Tag Archive - weight loss

7 Tips to a Weigh Better 2013

January 4, 2013 in Community, Diet, Exercise, Holiday, Lifestyle Tips with 0 Comments

via flickr

A new year…time to start over with your health and fitness goals that got away from you during the holidays! Most New Year’s resolutions have something to do with becoming healthier, losing weight or exercising, and even though excitement and motivation is high now, many resolutions will be abandoned by February!

I believe the main reason for people not being able to keep their resolutions is that they try to make too many dramatic changes all at once. Many people cannot go from sedentary to running 5 miles a day or from eating a high-fat/junk food diet to becoming a vegetarian.

Here are some tips that can make it easier to reach your New Year’s goal – without pain or starvation!

  1. Set a REALISTIC goal. You should have a main goal and several small “mini” goals that support your main goal. Goals should be doable and measurable.
  2. Write it down. When you write down your goals and make plans on how to achieve them, you are more likely to be successful. Also, keeping food and activity records have been shown to shape behaviors to help you reach your goals.
  3. Make small changes. Try substituting water for soda or mustard for mayonnaise or cooking at home 3 nights a week vs. eating out. As you feel comfortable with the changes you have made, then you can implement others.
  4. Reward yourself (not with a hot fudge sundae!). As you reach your “mini” goals, reward your hard work. Take a healthy cooking class; buy a new pair of running shoes; get a massage…something to look forward to and to help keep you motivated.
  5. Make mistakes! You are going to eat birthday cake, go to happy hour, catch a cold and not make it to the gym for a week – that’s life! Each time one of these situations happens is a time for learning and problem solving.
  6. Educate yourself. There is so much information on nutrition and fitness it is difficult to make sense of it all. Whether you do the research yourself or seek the expertise from a qualified professional….know how many calories you need each day, how many calories are in your favorite foods and what exercises are best for you.
  7. Get support! Having support from family, friends and co-workers can give you extra accountability! Find groups and classes so that you can surround yourself with people that share your same goals and passions.

Tarie Beldin, RD,LD
St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center

Make Good Choices a Holiday Tradition

November 16, 2012 in Community, Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle Tips, Weight Loss with 0 Comments

via flickr

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is next week. As in right-around-the-corner, it’ll-be-here-before-we-know it, better-start-planning-your-pies-and-making-room-in-your-fridge next week. It’s that time of year when gluttony is encouraged and households everywhere celebrate the invention of pants with elastic waists.

Now, I love stretchy pants just as much as the next person, and fully intend on having seconds of my mom’s delicious stuffing, but there is something to be said about being mindful about indulging over the holiday. And while I’m not here to preach about portion size or how to make all of your favorite dishes low-fat, I am going to challenge you to get at least thirty minutes of physical activity on Thanksgiving Day. Oh, hush, I can hear you whining about it from here. Thirty minutes.—it will be over before you know it. You’ll spend more time than that watching all of the marching bands perform on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And think about how great you’ll feel, not to mention all of the amazing health benefits you get from regular physical activity: (source: Center for Disease Control (CDC))

  • Control your weight
  • Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
  • Reduce your risk of some cancers
  • Strengthen your bones and muscles
  • Improve your mental health and mood
  • Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you’re an older adult
  • Increase your chances of living longer

So, lace up your shoes in the morning and head out the door for a mind-clearing walk in the brisk autumn air before the cooking marathon ensues. Or grab the whole family (Fido, too!) and participate in the 22nd Annual Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot (there’s both a one and five mile event)—it’s the largest five mile race in Texas, and proceeds from the event are donated to great causes in Austin! Or round up the kids and play a round of touch football in the backyard during halftime of the televised game—who says getting your heart rate up can’t be fun?

Remember, you only get to indulge in Grandma’s chocolate-covered-pecan-pumpkin-cheesecake once a year, so you should enjoy every last bite! But do yourself a favor this Thanksgiving and get moving for just thirty short minutes—not only will your body thank you for it, but you’ll get the added bonus of my favorite benefit from regular physical activity: decreased second helping guilt.

Katie Lyke, RN
Manager, St. David’s Emergency Center in Bee Cave

5 Reasons for Holiday Weight Gain And How to Combat It

November 5, 2012 in Diet, Lifestyle Tips, Weight Loss with 0 Comments

With Halloween behind us and Thanksgiving approaching quickly, it seems like every time you turn around there are tasty treats and temptations. While it is important to maintain a healthy diet, it’s also important to enjoy the Holidays and all the food that come with them.

Here are the top five reasons for weight gain in November and December:

  1. Many social events – All of which include food and drinks and much more dessert and candy compared to other times of the year.
  2. Less sleep – Due to social events mentioned above less time for rest and more added stress!
  3. Less daylight – With the sun going down earlier, less time for activity after 5:00 p.m.
  4. Colder weather – Food choices are different (More mashed potatoes, Less Salad = increased calories)
  5. Emotions – Stress, money, traveling, out of town guests and change in routine all add extra stress.

Even with all these obstacles it’s still possible to enjoy your favorite Holiday meals while keeping off the extra weight. Join us on November 8th, 2012, as Registered and Licensed Dietician Tarie Beldin will put healthy spins on your favorite Thanksgiving traditional foods such as side dishes and desserts. Click here for more information. We hope to see you there!

Holly Krivokapich
Health and Wellness Coordinator
St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center

Do You Know Your BMI?

