Exercise therapist Anna @ Fitt Solutions

She really wasn't bad @ all!!! I think I had her dying laughing a lot of the time...  

Let me say that I have fibromyalgia - so it's going to be different for me than you.  I have different needs - like gaining strength, working at very low intensity, but increasing duration, more core work/lower back (due to back issues).

She was very nice.  Said I didn't look like 272lbs (I get that a lot).  She saw my wrist and ankles and her jaw dropped.  She was shocked b/c I have a tiny frame w/ all this weight on it.  So, we went over the papers I filled out, what I wanted to work on now and long term.  She explained that I will probably lose 15 lbs in these 90 days, and that's a good thing b/c it'll help me out in the surgery.  She said the point of Aetna doing this is to say if I can handle exercise,  I'm fit enough for surgery.

So, we go over stretches - I'm overdoing it (b/c that's what I'm used to - pushing myself... well, when I was younger). She reminded me w/ my FM, I can't do that, I'm only to feel a slight stretch, but not uncomfortable.  She told me I do NOT have to do the stretches all @ once when I asked if I can do them here and there @ work.  She just said I have to stretch after my gym days.

Core - lower back & abs... Oooooh, chile!!!  But I will say, she adjusted one b/c it hurt.  I told her I just wasn't used to it.  She said no, if it hurts, you're not going to do it.  So the adjustment was a tad painful, but minute and nowhere near the original exercise.  She said she is not one that wants anyone in severe pain.  That's good for me!!!

So, 2 days a week @ the gym on treadmill - 10min each time on manual 2.5 speed.  i have to increase by 2 minutes every week.  She said I can either increase if comfy after the 1st week, if not, definitely by the 2nd.  She reminded me to listen to my body - if I had a lot of fatigue, do NOT go to the gym (as she said, normal folks tired can be pushed through - if I push through mine, it's detrimental - I've learned that lesson!!)  I do stretches w/ wall & band EVERY day.

So then the next time we add more strength exercises.

I'm on my way!!! I see Dr. Johnson on Tuesday!!!

That's one thing I liked about her.  It seemed like she understood different people have different needs and especially with overweight people, you are dealing with people with knee, hip, back, etc issues.  I have lupus (or unspecified connective tissue disease as my new rheumie calls it) so there are a lot of pain and inflammation issues to work around.

Exactly!  Now her psychoanalyst of me and why I didn'****ch the Biggest Loser... that's the only issue, so I just told her something to make her stop talking about it.  Hell, some TV shows don't appeal.  I used to watch it... like I used to watch Amazing Race and Survivor... just like American Idol is about to be dropped from my viewing schedule. Just like I used to watch soap operas.   It doesn't mean I'm in denial, scared, jealous.  I really don'****ch anything on NBC.  So when I said all of that, she kept saying all that stuff.  So I just said you're right!  I can't do any of that stuff w/ my FM and it makes me sad.  She finally got off the subject.

That was my only wrinkle with her.  I was like give it a rest...

$125 for the 1st session (1.5hrs)
$95 sessions 2 &3 (1hr)
$50 session 4 (1/2 hr)

Why I need 4 when Aetna requires 3 months, I don't know...so, May, June, July, August (that's gonna hold me up, b/c surgeon's office said I should be able to submit in July.).