Do you need help from the experts at Transylvania Regional Hospital?
Call 828-883-5402 or visit Transylvania Regional Hospital’s Support Services Page for information on Nutritional Counseling Services - Our registered dietician works with patients to create a healthy
diet that fits their tastes and lifestyle.

Excellence in Delivery of Bariatric Surgical Care
Mission Hospital and its bariatric surgery program offered through the Mission Weight Management Center at Mission Hospital have been designated as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Surgical Review Corporation®*.

Mission Health Weight Management Options:
Surgical Weight Loss Options 

Medical (non-surgical) Weight Management

Individual Nutritional Counseling

For more information about Mission’s Weight Management Program
call 828-213-4100 or visit Mission Health.

Secret  to Weight Loss Success
Candace Krebs, RD, CDE, LDN 

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) contains more than 10,000 individuals who are members of their long-term database of people who have succeeded in losing at least 30 pounds and have kepttheir weight off for a year or more. 
Mission Hospital’s Healthy Weight Program is based on the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) strategies. 

The Registry tracks strategies the members have used to maintain their weight loss. 
Some of their habits include:

• Following a low calorie low fat diet
• Cutting back on sugars/sweets and eating more vegetables and fruits
• Keeping a food diary
• Eating breakfast every day
• Eating out less than once a week
• Weighing themselves at least once a week
• Watching less than 10 hours of TV per week
• Exercising about 1 hour per day

The NWCR also tracks how people take the weight off.  Half of the members lost weight on their own and half enrolled in some type of program.  It was reported that 98% modified their diet in some way and 94% became more physically active. Most reported their activity as walking.

One of the keys to permanent weight loss is to focus on healthy lifestyle changes. Eat a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats, reduce portion sizes, focus on fresh whole foods, manage stress and emotional eating and get adequate rest and exercise.  Remember that weight maintenance is accomplished by continuing the same healthy lifestyle it took to lose the weight in the first place. 

Click here to find out more about the National Weight Control Registry and other resources.

• Other good resources is the book “Thin for Life: 10 Keys to Success from People Who Have Lost Weight and Kept It Off” by Anne M. Fletcher.
• There are many smart phone apps available that make tracking calorie intake easy and convenient such as: Lose it, My Fitness Pal, Calorie King and SparkPeople.

To be successful losing weight you need to make sure that you are eating the correct amount of calories and getting the right amount exercise each and every day. Knowing the calorie count for everything you eat, remembering to record each bite that you consume and recording your activity minutes isn’t always easy.  But, there’s hope with new
weight-loss tools created for your smart phone. Best of all, these apps are all free downloads and available on most popular smart phone platforms . “Here’s a list of the best apps for exercise, healthy eating and keeping track that that Jennifer Cohen, Forbes.com (Jan. 2013) put together.

1. Lose it! This free app lets you look up food to track calories AND track your exercise in the
same app. Just input your current weight and your goal weight, and Lose it! will give you a
fairly accurate estimate of how many calories to eat per day, and how long it should take to
reach that goal...You can also scan the barcodes of almost any item and automatically pull
calorie and nutritional info from a huge online database, which really helps when you’re
grabbing a pre-packed lunch on the go and still want to stay within your daily budgets. A
must-have app! Free: Apple, Android.

2. Fooducate Fooducate helps you spot tricky non-health foods quickly by cutting your research time in half. Simply scan the barcode and Fooducate will give you a rating for the food scanned based on calorie counts per serving, processing techniques and amount of excess sugar. If you want to save time and choose health, go grocery shopping with Fooducate. Free: Apple, Android

3. Locavore To get the maximum amount of nutrients from food I always recommend eating fresh foods over packaged or processed. Timing is important as well; one study even showed that spinach harvested in-season had three times the Vitamin C as when it was harvested out of season! The basic rule is the farther it is from the vine, the less nutrients it has. Locavore tells you what’s in season and how many days you have left to enjoy it at its full flavor. It can also use your phone’s GPS to find the closest places to buy locally grown, in-season produce. Free: Apple, Android

4. Nike Training Club Nike lives up to their “Just Do It” mantra- this app is a free personal trainer in your pocket. It has 30-45 minute timed workouts for cardio, toning and strength, videos for each move and a voiceover talking you though the workout, AND it pulls music from your own playlists to keep you motivated. Just choose a workout based on the time you have and the results you want, and press play. The step-by-step videos and integration with your own music library make this a fantastic workout app. Free: Apple

5. Endomondo Who couldn’t use a little extra motivation? If you’re a runner, biker or walker, this app will track your route via Google Maps, tracking your workout history to compare later. You can also create an account and get motivated by your friends every time you break a mile. You can even upgrade the app to work with special Polar heart rate monitors (my favorite!) Free: Apple, Android, Blackberry

