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Instead of saying this year I will lose weight, say to yourself: “This year I am going to be proactive and do something about my health!” I’m going to start eating to be healthy, and guess what? If you are eating to be healthy the bonus is you will lose
Think: Who, What, When, Where & How!
Who: YOU! Obesity is the major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease including high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, prostate and breast cancers, as well as back and knee pain.
What: am I eating? Eating to be healthy is the key. Cut the fat, especially the saturated fats. Cutting the fats will have the biggest input on your waistline as well as your health. Saturated fats are those fats that are solid at room temperature and you can see; like the fat on steak, skin on chicken, fat in dairy food or that stick of butter. These fats are the major cause of elevating the artery clogging LDL.
Think high fiber! Fiber not only fills you up but also takes more energy/calories to metabolize. Therefore, you want to eat foods that make your body work. Avoid refined flours and sugars. Eat foods in their natural packaging; whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
When: Timing is everything. Eat every three to four hours. This way you will control your blood sugars and insulin levels which will control your hunger. Plan your meals! No spontaneous eating! If you let too much time go in between your meals you will get over hungry, if you are over hungry you will over eat.
Where: Only eat in the eating rooms! Do nothing else while eating. You need to focus on the food when you are eating so you have that mind/body connection. If you are doing something else while eating, like watching the TV, you are not focusing on the food, you eat more quickly therefore you eat more food and you are not satisfied because you don’t realize that you have eaten.
How: Learn how in 8 weeks at Norwalk Hospital’s “Transformation Weight Loss Program” with Barbara Schmidt, MS, RDN, CDN, Nutrition Lifestyle Program Specialist. The program meets once a week for an hour in a group of 10-12 people.
Every class has a structured syllabus, where you will learn what foods to eat to be healthy, how much you should be eating and when you should be eating.
There is a behavior modification component and nutrition information in every class. Modifying recipes, dining out, grocery shopping and reading labels will be covered. Every participant is monitored with weekly weigh in and food diaries.
Classes start Jan. 21 at noon and Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m.
For more information call Nutrition Services at Norwalk Hospital at 203-855-3548 or email: nutrition@norwalkhealth.org
Barbara Schmidt, MS, RDN, CDN is a Nutrition Lifestyle Program Specialist at Norwalk Hospital.
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