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Think Healthy. Act Healthy. Stay Healthy.
March 2011
March is National Nutrition Month®
National Nutrition Month®" is a federally registered service mark of the American Dietetic Association
In accordance with National Nutrition Month®, the second
campaign of the 2010/2011 school year, Bon Appétit, is Calculating your calorie needs
already under way! From now until March 31st we
encourage everyone to place a spotlight on your eating To estimate your resting calorie needs for the entire day
habits, because making healthy food choices results in a (your daily RMR), you can visit the Shape Up America!
much better lifestyle. With that said, let’s briefly review Metabolism calculator at http://www.shapeup.org/
what a healthy eating plan is. interactive/rmr1.php or you can calculate it yourself using
the Harris‐Benedict equation:
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a healthy Females: RMR = 655.1 + 9.6W + 1.9S – 4.7A
eating plan:
Males: RMR = 66.5 + 13.8W + 5.0S – 6.8A
Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat‐
(values have been rounded for simplicity; W = body weight in kg
free or low‐fat milk and milk products
[weight in pounds/2.2]; S = stature in cm; A = age)
Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and
nuts
Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt
(sodium), and added sugars
Understanding your calorie needs
Stays within your daily calorie needs
Whether or not your weight changes depends on a simple
For this newsletter, we are going to focus exclusively on the rule: Weight change = calories in – calories out.
last tip because understanding your calorie needs is one of Accordingly, knowing the minimum number of calories
the most important steps to achieving and maintaining a your body needs (your RMR) is important if you're trying
healthy weight, which in turn will contribute to your overall to lose, gain or maintain your current weight. Focusing on
health and well being. weight loss, in particular, knowing your RMR is important
because restricting your calories too severely (below your
Metabolism and Resting Metabolic Rate
RMR) is detrimental to your body and actually counterpro‐
Even when you are at rest your body is not. Your heart is ductive when it comes to losing weight. Why?
beating, you are breathing, and your body is carrying out
The best way to explain this is to remind everyone of the
other basic physiological functions (i.e., circulating blood,
analogy—powering your body is like fueling your car. For
making blood cells, generating body heat, perspiring to keep
instance, both use “fuel” as they are “idle;” but they burn
cool, transmitting messages to your brain, and producing
fuel at a much faster rate when they are in motion.
thousands of body chemicals). Collectively, all of this work is
Considering this, what happens if you choke off the supply
referred to as your “metabolism.” It should not be surprising
of gas to your car engine? It sputters and eventually stalls.
that this work requires energy and thus your body is burning
The same is true for your metabolism. If you cut your food
calories even when you are “idle.” The work (energy) needed
intake BELOW your RMR, your body fights back by
to keep the aforementioned involuntary body processes
DECREASING its metabolic rate. What this means is that
going is called your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). In other
even though you may think you are helping yourself to
words, your RMR is the minimum number of calories your
lose weight by restricting your calorie intake, your body is
body needs to support its basic life functions.
actually doing everything it can to conserve calories
(primarily as fat). This happens because if are eating an
insufficient amount of food to meet your RMR, you will
Understanding your calorie needs, cont. Moderate calorie restriction
not be eating enough to maintain your body's functions The first step to determining a moderate calorie restriction is
properly, and consequently your body is forced to make to figure out your Total Daily Calorie Requirement. To do so,
tradeoffs. Specifically, here are some of the many multiply your RMR by one of the following activity factors:
consequences associated with severely restricting your Sedentary (little or no exercise): 1.2
calorie intake for an extended period of time: Light (light exercise/sports 1‐3 d/wk): 1.375
Slowed metabolism Moderate (moderate exercise/sports 3‐5 d/wk): 1.55
Fatigue and listlessness Very active (hard exercise/sports 6‐7 d/wk): 1.725
Difficulty exercising or working
Weakened immune system—sick more often and for Try and aim for a gradual weight loss of 1 lb of fat per week
longer (which is usually associated with additional weight loss due
Females may lose their reproductive capacity to other bodily changes). How can you successfully do this?