6. My Fitness Pal From start-up, My Fitness Pal takes your weight, height, goal weight and lifestyle into account before giving its recommendations. Right away it breaks up your big goal into a smaller goal 1 month away from now, which is a fantastic motivator. You can also access calorie counts and nutritional information from local restaurants, taking the guesswork out of eating out. You can also access your calorie count online from any computer, and get some extra encouragement by sharing your progress with friends. Free: Apple, Android

7. Eat This, Not That! The Game While I can’t condone picking one less-bad fast food over another (chili dogs over cheeseburgers? Really?), the knowledge you get from this little game may help you in your next “hot zone” situation, where there are no good choices. If you’re going to play a game on your commute or while you’re on hold on a conference call you can pick up a few quick facts. Free: Apple, Android

Best Way to Lose Weight: Fad vs. Fact of Weight Loss
Laura Tolle, RD, CDE, LDN

There are over 6 million results returned when you Google fad diets.  People want to lose weight and they want to do it now, if not sooner.  But research shows when people lose more than 2 pounds per week in a short time they will regain that weight, plus add on a few more pounds.  So, how can you lose weight and keep it off? 

Simply put, fad diets are not the answer.  But how do you know if you are carrying out a fad diet?  Here are a few simple ways to determine if the diet you are considering is a fad diet. 

Put the diet to the test:

1. Does it promise results that sound too good to be true? ‘Lose 10 pounds in 10 days!”
2. Does it eliminate food groups? “No: dairy/wheat/meat…”
3. Does it promise to melt pounds without any exercise? “Lose weight while you sleep!”
4. Does it encourage eating combinations of foods at certain times and not at other times?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions then this diet is a fad diet and may not be safe or effective in the long run.
Click here for more information on popular fat diets.

But What Diet Will Work? 

1. Eat a little less - Moderate calorie restriction promotes weight loss.  It is important to eat balanced scheduled meals using portion control.  Americans typically eat off of large plates, often cleaning their plate.  Try using a smaller plate and avoid seconds.
2. Slow Down - Give yourself some time to enjoy your meal and recognize your fullness.  If you eat too much you are also probably consuming too much food which leads to excess calories leading to increased weight.
3. Write it or enter it – Try using a food journal or a tool like MyFitnesPal.com to record your food intake.  This will provide more information to help you see where you need to make adjustments in the future. 
4. Evaluate your current habits - Are you getting 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day? Are you drinking 6-8 cups of water? Focusing on adding good for you foods is just as important as subtracting or eliminating not so good choices.

The Mediterranean Diet for Weight Loss

Low in red meats, sugars and saturated fats and an emphasis on an active lifestyle, the Mediterranean Diet
is a balanced diet to promote good overall health and weight.  A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and reported by the Associated
Press, stated that Mediterranean-style diets led to a 30 percent lower risk of cardiovascular problems, compared
to a “low-fat diet” and is useful for weight loss, heart and brain health, and prevention of chronic diseases including cancer and diabetes.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean diet is a lifestyle change that places an emphasis on:

• Eating an abundance of food from plant-based sources (10 servings a day)
• Eating only locally grown, minimally processed foods
• Using olive oil as the principle fat in the diet (replace butter and cooking oils with it)
• Total fat consumption of less than 25-35 percent of the diet, with saturated fat no
  higher than 7 to 8 percent
• Low consumption of cheese and yogurt
• Twice a week, consumption of fish or poultry
• Up to seven eggs a week (in cooking or baking)
• Fresh fruit as a daily dessert
• Red meat only a few times per month
• Regular physical activity
• One glass a day of red wine
• The use of herbs and spices for flavoring rather than salts

Click here for Mediterranean Diet Recipes

It's Simple; to lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat.
Research suggests that safe weight loss involves combining a reduced-calorie diet with physical activity. Simply said; you need to at small portions and burn calories by exercising. Get 150 to 300 minutes of moderately intense or vigorous physical activity each week. Even 10 minutes of activity at a time can add up over the week. Click here for free cardio exercise videos.

Strengthen your muscles at least twice a week; strength-training builds more muscle and muscle helps you to burn more calories. Do strength-training exercises, lift weights, or work with rubber resistance bands. Click here for free weight-training videos.

Combining these healthy habits will help you to lose weight and keep it off. These practices may help lower your risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Click here for more information on portion sizes.

Diet Recommendations. What Diet Will Work For You?

Now that you’ve made the commitment to lose weight and get healthier, you’re probably wondering what diet to follow? Mission Health nutritionists recommend choosing from following healthy and sensible diets:

Weight Watchers

A tried and true weight-loss program that has been around for many years. Many people find its “points” system easy to follow and this program teaches good portion-control habits that can help you maintain your weight-loss. Its meetings-based system harnesses the power of group support and keeping up with times has added an online version. Weight Watcher’s meal plans, sensible eating, weight-loss pace has earned it praise from many experts.

