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SALT LAKE CITY — The 100-day Heart Challenge is a Biggest Loser-like competition that seeks to improve the heart health of some Utahns. And for one happy participant at least, the challenge is doing just that and much more.
Just as she has most days during the past eleven weeks, Beth Reilly is hitting the gym.
"I'm determined," Reilly said.
Dr. John Mitchell, a Utah cardiothoracic surgeon, says that the 100 days is to establish a baseline.
"And the hope being that they will continue with that program after the 100 days are completed," Mitchell said.
I was diagnosed as a diabetic about 10 years ago, and now I want to be un-diagnosed as a diabetic.
–Beth Reilly
For Beth, the 100 day challenge has lived up to its name.
"Here I'm on the elliptical and I'm like struggling just to do five minutes," Reilly said. "and I'm like I can't do this, I can't. And that was just on the lowest level."
She says she's worked up to 45 minutes on level three.
"But I'm pretty proud of that," Reilly said.
Reilly is working with a personal trainer to help her during workouts.
"We have personal trainers that are working with them twice a week and those training sessions are the hard ones," said Traci Heiner, a cardiac rehab specialist.
The program's twenty participants are also given instruction on eating their way to better heart health. Dietitian Mindy Probst, who works with Reilly, says that it takes planning and adjusting to make a big change in your diet.
"Learning to pull yourself away from those habits that you've developed over the years," Probst said.
At the beginning of the challenge in February, Beth's goal was clear.
"I was diagnosed as a diabetic about 10 years ago, and now I want to be un-diagnosed as a diabetic," Reilly said.
Diagnosed diabetic has a two to three times increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
–Dr. John Mitchell
Now hard work has Beth nearing that goal. She says she has been off her blood pressure medication for six weeks.
"I'm hoping by next week I can be off one of my other diabetic medications," Reilly said.
Mitchell says that diabetics are more at risk for many diseases.
"Diagnosed diabetic has a two to three times increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease," Mitchell said.
And Beth's doctor is impressed with her hard work.
"He says I'm going to use you as an example to my other patients on what it takes to get off their medications," Reilly said. "And I thought ‘yes!'"
For more information on identifying and controlling diabetes, be sure watch KSL-TV. At 10pm, KSL-TV will have a special interview with two of the late Larry Miller's sons, discussing the one thing their dad could have done to avoid dying of diabetes.
