GETTING DOWN TO A HEALTHIER YOU. YMCA Healthy Lifestyle Program YMCA OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA

Transcription

1 GETTING DOWN TO A HEALTHIER YOU YMCA Healthy Lifestyle Program YMCA OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome... page 2 Tracking for Success... page 3 Know Your Fat Gram Goal... page 4 Know Your Fats... page 5 The Nutrition Label... page 6 Food for Fuel... page 7 Where Do Healthy Calories Come From?... page 7 How to Be Successful... page 8 Barriers and Expectations... page 8 Goal Setting... page 9 Weight Loss Myths... page 10 Your Physician s Role... page 10

3 WELCOME LET S GET STARTED! Welcome to the YMCA Healthy Lifestyle Program! This program is successful because it isn t a diet. At the Y, we know firsthand how difficult it can be to find balance in life. Our program is the start of a lifestyle that will help you achieve the health you want; you will learn about eating right, being active, and managing life at the same time! The Y helps people everywhere develop the skills and relationships they need to be healthy, confident and connected to others. Your convenient once-a-week meetings are there for you as a support network and to increase your accountability to this commitment... the commitment to a healthier YOU! Our program is built on three key principles: 1. Goal setting: The key to achieving anything! 2. Tracking: Tracking your intake and activity is one of the main determinants of weight loss success. 3. Attendance: Making sure that you are accountable to your commitment and that you are there to support your fellow group members.

4 TRACKING FOR SUCCESS The core of the success of the YMCA Healthy Lifestyle Program is tracking. Self-monitoring of food intake and activity is one of the biggest predictors of weight loss. KEY SUCCESS FACTORS Honesty Accuracy WHAT DOES TRACKING PROVIDE? Reflection, so we don t just eat and forget Motivation to make better choices Feedback for increased awareness Accountability for our actions WHAT DO WE TRACK? Fat grams WHY FAT GRAMS? Research has found that tracking fat grams is an effective way of controlling calorie intake and is easier for the participant! The Y uses this tracking system with our program because of the ease and success of this method. LETS SEE WHAT TRACKING LOOKS LIKE: Make sure to use accurate measurements! For example: 1 / 2 cup, 1 tbsp, 1 serving, 1 packet. Time Food Calories Fat 7:00 am 2 whole medium eggs, scrambled 8g 1 piece whole grain toast 1g 1 tbsp jelly 0g 1 cup coffee 0g 1 packet Splenda 0g 1 tbsp fat-free creamer 0g TOTAL 9g HOW DO I TRACK ACTIVITY? Type of Activity Minutes Walking, medium pace 25 min Mowed grass 45 min Push-ups 10 min TOTAL 80 min YOUR TURN For practice, only track the time of day, food, and amount eaten at your last meal. YOUR TURN For practice, add any activities that you did over the last week in the activity table. Time Food Calories Fat Type of Activity Minutes TOTAL TOTAL Did you use enough detail? Ask your facilitator!!

5 KNOW YOUR FAT GRAM GOAL Fat is an important part of a balanced diet. It is a rich source of energy that can help you feel fuller longer. It provides vital nutrients including Vitamins A, D, E and K, and also heart healthy omega fatty acids. Your fat gram goal is based on the fact that, for weight loss, it is recommended that you eat 20% of your diet from fat. For ease and increased weight loss success, we track the grams of fat we eat throughout the day. The charts below show suggested Fat Gram Goals based on gender, height, body weight and activity level for weight loss. Fat Carbohydrates Protein 30% 50% 20% FEMALE, LOW ACTIVITY LEVEL (less than 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week) ht wt 5' 5'1'' 5'2'' 5'3'' 5'4'' 5'5'' 5'6'' 5'7'' 5'8'' 5'9'' FEMALE, HIGH ACTIVITY LEVEL (more than 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week) ht wt 5' 5'1'' 5'2'' 5'3'' 5'4'' 5'5'' 5'6'' 5'7'' 5'8'' 5'9'' MALE, LOW ACTIVITY LEVEL (less than 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week) ht wt 5' 5'1'' 5'2'' 5'3'' 5'4'' 5'5'' 5'6'' 5'7'' 5'8'' 5'9'' 5'10'' 5'11'' 6' 6'1'' 6'2' MALE, HIGH ACTIVITY LEVEL (less than 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week) ht wt 5' 5'1'' 5'2'' 5'3'' 5'4'' 5'5'' 5'6'' 5'7'' 5'8'' 5'9'' 5'10'' 5'11'' 6' 6'1'' 6'2'