The EatingWell Diet

EatingWell's 7-Day Weight-Loss Diet Meal Plan is designed to provide an overall healthy-eating program at five different daily caloric levels: 1,200, 1,400, 1,600, 1,800 and 2,000.

You: On a Diet

Dr Mehmet C. Oz and Michael F. Roizen's site: RealAge.com offers menu plans and exercise recommendations. You can customize your own menu plan, print shopping lists and it’s all free.

The Sonoma Diet

This diet is based on delicious recipes using staples of Mediterranean eating: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and nuts. The diet starts with a strident 10-day phase called "Wave One," which is calorie-restrictive but is supposed to help you lose your craving for eating sugar and highly processed foods. The diet does contain creative recipes and menus.

SparkPeople.com

This site offers a free four-stage diet program which uses tools, content, and support to help users make lifestyle changes. Users are prompted to enter height, weight, and amount they intend to exercise, as well as a target date and weight. The site then gives recommendations for calorie, fat, and carbohydrate intake based on calculated BMR, as well as a personalized fitness plan.

Tracking your daily calories is a great way to stay on track.

Here are some free calorie counters to help you keep track of your daily calorie in-take.

Lighten Up 4 Life Recommended Calorie & Fitness Trackers

• WebMd Fitness Food Planner
• Spark People Calorie Counter
• Livestrong Calorie Counter

In Addition To Staying Active, It’s Important To Start Your Day With A Healthy Breakfast

Studies show that if you start your day with a healthy breakfast, you have a better chance of losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight.

Here Are a Few Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Yogurt Parfait

8 ounces of light yogurt mixed with 2 tablespoons nuts and 1/2 cup berries
Nutritional Information: protein: 17.8g; carbs: 56g; fat: 17.8g; sugar: 45.7g; fiber: 4.4g
Calories: 335

Egg Sandwich

One egg white, scrambled, on a whole wheat English muffin with 1 ounce Canadian bacon and 1 slice low-fat cheese
Nutritional Information: protein: 21g; carbs: 28g; fat: 4.8g; sugar: 6g; fiber: 4.4g
Calories: 336

Oatmeal

Steel-cut (or regular or instant) oatmeal made with 1/2 cup skim milk, 2 tablespoons nuts, and 1 tablespoon molasses
Nutritional Information: protein: 11.5g; carbs: 50g; fat: 8g; sugar: 19g; fiber: 6.1g
Calories: 334

New Videos Help Grocery Shoppers Buy Healthier Foods

RALEIGH –A healthy diet starts in the grocery store, but knowing what to choose when you get there can be challenging.  The N.C. Division of Public Health in collaboration with N.C. Cooperative Extension has created Aisle by Aisle: Choosing Foods Wisely – a series of 12 free online videos to help North Carolinians navigate
their grocery store aisles.

The video series helps grocery shoppers with simple tips on making better choices when buying food for themselves and their families.

“Most people know they should eat a healthy diet to prevent disease and promote good health, but there is still a gap between what we know and what we do,” said Dr. Ruth Petersen, chief of the Chronic Disease and Injury Section in the Division of Public Health. “The videos provide great take-along messages with specific information about how to make smart choices for yourself and your family.”

Each video is approximately two minutes long and covers tips on how to shop, read nutrition labels and understand ingredient lists. Video hosts provide a range of choices to help consumers feel confident when buying and eating healthier food items.

“These videos were designed to specifically improve grocery shopper confidence in making better choices in food purchases,” said Dr. Carolyn Dunn, a nutrition specialist with N.C. Cooperative Extension. “They also help shoppers reach the goal of cooking and eating more meals at home – an important strategy for managing weight and controlling sodium, fat and sugar.”

The video series can be found on www.MyEatSmartMoveMore.com. Each video is accompanied by a tip sheet that provides specific tips for each aisle in the grocery store, from frozen foods to bread and snacks. The tip sheets are free to download and are sized to fit into a purse, pocket or coupon book for ready reference.

Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina is a statewide movement that promotes increased opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity wherever people live, learn, earn, play and pray. The N.C. Division of Public Health works to prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer, some of the leading causes of premature death and disability among North Carolinians.  For more information on healthful eating and active lifestyles, visit www.MyEatSmartMoveMore.com.

How To Stay Motivated When You’re Trying To Lose Weight

Let’s face it one of the toughest things to do when you are trying to lose weight is to stay motivated.  When any of us begin our weight-loss we’re excited, determined to do everything right and lose those unwanted pounds, but as time goes on and the weight-loss slows, we become frustrated.

It’s hard to stay consistent, eat the right amount of calories and resist every little temptation you come across on a day-to-day basis. But, if you can remind yourself of all the reasons you why you wanted to lose weight, you may be able to resist that 600-calorie piece-of-chocolate cake that is offered to you at the office birthday party. Try to stop for one second and ask yourself “Is that piece of cake really worth the frustration I’m going to feel when I get on the scale and see that I’ve gained weight?” Regrets have a way of lasting much longer than the taste of the chocolate cake!