Muscle deterioration, including heart & skeletal— the You will need to create an "energy deficit" of 3,500 calories
body will break down muscle in its desperate search in order to lose 1 lb of fat. Spreading that energy deficit over
for calories. This even further compromises your a week, you will need to decrease your calorie intake by
metabolism seeing as muscle has a higher metabolic 500/day. If you then subtract 500 calories from your Total
rate than fat. Daily Calorie Requirement (RMR x Activity Factor), that is
Higher body fat percent—in combination with muscle your “moderate calorie restriction” number. Importantly
loss, the body prepares for “starvation” by though, if that calorie level is below your RMR, you should
“conserving” energy and storing calories as fat do 1 of 2 things: 1) decrease your calories by just 250/day; or
Weakened bones 2) use exercise to boost your deficit (i.e., you can create a
Brittle hair and skin problems 500 calorie deficit by restricting your food intake by 250
Bad breath due to the burning of ketones calories and walking off the other 250 calories (i.e., walk 2.5
Mood changes miles/day—5,000 steps). The beauty of this combined
Psychological changes—dementia & depression approach is that the restriction is milder plus you reap the
health benefits of exercise.
Important tips for lifelong success
What is the best strategy for managing your weight throughout
your life? A positive “can do” attitude and the right kind of
motivation!
Whether your objective is weight loss, weight gain, or weight
maintenance, lifelong success depends on some new ways of
thinking.
1. Make health, not appearance, your priority. Strive to
achieve “your best weight” for health—that’s not
necessarily the lowest weight you could be.
2. Set realistic, attainable goals—for you! Start with your
current weight or your lifestyle, not where you want to
be. The challenge of trimming 5lbs at a time may seem
more doable than losing 25 or more pounds.
3. Focus on a healthy lifestyle—for a lifetime—not on
“dieting.” You need to be willing to LOSE WEIGHT
Needless to say, for good health and effective weight
SLOWLY by restricting calories only modestly.
loss you need to know your RMR and avoid restricting 4. Focus your strategies: action‐oriented and specific.
your calorie intake below that number. As a rule of Perhaps you will walk for 30 minutes each day during
your lunch break, or you will drink milk rather than
thumb, <1200 in women and <1500 calories in men is
soda at your lunch.
usually considered “severe calorie restriction.” For
5. Be realistic with your self‐talk. Skip the absolutes—
this reason, aim to practice a “moderate” calorie
”always,” “never,’ and “must.”
restriction. It is the safest and healthiest weight loss
6. Cut yourself some slack. Nobody’s perfect. Allow for
approach (in combination with an exercise program).
occasional slipups w/o feeling guilty.
TPS Employee Spotlight!
My name is Kari Ferguson
and I am FINALLY healthy!
taking classes at the gym ‐ yoga led to weight lifting, which
led to interval training. I quickly met my goal of 53 pounds
and found myself teetering on the edge of the 300‐pound
“It has not always been this way. I have been overweight mark. In February, I started the Couch to 5K program and
since my young teenage years. My weight continued to today I call myself a runner. A year and a half from when I
climb through my adult years until I reached 360 pounds. I started, I now weigh 190 pounds and have lost 166
wanted to have a child and my doctor told me that I pounds! I exercise 6 days a week for 40‐60 minutes a day.
needed to lose weight or I would have a difficult time with I’ve learned (and am still learning!) to use food as fuel for
pregnancy. I started working out and lost nearly 60 pounds my body.
before becoming pregnant. Two amazing children later (a
The best advice that I could give to someone starting out
boy and a girl), I was back up to 356 pounds. I knew that
on a weight loss journey is to set small, realistic goals.
