Healthy Lifestyle Challenge – May Update
Our challengers are hitting the home stretch. With the third month of our six-month Healthy Lifestyle Challenge under their ever-shrinking belt, Brad Lewis and Dan Harry are doing fantastic! Last month they took a trip to the grocery store with their dietitians. Read how the day went, and as always, visit our blog at healthyandfitmagazine.com or our Facebook fan page to offer your own support.
The dairy section can be tricky. The group learned to choose skim milk and avoid yogurt high in sugar. Interesting fact - plain, non-fat yogurt is an excellent substitute for sour cream!
BRAD LEWIS
Age: 40 Home: Lansing Occupation: Consultant
Current Weight: 243.8 pounds Total % of weight lost: 10.4%
(A total of 28.2 lbs. lost)
“I am keeping my eating habits consistent with past months, by eating 6 small meals a day including snacks. Eating every 3-4 hours, I never get hungry and feel much better throughout the day. I never thought to read food labels at the grocery store before I began the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge. I now realize that this is a very important part of eating healthy. My goal is to continue to read labels before just putting items in my cart.”
Sherlyn Hogenson, MS, RD, Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital, Charlotte
“Brad has set his goal at 210 to 215 pounds. He is determined to continue his weight loss by sticking to his food plan and exercise program. His menu continues to expand in variety and he reads labels to make sure he is buying foods that will fit his program. He continues to avoid drinking soft drinks and limits alcohol. Brad even found a sugar-free version of Arnold Palmer mix packets with zero calories to replace his former soft drinks. He is still trying to find a chip that tastes good, but is not too high in fat or calories!”
Justin Grinnell, State of Fitness, East Lansing
“Brad has adapted to starting a new job and is losing weight, working hard and bringing great energy to each session. He is working long hours and has found that he is very tired after work and has little energy to workout. I suggested that he workout on his lunch hour, which has worked out great! When traveling for work, Brad has started preparing some meals and snacks to bring with him to avoid fast food pitfalls. If he keeps this focus, I have no doubt that he will reach his goals.”
DAN HARRY
Age: 38 Home: Lansing Occupation: Accountant
Current Weight: 304 pounds Total % of weight lost: 17.9%
(A total of 66.2 lbs. lost)
“The thing that stuck out the most at the grocery store outing can be summed up in one word, marketing. Manufacturers can be very creative with their packaging and the wording they use. They like to use phrases like fat free, sugar free, low fat, low calorie or light. The problem is that these terms do not have universally standard definitions. For instance, something that is labeled “fat free” may contain 0 grams of fat, but could also contain high levels of sugar, which your body will convert into stored fat. When you read the labels, you may find out the item you are looking at is still higher in sodium, sugar, fat or calories per gram compared to a competitor’s brand. Don’t be fooled by the packaging, read the labels! I plan to apply what I learned at the grocery store outing, by making whole foods my first choice. I learned the importance of choosing bread and cereal made from whole grains that are full of fiber. One brand’s bread slice may have fewer calories than another; but this could simply mean it has more air holes in it and is less dense. The denser bread with more whole grains and nuts may be a better option even though it has more calories.”
Melanie Shehan, MS, RD, Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital, Charlotte
“Dan is continuing to ask so many great questions about nutrition. He is interested in all aspects of nutrition, not just weight loss and is using his new knowledge for the benefit of his whole family. One thing that we discussed over the last month is healthy snacking on the go and on weekends. Dan is constantly on the run, so we discussed snack options that do not have to be refrigerated and are easy to eat and prepare. We also discussed making sure he is eating enough calories to prevent muscle loss, loss of energy and a slowed metabolism.”
Debbie K. Passero, Westside Community YMCA, Lansing
“Fresh is best – one of the key topics at the grocery store outing. Dan will be able to take the knowledge from the outing and apply it to his grocery shopping skills. He recognized that enticing food packages could be misleading. With a flip of the wrist, you find the truth about sodium, sugar, fat, fiber, calories and serving sizes. Taking the time to study food labels will lead to healthier choices even when you need something quick. Dan has been able to steadily lose weight. His dedication to healthy eating and exercising along with his new routine with Michael Horton has provided remarkable achievements. He rose to the challenge of the change in trainers and enjoys trying new techniques. I will keep up on their progress and have enjoyed this rewarding experience with the Challenge.”
Editors note: Michael Horton, of Westside Community YMCA, will take over as Dan’s trainer for the remainder of the Challenge. We would like to thank Debbie K. Passero for her dedication to Healthy & Fit Magazine over the years and wish her the best of luck with her future endeavors.
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Nice going brad–loved seeing you and laura in CA! Sue
DEBBIE AND DAN!!!! RIGHT ON!!