6 KNOW YOUR FATS Decreasing your fat intake will help you to lower your daily caloric intake and reduce your risk of heart disease. Nutrients, or calories, come from four sources: carbohydrates, protein, alcohol and fat. There are four different types of fat: saturated, trans, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. To keep it simple: Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, whereas unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Note that unsaturated fats are considered your healthier fats. Both saturated and unsaturated fats contain 9 calories per gram. That means that this nutrient has more calories per gram than any other, making it the densest source of calories. Carbs= 4 calories/gram Protein = 4 calories/gram Alcohol = 7 calories/gram Fat = 9 calories/gram FAT SOURCES Your goal is to meet your suggested fat gram goal by including more unsaturated fat sources and fewer saturated and trans fat sources in your diet. WHAT ARE TRANS FATS? Trans fats are man-made fats that are found in processed foods. They are less expensive and have a longer shelf life than saturated fats. Unfortunately, they are very damaging to the body, increasing your risk for heart disease and stroke. Try to avoid trans fats as much as possible in your food selections. Unhealthy Fats saturated fats trans fats Healthy Fats polyunsaturated fats monounsaturated fats Sources foods from animals certain plant oils partially hydrogenated vegetable oils Sources certain plant oils certain plant oils Examples whole milk, cream, ice cream, whole milk cheeses, butter, lard and meats palm, kernel and coconut oils, cocoa butter cookies, crackers, cakes, French fries, fried onion rings, donuts (also sources of saturated fat) Examples safflower, sesame, soy, corn and sunflower-seed oils, nuts and seeds olive, canola and peanut oils, avocados Source: American Heart Association, Americanheart.org

7 THE NUTRITION LABEL A nutrition label (food label) tells us what kind of nutrients are provided in the food we eat. Food labels can be a great tool to help us pick out healthy foods, figure out appropriate serving sizes, and identify other nutrient sources. However, in order to use them to our advantage, we need to learn how to read them quickly and correctly. Food Label Section Serving Size Calories Limit These Get Enough of These % Daily Value What to Know Always check the serving size is that the right amount for you? Just because it s fat-free or sugar-free doesn t mean it s low in calories! Limit foods that are high in saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and sodium Choose foods that are high in vitamins, fiber, calcium, iron and potassium 5% and below is low; 20% and above is high WHAT ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS? Ingredients are listed in descending order, listing the item that was used in the largest amount first. Be leery of claims found on food packaging. Use your new food labeling skills to make sure the nutrients on the box match the claim the manufacturer is making.

8 FOOD FOR FUEL Eating to fuel your body is a new concept for many. Using food for fuel means looking at food as a source of energy, carefully considering everything you eat. Ask yourself, Why am I eating this? Does my body need this? With those ideas in mind, it s important to look at food as a source of healthy or unhealthy calories. Sources of healthy calories provide our bodies with nutrients including protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. So, which foods provide vital nutrients to our diets? WHERE DO HEALTHY CALORIES COME FROM? CARBOHYDRATES Carbohydrates provide immediate energy to complete the activities of your day and provide fiber for a healthy digestive track. Healthy Carbohydrate Sources: Whole grains Whole wheat bread Whole wheat crackers Whole wheat pasta Brown rice Whole grain cereals Whole fruits PROTEIN Protein helps build lean muscle mass and keeps you fuller, longer. Healthy (Lean) Protein Sources: Lean meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey) Seafood Beans Eggs Nuts and nut spreads Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) FATS Fats provide heart healthy nutrients like Omega 3, 6, and 9 s and keep you feeling fuller, longer. Healthy Fat Sources (Unsaturated Fat): Nuts and nut spreads Vegetable oils (ex. olive oil) Fatty fish (ex. salmon) Avocados

9 HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL In the YMCA Healthy Lifestyle Program, small lifestyle changes involving diet, exercise, and behavior modification will lead you to success. In this program, we track fat grams; however, the larger picture of calorie intake vs. output is what ultimately leads to change in body weight. We will discuss how to lower the fat in our diets, but we will also continuously discuss how to tip the calorie balance. This means using more calories than we are consuming. 1 lb of body weight = 3,500 calories In order to lose a pound a week, you need to decrease your calorie intake and increase your energy output by 500 calories per day. How do we do this? Tracking and physical activity! For example, in order to cut out 500 calories a day (or 3,500 calories a week), you can: Decrease your caloric intake by 250 calories & walk 2.5 miles (Walking/jogging burns approximately 100 calories per mile) LET S DO THE MATH! Note: For this example, this person needs 2,000 calories to maintain their weight. To lose 1 lb per week, they need to decrease their daily calorie intake vs. output by 500 calories. 2,000 Calories Calories (burned walking/jogging 2.5 miles) = 1,750 Calories Calories (decreased intake smaller nighttime snack) = 1,500 Calories It s all a balancing act! BARRIERS Throughout your weight loss journey, many barriers will potentially get in your way. Pros Lack of motivation Lack of time Setbacks Lack of support Don t let barriers get in the way of your success! In order to overcome barriers, you must first make your health a PRIORITY and second see that the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to lifestyle change. Cons List some of the pros and cons of lifestyle change. Do the pros outweigh the cons? When you feel that you have a barrier in your way, use this list to renew your motivation to continue on your weight loss journey.

