Week 12: The Results

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -  After 12 weeks of hard work and meeting with expert coaches, the first phase of the Extreme Family Makeover came to a close, and the coaches said the results were amazing.

Three months ago, the Reneaus took several tests to get a baseline of their overall health. Then for 12 weeks the family met with activity, nutrition and behavior coaches to change habits and create a healthier lifestyle.

"They've embrace everything we've thrown at them," Marsha Worthington of America on the Move, one of the sponsors of the Extreme Family Makeover, said. "We've asked them to make changes in activity levels, in eating habits, turning off the TV and overall screen time and focus on improving their overall health, and they've done a fantastic job with that."

Fitness Test

Activity Coach Brian West tested the family's ability to do various physical activities. The post-program testing found improvements by each family member:

Mark:
* Resting heart rate increased a little, but still within normal limits
* Resting blood pressure stayed relatively the same
* Increased number of sit ups by 12
* Increased number of push ups by 9
* Increased flexibility by 2 inches

Amie:
* Resting heart rate decreased by 8 beats
* Resting blood pressure stayed relatively the same
* Increased number of sit ups by 2
* Increased number of push ups by 12
* Increased flexibility by 2 inches

Riley:
* Resting heart rate increased a little, but still within normal limits
* Systolic blood pressure (top number) decreased while diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) stayed relatively the same
* Decreased in number of sit ups by 12
* Decreased number of push ups by 3
* Increased flexibility by 1 inch

** Note from West: Riley was playing hard during the day on the day of testing and the warmer weather my have affected his push up and sit up score.

Chloe:
* Resting heart rate dropped by 20 beats
* Systolic blood pressure (top number) stayed relatively the same while diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) decreased by 20 points
* Increased number of sit ups by 28
* Increased number of push ups by 12
* Increased flexibility by 2 inches

"Everybody improved their flexibility, so obviously the exercises they've done and the stretches they've been taught led to those changes," West said.

West also noted the decrease in heart rate and blood pressure is important.

"Because of the exercise they've been doing, the heart becomes more conditioned and it doesn't work as hard at rest. From my perspective, they're definitely going in the right direction," West said.

Weights and Measures

Mark:
* Lost 5.8 pounds
* Body fat percentage dropped 1 percent
* Waist measurement went down 3 inches
* Hip measurement went down 2.25 inches
* Body Mass Index dropped 1 point

Amie:
* Lost 5.2 pounds
* Body fat percentage dropped 1 percent
* Waist measurement went down 3.25 inches
* Hip measurement went down 1.25 inches
* Body Mass Index dropped 1 point

Riley:
* No weight loss, 3 pound gain, but grew a half an inch
* Body fat percentage dropped 2.2 percent
* Waist measurement was unchanged
* Hip measurement was unchanged
* Body Mass Index was unchanged

Chloe:
* No weight loss, 2 pound gain, but grew three-quarters of an inch
* Body fat percentage dropped 2.7 percent
* Waist measurement went down 1 inch
* Hip measurement was unchanged
* Body Mass Index dropped 0.2 points

"The family did totally awesome," Nutrition Coach Kathy Wherle said. "We saw some nice changes. They laid down muscle tissue and lost fat, which is awesome."

And the family was surprised to see the end result.

"I thought I was going to do bad, but I was amazed. I thought it was really cool," Chloe Reneau said.

Amie Reneau was relieved to finally see a loss on the scale.

"It was very encouraging," she said. "Even though the numbers weren't there for 11 weeks, had I given up and gone back to my old ways, I would have missed out on what the actual numbers do say."

Wherle added that getting healthy isn't just about dropping pounds.

"Don't be discouraged if the weight doesn't fall off right away, because eventually it will. What's most important is to correct eating behavior, eating environment and the way you deal with food," Wherle said.

Mark Reneau said his results made the program well worth it.

"I'm very pleased and very shocked! I didn't think I'd lose three inches around my stomach," Mark said.

The results aren't as dramatic as some reality shows make getting healthy seem, but the family learned that the small changes add up and are longer-lasting.

"This taught us how to create a lifestyle change and taught us how to put that into place in a practical way. I learned to plan my life better and be more intentional about my health," Mark said.

"It's the little changes and sticking with those that will help you reach your end goals," Amie said.

Learning the little things to do is what makes the big difference.

"Small behavior changes, small steps that can be made everyday,