Yesterday I hit my thumb with a hammer. It hurt! I'm going to do it again today. I'm curious to know if it will hurt every time. Not real sure, but I think a day is coming when it won't hurt. So to find that day, I'm conducting an experiment. For 30 consecutive days, I'm going to hit my thumb with a hammer. I'm going to take detailed notes, so that in the future, I'll know when to expect it not to hurt.

In the future, like next year, maybe, if I'm curious again as to whether or not hitting my thumb with a hammer will hurt, I'll just review my notes and decide whether or not curiosity has gotten the better of my thumb.

Right about now, you're probably thinking I'm crazy! You probably think I'm an idiot, that I'm insane or that I have some condition preventing me from feeling pain.

Since it's not in my best interest to let you know how many people think I'm an idiot, and neither will I confirm nor deny if I'm clinically insane, you'll have to use your best judgment. However, I will say that I feel pain just fine, completely eliminating option three.

While I'll admit that hitting my thumb with a hammer and thinking it might not to hurt is probably expecting a bit much, it's a good example and proves a point.

That example is you. When tight clothes, the inability to move around freely, the disgust of how you feel, and the adjustment to medication upon medication set in, WHAM!, you hit your thumb with a hammer. Then you vow to take charge, eat healthier, exercise more, lose weight and to do whatever it takes to control your blood sugar, cholesterol and high blood pressure on your own, without prescription medication. You're going down the road with only the best of intentions; everything is fine and dandy. And then you ease up, ever so slightly; maybe it's an extra serving, more dessert or skipping your workout. Pretty soon, easing up here and there turns into days, then weeks and months and finally a year. Your best laid plans aren't even the faintest of memories.

Next time, you swear, it will be different. You'll stick to it, whatever it takes. But the results don't change! You try again a few months (maybe a year) later, same results. Again and AGAIN!

So what's the problem here?

When you vowed to change, you forgot to check your notes - or you would have remembered that hitting your thumb with a hammer hurt. Had you reviewed before making your latest vow, you would have known that what you did last time didn't work. But you didn't, so you did it again, and again, and again. How many times now, exactly, have you tried?

Now whose thumb is hurting (and I didn't even swing a hammer)?

The point is to illustrate that you don't have to take notes, you already know that hitting your thumb with a hammer hurts. Given a hit hard enough, it might even make your nail fall off.

So the question is...

Are you going to continue doing the same thing, over and over again? Now who's insane? If you want to stay where you are, keep doing what you have been doing. It's worked so far. Or, are you ready to try something different? Something that works. Something that will not only show you the road of best intentions, but lead you right down it.

Enter In Control!

What is In Control?
A benefit rich program that ultimately gets you back In Control of your life and health. Your life is busy, your schedule is full and your thumb is throbbing like mad. Not to mention the last time you went to your doctor, you couldn't believe what the scale said. You were also caught off-guard (maybe) when your doctor started (or added to) your prescription medicine for diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol or something else.

Benefits:

• Weight Loss! You can expect to lose about 2 pounds per week.
• Stronger: Because you are following a workout developed with your health in mind, the strength and health of your bones, joints and muscles will improve. You'll notice this as we progress.
• Health: As you begin to feel better, your overall health will improve. Typical results include reduced blood pressure, improved lipid profiles and normalized blood sugar levels.
• Confidence: You will feel more confident overall. As you continue to lose weight and feel better, it will transcend all aspects of your life.
• Choices: With In Control you will realize that eating healthy is not about good food tasting bad. Your options for eating tasty and healthy food are limitless.
• Easy: No it's not easy, not at first anyway. But over time you will realize just how easy it can be.