July 10, 2012 in Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle Tips, Weight Loss with 0 Comments

Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a tool that helps you measure the amount of body fat you have based on your weight and height.  Health care providers have been tasked with making sure you know your BMI, and are aware of lifestyle changes that you can make to ensure your BMI is at a healthy category.  If your BMI is over 30, you are considered obese and may be at risk for certain health conditions that are associated with excess body fat.

BMI Categories:

  • Underweight = <18.5
  • Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
  • Overweight = 25–29.9
  • Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

While the BMI calculation is an important tool, it does have limitations.  It cannot distinguish between muscle and fat mass.  A particularly athletic person whose weight is higher due to muscle may have a BMI that indicates that they are overweight, when their weight is simply higher due to muscle mass.

Click here to find your BMI calculation

For more information about BMI, obesity, and steps you can take to ensure a healthy weight, please contact St. David’s Bariatric Center at 512-544-LIFE (5433).

The Weight Of The Nation: A Documentary

April 26, 2012 in Children, Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle Tips with 1 Comment

I recently had the pleasure of attending the screening of an HBO documentary entitled, The Weight Of The Nation.  It’s about the obesity epidemic that our nation is facing today.  It is a realistic representation of a multifaceted problem.

More than two-thirds of U.S. adults age 20 and over are overweight or obese, while nearly one-third of the nation’s children and adolescents age 2 to 19 are overweight or obese.  Obesity contributes to five of the ten leading causes of death in America, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and kidney disease.  We are clearly in crisis.

Made in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, this series is comprised of 4 films that will debut on HBO on May 14th and May 15th beginning at 7:00 pm Central.  The portion presented at the screening was Children In Crisis.  We are facing, for the first time in our nation’s history, a shorter life expectancy for our next generation of children.  That, by itself, should be enough to motivate us to action.

Obesity is a preventable disease; it’s not a condition that we have to accept like a natural disaster.  We must begin to make the necessary changes in our culture to ensure a healthy life for ourselves and our children.  After all, our lives depend on it.

For more information about weight management and weight loss surgery, please give us a call at St. David’s Bariatric Center, 512-544-LIFE (5433) or visit us online at www.stdavidsweightloss.com.

‘Tis the Season: 3 Steps to Control Holiday Eating

December 12, 2011 in Diet, Exercise, Holiday, Lifestyle Tips, Weight Loss with 0 Comments

The holiday season is a time for merry making, which is usually associated with delicious food and drink.  Maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits during this time of year is a challenge for even the most dedicated!  Follow these simple steps to help control holiday eating:

1.  Plan what you will eat.  When you arrive at a party, scope out all the food choices and make a deliberate decision about what you put on your plate.  Following a plan that includes some healhy choices of fruit, lean protein, and vegtables will help you sample foods you enjoy without abandoning healthy habits.

2.  Tastes, pinches, and bites DO count!  Make your food selection and then walk away from the table and enjoy your meal.  Close proximity to those tempting morsels can lead to continued eating, even if you are no longer hungry.

3.  Avoid alcohol and save your calories for the main meal.  Alcohol provides many calories and essentially no nutrients.  Do your waist line and your friends a favor this year and be the designated driver.

Remember that the holiday season is a time for friends and family.  Make sure the time you spend with your loved ones is your priority.  Happy Holidays from all of us here at St. David’s Bariatric Center!

 

It’s Time for a Candid Conversation

September 15, 2011 in Community, Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle Tips, Weight Loss with 0 Comments

A recent survey found that the majority of patients (86%) who had a weight loss surgery procedure wish they’d had it sooner, and physicians echo this sentiment, wishing they had suggested it sooner to some of their patients. With the rising obesity rates across the US, it’s time for us to have a candid conversation with our doctor about weight management options and get on the path to lasting weight loss…our health depends on it!

If you are struggling with your weight and have concerns about the impact on your health, then weight loss surgery may be right for you. We invite you to attend a free seminar where you will hear honest and reliable about weight loss surgery from one of our bariatric surgeons.

Click here to register for the seminar.

 

4 Common Misconceptions about Weight Loss Surgery

September 1, 2011 in Diet, Lifestyle Tips, Weight Loss, Women with 0 Comments

In making an informed decision about Weight Loss Surgery, you need to have truthful and complete information. There are some misunderstandings about weight loss surgery that seem to be fairly common.

I would like to address those for you:

  1. The procedures are not covered by insurance companies – Not true. Many insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover weight loss surgery. If you have questions about whether this would be covered by your policy, please click here for suggestions on the type of questions you should address with your insurance company.
  2. Your diet and exercise days are over! – Not true. Weight loss surgery is a very powerful tool that assists with weight loss. However, it does not eliminate your responsibility to make wise, healthy food choices, and engage in regular exercise. Food choices and regular exercise will always be at the heart of any successful weight management plan.
  3. The things you eat will be severely restricted after Weight Loss Surgery – Not true. While the amount you eat is limited by the formation of a new, much smaller stomach pouch, the types of food you eat, after you have progressed and recovered from the surgery, are unchanged. You will receive education on making the right food choices to ensure lasting success, but your diet is certainly not limited.
  4. Having Weight Loss Surgery is too risky – Every treatment option carries a risk. So does staying where you are, especially if you have already been diagnosed with obesity related illnesses, such as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, sleep apnea, gastric reflux, and arthritis among others. What are your risks of suffering health related consequences by staying at your current weight? Please discuss this with your doctor, and do some investigation on the actual risks associated with Weight Loss Surgery.

Learn the facts about Weight Loss Surgery and make the best decision for you! Please register for our free seminar to hear a bariatric surgeon discuss Weight Loss Surgery.

~ Rebecca