Healthy Weight Support Group Recap By Madelyn Nieves
Week 1-
Hello everyone welcome to The Healthy Weight Management Group. I hope you are all taking some time and reviewing the materials provided at the first group meeting. On our first day you were introduced to three variables that can help you understand ways in which you can manage your weight. Mrs. Susan Miceli discussed the many lifestyle factors that can affect the way we eat. Some of the issues raised were stress, anxiety, and boredom. As we continue to meet every week, all of these factors will be discussed in detail, and coping techniques will be provided to help you accomplish the goal you have set for yourself. Next, Mr. Russell Levine introduced the physical activity component to weight management, and stated the two methods of activity, which are moderate and high intensity physical activity. As we go through the program he will go in depth and explain various methods of getting your body to start moving more, as well as providing information that will help you get where you would like to be. Lastly, Dr. Iris Mercado introduced the nutritional component of weight management. In the first session she showed you how to navigate The Healthy Hostos Blog, and The choosemyplate.gov site. This site offers a lot of important information which consist of weight management tools, and the my plate icon. On the My Plate icon you will find various groups, and as you click on them, it takes you to another page that breaks down that specific food group, and provides a list of food that fall within that category. Another important tool found in the site is the Daily Food Plan; this plan is found under the super tracker tab on the main page. The plan is designed to show your own customized calorie needs per day, in addition to the number of servings of each individual food group you should consume each day. Take some time and visit the link above, and explore its resources.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday October 9, 2012 at 3:30pm in room C-391. Hope to see you all there. Have a great day!
“To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.” ~William Londen
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Healthy Weight Management Recap Week-2
Greetings everyone. Hope you had some time to review the materials provided in our second meeting. This week, Dr. Mercado reviewed the different food groups she presented in our first meeting, and explained their serving sizes. She first started off with the grain group, whose one ounce portion size equals to ½ cup of a cooked grain, which could be either rice, or pasta. If you do not have measuring cups you can use your cooking spoon as a reference, which the equivalent to ½ cup of cooked rice would be one flat scoop of the cooking spoon. Another member of the grain family is bread, whose one ounce portion size equals to 1 slice of bread. A surprising fact presented at this week’s meeting is the amount of servings that is found in a bagel, which is 4 ounces, the equivalent to four slices of bread. A recommendation presented by Dr. Mercado is the importance of choosing more whole grain foods, which helps you feel fuller faster, and because the fiber found in whole grain takes a longer time to digest. In order to balance out the amount of grains we intake in a day, it is recommended to replace the grain portion of one of your three meals, and instead have leafy greens, preferably dark green, from the vegetable group, accompanied by a member of the protein group. Protein in a meal is very important because it also takes a long time to digest; therefore it keeps you feeling full. Another protein rich food is those found in the dairy family. A cup of milk, or yogurt, preferably low or non-fat, will also have the same effect as the protein. For the fruit family, the greatest concern is the substitution of actual fresh fruits with fruit juices. In order to manage your weight, you will want to stay away from fruit juices which contain added sugar that can range from 25 grams to 50 grams, and have a greater amount of calories. It is better to just eat fresh fruits, which do not contain the extra calories from sugar, and will fill you up more than just drinking fruit juice. Next, Mr. Russell Levine discussed the issue of exercise. The importance of exercise in weight management is very crucial, because is a way of expending energy taken in by the foods we consume, it keeps your body healthy, such as increasing bone density, which helps prevent the development of osteoporosis, and it helps you feel more energized. But where do we find the time to exercise? As students and employees, we can come up with many excuses for not exercising, but in all reality you just need at least 45 minutes of your day, rather than the mythical 2-3 hours we think we need, and you don’t even need a gym membership. To get started, Mr. Levine proposed the excellent idea that you should set a reasonable weight loss goal, and a non-food reward, for times when you have reached a milestone in your goal, which can be a pair of jeans, or a new accessory. You can start your exercise regimen by walking more, and with the purchase of maybe two dumbbells, you can also start with a few free weight exercises. The important thing is to start making exercise a habit, and it will feel less of a burden. Following the exercise tips, Mrs. Susan Miceli went further into the triggers that may cause you to eat, such as boredom, stress from finals and papers, sadness, anger, and the number one trigger, which is anxiety. Now how do we deal with the triggers when they present themselves? Some suggestions provided would be walking outside, reading, or working out at home. If you feel anxious while studying or working on a paper, it is good to just step back for a moment, stand up, and stretch for a few minutes, so it can help you relax. If you still feel like you need to munch on something, then it is important to make the right food choices, such as having a piece of fruit, yogurt, or carrot sticks. It is essential to eat throughout the day, so that it can keep some of the triggers at bay, and to prevent your metabolism from decreasing. Remember to try and access what your day will be like, so that you can prepare healthy snacks in advance for your long journey.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday October 16, 2012 at 3:30pm in room C-391. Hope to see you all there. Have a great day!
“Those who think they have no time for exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” ~Edward Stanley
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Healthy Weight Management Recap week-3
Good day to you all. Hope you had some time to look over the information provided in our last session. During our last meeting, Mrs. Susan Miceli introduced the different stages of change which are pre-contemplation, Contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. She also provided a questionnaire that can help you start a plan. Many of you shared the changes you have began to make, such as adding more vegetables to your diet, counting calories, and bringing food to school. The primary goal throughout this process is to get to the preparation stage so that you can be committed to the change you are making, and continue to move forward. Mr. Russell Levine shared two different types of exercises which are aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic are exercises that are sustained for a long period of time, require oxygen, and are of moderate intensity, such as biking, jogging, or rowing. This form of exercises benefit your cardiovascular and respiratory health. Anaerobic exercise are of high intensity, and use a short burst of energy, such as stair climbing, push ups, weight training. This form of exercise help build muscle strength, and flexibility. During the workout you should focus on the amount of repetitions you do rather than the amount of weights you can lift, which helps to prevent injuries. Remember before starting any exercise regimen, be sure to take into consideration any health issues you may have, always warm up before and warm down after, and if you get the chance, go outside and workout, a change of scenery can make a great motivator. Lastly, Dr. Mercado elaborated on a method that can help you keep track of your food intake, known as a food diary. A food diary can help you visually asses your food choices, the amount you are consuming, and the amount of physical activity you do throughout the day. You don’t necessarily have to keep a notebook as a diary, with all the technological advances available, you are now able to keep a diary on your phone with new phone apps. The process of losing weight is easy, but maintaining it can be hard. Altering your diet can help in the process of maintenance. The ideal diet is not specific for the whole population, but instead it’s flexible, balanced, and catered to you. Balance is achieved by creating a deficit, which means to eat a little less than what you already consume, but also being physically active, so that your body can maintain a high metabolic rate. A balance diet consist of carbohydrates, which are the primary source of energy in the body, protein, and fat. Any diet that severely restricts, or eliminates any of the groups is not a well balanced diet that includes all of the nutrients the body needs, becomes boring after a while, and although you may lose weight a first, you will then gain it back in the long run. To get more information about the appropriate plan for you visit choosemyplate.gov and click on daily food plan.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday October 23, 2012 at 3:30pm in room C-391. Hope to see you all there. Have a great day!
“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.” ~ Alice May Brock