through exercise and eating healthy I’d be able to lose
When I started this journey, I did not set out to lose 166
weight ; but because I was working full time and had two
pounds; nevertheless, with each new goal accomplished, I
small children, it was much more difficult to get into a
realized that I could do more. I hit 299 and wanted to be
routine. For this reason, I turned to the Internet to look for
275. I got to 275 and realized that I *could* be below 250.
a solution that would fit into my hectic schedule. I wasn’t
Two hundred and fifty pounds came and went and I found
looking for a quick fix, but something that would change
myself aiming for below 200. Below 200! I remember
my life forever! I had used SparkPeople in the past, but not
being 220 pounds in middle school ‐ could I really be below
consistently. I quickly realized that for long‐term and
200? Our bodies are amazing, but we have to give them
lasting results, I would need to continue exercising and
time to adjust to our new goals.”
drastically change my eating habits and thus SparkPeople
was the answer for me! ——Kari Ferguson, Edison Elementary
I officially began my weight loss journey on
June 19th, 2009 and my “beginning” goal
was to return to my pre‐pregnancy weight
(to lose 53lbs). SparkPeople played a
significant role in helping me to accomplish
this goal for a number of reasons: 1) based
on my goal I was recommended the types
and amounts of foods I should be eating;
2) I was able to track my food intake and
exercise; and 3) the community message
boards helped to further motivate me by
providing encouragement and advice.
Accordingly, the weight started melting
right off! I was consistently losing 1‐2
pounds a week.
Because of this great success, I decided to
further my progress by making some
modifications to my exercise regimen.
Rather than just walking on the treadmill
and participating in water aerobics, I began
Personalized diet and fitness Save the Date!
plans—for FREE
The Sound Partnership will be holding a Health
and Safety Fair at Foss High School on Saturday,
SparkPeople.com is America's #1 weight loss and April 9, 2011 from 11:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
fitness website. Over 9 million people have joined Here are some of the MANY reasons why you should
SparkPeople to lose weight and make healthy life‐ attend the fair:
style changes. Major media outlets like Good
1. There will be FREE health screenings (i.e., blood
Morning America, The Today Show, and People
pressure, height, weight, BMI, body fat analysis)
Magazine regularly feature successful SparkPeople
members and talk about how this is a completely 2. There will be activities, such as a Step to
FREE site. C.H.A.N.G.E. Walking Program demonstration
SparkPeople's mission is to SPARK millions of 3. There will be a large number of health and safety
PEOPLE to live healthier lives and reach their goals. exhibitors distributing FREE information and
giveaways
Make Healthy Living Fun & Easy With Tools, Con‐
Calorie counter, workout tracker, exercise (tote) bag filled w/materials and goodies will be
demos & videos given to each family that attends!
Connect with others, like you, using support you and your family members to make positive health
teams and safety behavior changes. We hope to see you
there!
WEA Select Medical Plan Applause
Enrollees The Sound Partnership applauds and thanks those
who participated in the Gym Membership
As of February 1, you can take the WebMD® Campaign. The first 20 employees to join one of the
HealthQuotient online health assessment to receive participating gyms between January 10th and
detailed, personalized advice to help you focus on your February 10th were entered into the appropriate
specific health needs. If you are one of the first 10,000 drawings. Here are the winners!
eligible plan participants to complete the assessment 6 Months FREE at Allstar Fitness
between February 1 and April 11 you will receive $50! Angela Lawall
So take the assessment TODAY! L.A. Fitness Starter Kit
1. Go to www.premera.com/wea. Tracy Hayes
2. Click “Take the HealthQuotient.” Carla Santorno
Carolyn Devereaux
3. Complete the confidential assessment, which should
Bally Total Fitness Gym Bag
take about 20 minutes.
Patricia Laferriere
**There was Information in this newsletter that was adapted 3 Months FREE at Pierce/Kitsap County YMCA’s
from the Shape Up America! Website and the American Angela Godwin
Dietetic Association “Complete Food and Nutrition Guide” Carol Bryant