10 GOAL SETTING & EXPECTATIONS Now that we are ready for change, it s time to learn how we can get there! Setting small, attainable goals throughout your weight loss journey will make it easier for you to reach your larger weight loss goals. It is important to set goals weekly and to build on those goals in order for you to change your behaviors and get the results you want! For goal setting, think SMART! Goals need to be. Specific What specific action or event is going to take place? Measurable How are you going to measure your success? Attainable Is this goal achievable? Realistic/Relevant Is this goal a stepping stone to the larger picture weight loss? Timely How much time do you have to achieve this goal? SMART Goal Example: I go to the movies every Friday. My goal is to bring a snack from home (grapes) starting this Friday. Is it SMART? Specific: Bringing grapes to the movies Measurable: Every Friday Attainable: I believe I can reach this goal Realistic/relevant: Grapes have fewer calories than buttered popcorn, so this change will help me reduce my fat intake and lead to increased weight loss Timely: Starting this Friday Specific: Measurable: Attainable: Realistic/relevant: Timely: You will make a new goal for yourself every week on the back of your food and activity tracker. This is a very important part of your success. Write it at the beginning of the week and refer back to it daily. Your Weight Loss Expectations: When setting actual weight loss goals, it is still important to stay SMART! Keeping your expectations for yourself realistic is crucial because you want to be continuously setting yourself up for success. So, how much weight is realistic? It is recommended for you to lose no more than lbs a week. Not every week will be a weight loss week, meaning that there will be weeks where you just maintain or even gain weight and that s OK. Just keep your goals SMART and stay motivated! YOUR TURN: MY GOAL IS TO...

11 WEIGHT LOSS MYTHS MYTH #1: I can track my intake in my head People tend to overestimate their physical activity and underestimate their intake. Don t rely on eyeballing your fat intake or trying to estimate it. Instead, every day, write down what you eat, the corresponding fat grams, and your physical activity. MYTH #2: I shouldn t snack if I m trying to lose weight You can eat three times a day or six times a day, as long as you have the same fat gram intake. Snacking is actually encouraged for weight loss in order to ward off hunger! Snacking is especially important when fueling and recovering from workouts. MYTH #3: Low-carb diets are a good way to lose weight Low-carb diets are a dangerous way to lose weight. Carbohydrates are what give you the energy to complete your day. It s important to eat healthy sources of carbohydrates like whole grains and whole fruits, and these foods should be making up about 50% of your daily intake. MYTH #4: If low-fat is good, no fat is better We are watching our fat gram intake, but less is not necessarily better. Your goal tells you how much fat you should eat each day. Not eating enough fat can be dangerous for your health. If you find yourself continuously not hitting your fat gram goal, discuss with your facilitator how to increase your fat intake. MYTH #5: Certain foods are OFF LIMITS No foods are off limits. You just need to make sure that you track everything and work to fit it into your day! MYTH #6: It s all about the scale There is a lot more to lifestyle change than what it says on the scale. Yes, it s important to keep track of your weight, but there are other markers to look for: body composition, blood work, energy level, self-esteem. These are things that you can t find on a scale. You may notice clothes fitting differently before you see actual weight loss. That is your body composition shifting, which is just as important as weight loss itself. MYTH #7: No eating past 7:00 pm Calories at 7am are the same as calories at 7pm. You have to make your way of eating fit into your life. If you enjoy a night time snack, that is perfectly fine. It s all about tracking and meeting your goals. If you are tracking and staying within your goals while having a night time snack, good for you! MYTH #8: Lifting weights will make me gain weight The more lean muscle mass you have on your body, the more calories you will burn naturally just sitting there! The way to build lean muscle mass is resistance training. Adding in some resistance training to your activity routine will help you lose weight. Make it a part of your regular workout routine! There is a lot of conflicting information out there, and you can t believe everything you read. Make sure to think critically about weight loss information, and consider the credibility of the source. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Healthy Weight - gov/healthyweight/index.html USDA American Dietetic Association - Calorie King - YOUR PHYSICIAN S ROLE The Y believes that all members must take responsibility for their own health. You should consult your physician before starting any new physical activity or weight loss program. Health-related information such as blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglycerides, and blood glucose levels are indicators of your overall health. It is important to know and understand these levels and make sure that you are receiving the proper medical attention for any health conditions you may have. The provided information should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Should you have any healthcare-related questions, please call or see your physician or other qualified healthcare provider promptly.

12 For questions or additional information about the YMCA Healthy Lifestyle Program, please contact: