Top Ten Strategies for an Energizing and Downsizing New Year!

By Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N.

It's time to make your New Year's resolutions. It seems most of the time these resolutions have something to do with losing weight and getting into shape. Here are some tips to jump-start your plans for 2005 and inspire you to stay on track.

1. GET A METABOLIC FINGERPRINT OF YOUR RESTING METABOLIC RATE.

What is a metabolic fingerprint? It's the result of a simple 10-minute breath test using a handheld device called Body Gem to measure oxygen consumption, which provides a precise number reflecting an individual's metabolic rate. Metabolism plays such a significant role in overall health, fitness and wellness that it accounts for up to 75 percent of the total energy our bodies use each day. In fact, metabolism is such a critical factor in achieving and maintaining a successful weight management program and healthy lifestyle, that two people with the same eating and exercise habits can experience very different results, because their metabolic fingerprints are different. An accurate measurement of a person's metabolic fingerprint has become the missing piece of information helping scores of individuals finally achieve their healthy lifestyle goals - whatever they might be.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all program, knowing one's unique metabolic fingerprint enables people to create a customized plan, regardless of which diet or exercise regimen they choose.

"This vital piece of individualized information was crucial. I changed my eating habits and lifestyle to adjust my caloric intake. I got smaller, but am living a lot larger - and I owe that to my metabolism measurement," said Autumn Conley who achieved, and continues to maintain, her lifelong weight goal.

"Knowing my metabolic rate gave me the edge. I balanced my nutrition and exercise program to meet my body's needs. A little knowledge goes a long way," said William Randolph, who has been training for his first metric century bike ride.

You can set up a resting metabolic rate appointment by calling 254-5255. Resting metabolic rate analysis is $60. It will take about 20 minutes for the analysis and another 30 minutes for some nutritional and exercise guidance from Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N.

2. KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU EAT AND HOW ACTIVE YOU ARE.

Write it down. Keeping track of what you eat will keep you on track if you are trying to lose weight. You can order a 7 -day food and activity diary from KHF for $1.50 or just keep a notebook of your meals, snacks and activity. When people who have maintained their weight loss for over two years were asked what was helped them the most, they consistently said, keeping a food and activity diary.

3. MOVE IT.

If you are not active, buy yourself a pedometer and try to take at least 10,000 steps per day (approximately 2,000 steps per mile). You can purchase a Digi Walker Pedometer from KHF for $32.80. It will record steps, miles per day and how many calories you have burned over the day (not extremely accurate but it will give you an idea). Getting started is the hardest part of establishing an active lifestyle. It's very easy to procrastinate!

4. FIND A BUDDY OR GROUP TO WORK OUT WITH.

Armed with these tools, weight loss can be achieved. However, some people many need the help of a personal trainer or a personal nutrition coach to get more individualized support. While this is not an inexpensive endeavor, it may help you reach your goals more effectively. Others may want to join an exercise group - like a running/walking group that's training for the Triple Crown of Running, become a member of a local fitness center where you can attend fitness classes or even start a walking group with one of your neighbors.

The Triple Crown of Running/miniMarathon/Marathon teams are getting organized in the January. Here are a few groups to consider joining:

•  TEAM Crusade participants raise $250 for the Crusade for Children.
•  Kentucky Derby Festival has a free program with Jewish Hospital (584-6383 ext. 833 or www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com/training).
•  The YMCA's program costs $25 (www.ymca.org).
•  Southeast Christian Church will have a program with a workbook for $25.
•  Fleet Feet Sports (www.fleetfeetlouisville.com or 479-8786) will also have a program.

5. FIND A PLACE TO WORK OUT IN THE COLD WEATHER.

If the winter weather is stopping you from walking/jogging, you can go indoors. You may not be able to afford to belong to a fitness center or purchase your own treadmill, but many local churches have indoor fitness facilities or gyms. In addition, all of the malls have walking programs. Most of the local malls even open their doors early before the crowds begin and offer a warm, well-lit, safe place to walk.

6. EAT THREE MEALS AND TWO SNACKS PER DAY.

If you are trying to lose or maintain weight, it's critical that you eat enough food, but that you don't overdo it. Once you establish how many calories you need per day, you can create some menus to follow. Use the Food Guide Pyramid as the backbone of your meal plan to ensure that you are getting a balance of nutrients each day. Or if you are not into menu planning you can order a set of menus from KHF, which is a 28-day cycle of menus (with recipes) ranging from 1500-1800 calories. The menus are easy to follow and easy to prepare.

7. FOLLOW THE FIVE-A-DAY FRUIT AND VEGETABLE RULE.

Instead of snacking on bags of chips, snack on bags of baby carrots. They are crunchy, easy to fix and eat. Fresh fruit is an easy snack to take to work and have in your desk drawer. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals and will help fight the battle of the bulge because their fiber content makes them very filling. The latest research has suggested that 46 percent of Americans say they typically only eat one or two servings of fruit per day; 37 percent say they eat three to four servings per day and only 12 percent of Americans eat the recommended five or more servings per day!

8. WHEN HUNGER HITS, REACH FOR YOUR WATER BOTTLE FIRST.

Sometimes when you feel hungry, you may be thirsty instead. Most people don't drink enough water each day, so reach for your water bottle first and make sure you are hydrated before you start eating. Understanding hunger is very important to combating the battle of the bulge.

9. PAY ATTENTION TO PORTION SIZES.

Make sure you serve your meals on a plate no larger than 9 inches. The larger the plate the bigger the portion. Here are some visualization cues for standard portion sizes:

One serving of grain products should look like:

• 1 cup of cereal flakes = a women's fist
• 1 pancake = a compact disk
• 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta, or potato = 1/2 of a baseball
• 1 piece of cornbread = a bar of soap

One serving of dairy and cheese products should look like:

•  1 1/2 oz. of cheese = 4 stacked dice or 2 cheese slices
•  1/2 cup ice cream = 1/2 baseball

One serving of fruits and vegetables should look like:

• 1 cup of salad greens = a baseball
• 1 baked potato = a woman's fist
• 1 medium piece of fruit = a baseball
• 1/2 cup raisins = 1 large egg

One serving of meat and meat alternatives should look like:

• 3 oz. meat and poultry = a deck of cards
• 3 oz. grilled/baked fish = a checkbook
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter = a ping-pong ball

(See this month's "Hot Stuff" for more information on portion sizes).

10. EAT OUT LESS AND EAT AT HOME MORE.

Consistently eating out can cause the ring around the waist to appear very quickly if you are not careful. The portion sizes in most restaurants are way too large and most people can't resist eating the whole thing! However, when you eat at home, not only do you have to cook the food (that means burning some by preparing the food) but you can serve yourself and your family reasonable portions. If you want to cook more healthfully, invest in a good cookbook with low-fat, low-calorie recipes.

Tools You Need to Get Started

(You will need to make an appointment for this 20-minute analysis - 254-5255).

You can make your checks out to: Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine, P.O. Box 436387 , Louisville , KY 40253 . *Amount listed includes shipping, handling and tax.

Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N., is the publisher and nutrition editor of KHF and a runner, cyclist and hiker.