Features:

• Print and Electronic Media ($149 value): All hard-copy materials for In Control are printed in color and given to you in a binder. All reading materials are included. You will also receive DVD's, audio CD's and workout CD's that are specific to the nutrition and exercise portions of In Control.
• The Workout ($54 value): Your workout is on a CD in your welcome packet. It comes complete with adjustments for beginner, intermediate and advanced fitness levels. It contains photos and text descriptions showing and telling you how to properly perform each exercise. Also included are schedules and logs so you can plan ahead and track your workouts. Finally, each workout can be customized to allow you to workout at the fitness center, home, or when traveling.
• Progress Monitoring ($49 value): Before you start, you will go through our comprehensive evaluation, including both written and physical assessments. The evaluation will also be performed at the mid-point and conclusion of the In Control program.
• Evaluations ($360 value): Before you attend the first In Control class, you will go through our evaluation, which includes comprehensive written and physical measurements. We'll use these results to determine how you progress through the program. We'll conduct the entire evaluation three times, before the program starts, at the midpoint and at the end of the program.
• Comprehensive Cardio Wellness Profile ($450 value): Included in your evaluation is a blood test for health related markers, including: lipid profile, CBC, fluids/electrolytes, thyroid, liver and kidney function, blood glucose, c-reactive protein and more. Each time you go through an evaluation, you will have a blood test performed.
• Nutrition ($699 value): You will receive a complete nutrition program, with audio programs, DVD's and printed material. Each week we'll spend 1 hour on nutrition. You will not get meals or meal plans through In Control - it defeats the purpose of being In Control when you have to rely on someone else, doesn't it? What you do get is a total nutrition re-education, complete with tools and strategies teaching you how to buy and prepare food, plan meals, and eat healthy with your busy life. Once you complete the program, you'll be your very own walking, talking meal planner.
• Grocery Store Tour ($49 value): Around week 3 of the program, on a Saturday afternoon, we'll take a grocery store tour. You'll learn the dirty little secrets grocery stores use to keep you in and spending money on the high-ticket items - items that are typically the worst for your health. You'll also learn how and where to shop for the healthy items in any grocery store.
• Membership to Brian Sekula Fitness Center ($215 value): Throughout the program you will have access to the club, the classes and services offered. In fact, you will be required to perform physical activity outside of our regularly scheduled meetings and the workout log we have for you at the front desk will help you track your exercise sessions. When In Control is done, you will have the opportunity to enroll in any of our memberships.

There are more benefits and features to In Control, as you will discover while going through it, but first, a little more about the...

Program Setup
We meet once a week for 12 weeks; each meeting is 1-2 hours and includes classroom and fitness center time. Classroom time is dedicated to readings from your printed materials while fitness center time is dedicated to going over the finer points of your workout. An example schedule, can be viewed here.

Cost
In Control combines many products and services you can purchase individually into a single, effective and comprehensive, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle management program. If you were to purchase each product and service individually, you would spend more than $2,000.00. But since we put everything in a single program, you will benefit to the tune of saving more than $500.00. The cost is $1,500.00 (if paid in full) and doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of how you'll feel once you've gone through it.

Signing Up!
First, identify which of the three currently available sessions you want to attend (See table below). Next, select a payment method: either Paid in Full or Installments. Paid in Full saves you $200 while installments will bill your credit card 4 monthly installments of $425 (today, plus 3 more).

After picking your session, click the appropriate payment button to be taken to our shopping cart. If you are done and ready to complete the transaction, click the "Checkout Now" button. If you have purchased from us before, enter your username and password. We keep all of your information stored in a secure database. If this is your first time to make a purchase through our website, click the "New Member Registration" button at the bottom of the page. This will expedite the purchase process for you in the future.

After registering, simply follow the on-screen prompts to complete your purchase. When done, you will be returned to a thank you page for further instructions. You will also receive an order confirmation email from us. Please keep this for your records.

Finally, after completing your purchase, come back to this page and register for one of the information meetings. While not a requirement, your attendance is strongly encouraged.

The Information Meetings
I encourage you to sign-up for one of our information meetings. We currently have 3 scheduled: Tuesday, April 10, Saturday April 14, and Thursday April 19. Each will be approximately 1 hour and you will hear a brief presentation on In Control, see all print and electronic materials and have the opportunity to ask any questions. It's a great way to confirm the program is for you. As with In Control, seating is limited. Reserve your seat by emailing or calling today!

Your Evaluation
The last important task you must complete before the first session is the evaluation. As mentioned earlier, the evaluation includes both written and physical assessments. We will also do a blood draw to determine your initial values for the various blood panels we will be analyzing. The evaluation will take approximately 1.5 hours. Please call (281-933-8822) or email the fitness center and schedule your evaluation.