Here are some tips to help you stay motivated

• Have your Lighten Up 4 Life team mates meet you for lunch every day. You’ll feel more accountable to eat better if your team is around and you’ll help everyone win!
• Find an exercise buddy (Perhaps one of your team mates). Exercise is an important component to losing weight and having an exercise buddy keeps you motivated on the days you might talk yourself out of working out.
• Treat yourself; if you are one those people who feels deprived when they don’t get a special treat every day, save 100-200 calories and give yourself something you’ll enjoy.
• Focus on the small victories; not on the entire amount of weight you want to lose. Reward yourself with a special “something: (Not with food) for reaching every 5lbs of weight-loss.
• Stop and assess how much better you feel now that you’ve lost 5lbs, 10lbs and how walking a mile after work is a real accomplishment.

Give yourself a pat-on-the-back for staying in it. You’re setting a good example for yourself, your friends and your family.

Watch your portion size: Click here for this handy WebMd portion-size guide that you can take with you.

Keep a food journal: Click here for WebMd’s Printable Food Journal

More tools to help you stay on track

A free recipe analysis tool to help you figure out the calorie content of your favorite recipes.
Check out this great tool at CalorieCount recommended by Laura Tolle, Mission Clinical Nutrition Educator.
This tool will help you determine if your recipe is indeed a healthy choice.
Instructions: Copy and paste your recipe with all the listed ingredients and enter the amount of servings into the calorie count tool. Hit submit and the program will tell you the nutrition information per serving.

Chicken Marsala Recipe Example

Here’s a great WebMd tool that will help you to make wise calorie choices.

We all know it’s not always easy to grab a meal on-the-go, but, if you know the calorie content and other nutritional information you can make good choices at restaurants.

WebMd’s Food-o-Meter has over 37,000 foods and beverages listed in their database so chances are you’ll be able to calculate your calories. And counting calories is crucial to keeping your diet on track.

The Food-o-Meter has a large list of restaurants and their menu items, which will help you make healthier choices and assist you to stay within your daily allotment of calories and fat.
For example; one Dunkin Donuts oatmeal cookie is a whopping 480 calories! But if you choose the Dunkin Donuts Mediterranean Salad for 220 calories, you will save 260 calories and have a much healthier meal!

Click here to check out the Food-o-Meter.

How to lose weight fast and safely.

According to Michael Dansinger, MD, medical doctor for NBC's The Biggest Loser, “losing weight is a simple mathematical formula: You need to burn more calories than you eat. Experts generally recommend creating a deficit of 500 calories per day through a combination of eating fewer calories and increasing physical activity. Over the course of a week, this should yield a loss of about 1-2 pounds of fat.”

“If you want to lose weight faster, you'll need to eat less and exercise more. Bottom line: 1,050 to 1,200 calories and one hour of exercise a day (but be sure not to dip below this calorie level for safety's sake). On this type of plan, you can expect to lose 3-5 pounds the first week, or more if you weigh over 250 pounds.”

To figure out what amount of calories is right for your desired weight:

• Divide your current weight by 2.2 pounds, then multiply this number by 0.9, and then by 24. Now multiply your BMR by 1.2 this will give you your average number of calories your body burns per day when you factor in normal activities. (Add another 300 to 500 on days you do an hour of moderate to intense exercise.)
• Once you have your final number, shave off 500 to find out how many calories you need to eat to lose a pound a week, or 300 to lose 2 pounds a month.

Example: You weigh 175lbs; 175 divided by 2.2 = 79.5 x 0.9 = 71.55 x 24 = 1717 x 1.2 = 2060 calories burned daily. With this example; to lose weight at a pound a week you would need to eat 1560 calories a day.

Healthy Eating is all about you eating well to lose weight and feel great.

Lighten Up 4 Life is dedicated to providing you with healthy eating resources to win! And winning is not just about losing weight, it’s about feeling better about yourself, accomplishing your weight-loss goals and becoming a healthier you. On this page you’ll find recipes, healthy diet recommendations, tools and calculators, cooking videos and great weight loss tips. Keep checking back because we will be adding more and more resources to help you reach your goals.

What does a healthy diet plan look like?

A healthy meal plan for dieting should include items from all of the basic food groups. While trying to pare off those extra pounds, it is important to insure that you are getting the proper nutrition you need. Based on “MyPyramid” and according to Peter Jaret, WebMd, a healthy diet plan should look something like this meal plan below. (This meal plan is based on what a 2,000-calorie-a-day meal plan. You can customize your own meal plan based on your individual calorie needs)

Click here for a 2-Day Sample Meal Plan