Sunday, May 25, 2008

BIGGEST LOSER 4 -- WEEK 5

This week the group really had a treat. Remember Camilla from the last set of articles for the last group? Camilla’s a registered dietician at Terre Haute Regional, and she came back in to talk to our latest group of people in Biggest Loser “4.”

Because her presentation is so good, instead of paraphrasing, I’m going to reproduce her Top Ten Tips word for word:

“Ten Tips for Healthy and Conscious Eating”
Camilla Whitkanack, MS RD
Terre Haute Regional Hospital

Be aware of your calorie requirements. Many software programs and websites will give you a close estimate. Try www.mypyramid.gov and click on My Pyramid Plan.

To lose weight, many sources recommend taking in 300-500 calories less than your estimated needs. Most active women should not eat less than 1500 kcalories, most active men no less than 1800. If you find yourself hungry, unsatisfied, or constantly thinking about food, than you are most likely depriving yourself too much!

Keeping a food log for a few days can be helpful. Be thorough and write down everything. Self-evaluate by estimating calories (www.calorieking.com). Or simply compare your food choices to a suggested eating pattern based on food groups and serving sizes (www.mypyramid.gov). Limit food logs to a few days or one day every once in a while. Focusing on every bite over a long period of time is not healthy.

Plan meals around fruits and vegetables. Fresh, frozen, or canned (light syrup or juice-packed fruit) are all good choices.

Include good sources of protein with your meals and snacks: chicken, fish, beans, nuts or peanut butter, eggs, lowfat yogurt or milk, soy products, and lean meats. Protein is very important but small portions (2-3 ounces, 8-12 ounces lowfat milk or yogurt) is plenty. Think of protein as an important side dish, not as the main entrée.

Never “save” your appetite for a huge meal or to allow yourself more calories in the evening. The effect on appetite, satiety cues (feeling full or satisfied), and metabolism are counter-productive when trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain!

Eat with 2 hours of getting up in the morning. Even if you are not hungry, a light healthy snack that includes some protein will do. People who skip breakfast tend to consume more calories throughout the rest of the day and are more likely to have weight issues.

Don’t give up your favorite foods, no matter how indulgent they may be. Just don’t keep them too handy! If you must have it, make a special trip to the store or order it as a special treat when eating out.

Choose calories you can chew – limit juices, sports drinks, regular soda, alcohol, and specialty coffees. And remember the best diet drink of all – water!

Don’t snack or eat meals in front of the tube, while reading, or using the computer. Make eating its own activity, enjoy it, and then move on to another activity.

(Adapted from RD411.com website, which contains education tools for dietetic professionals.)
Thanks, Camilla!

This week’s winner was Bill Lewis (finally) who lost 2.5% of his body weight and 5.0 lbs. Bill has been the runner up for quite a few weeks. You might recall that Bill lost 52.5 lbs in the last group, and has lost another 26.0 lbs in the last 5 weeks. That’s 78.5 lbs total in 19 weeks! Bill received a $25 Casey’s gift card from Dimond Brothers Insurance, our weekly sponsor.

Second place went to Alta Cary, who lost 2.0% of her body weight and 4.8 lbs, with third place going to Jasmine Camp, who lost 1.7% of her body weight, and 3.6 lbs. Nice job, girls!

Those who missed the Friday night workout missed a good one. Most everyone agreed it was the toughest so far. Quite a few commented how they would never have been able to do it just five short weeks ago.

About 25 people showed up for it, and they learned a new free weight routine and how to turn it into high intensity interval training. Remember, last week they moved from the machines to free weights, using dumbbells (which recruit all the accessory muscles) and exercise balls (which work your core more).

Basically, I showed them how to alternate the dumbbell exercises with core exercises such as ab crunches on the ball, or planks and the like, to build intensity into the workout. This way, they never quit moving.

I call this active rest. While one muscle group is resting, another’s working. We even threw running into the mix, between sets.

Try it. It really boosts the intensity, and that means you’ll be burning more calories. That means you’ll lose more weight. I’ll tell you more about this next week. Right now, I’ve got to go for a run!

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