Prevent Holiday Guilt

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Jiffy Seto
  • 436th Aerospace Medical Squadron
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  As the holidays approach, my mouth begins to water thinking about the Halloween candy, Thanksgiving turkey and holiday cookies but my waistline worries about the consequences of eating all of that delicious food. As a physician, I heard that the average American gains five to seven pounds during the holidays but I found a 2000 medical study in the New England Journal of Medicine that found only one to two pounds of extra weight is gained. However, this is a serious problem because the study noted this extra weight is not lost before the next holiday season so we begin to accumulate this excess weight over our lifetime and this will directly impact our health.

The best way to avoid holiday guilt is to empower ourselves with the knowledge to make the best food choices when we approach the holiday table. Fighting for a treadmill or crash dieting to fit into your clothes after the New Year is not that effective. Fortunately, Kate Jennings, our Health and Wellness Center (HAWC) registered dietician, stands ready to assist you.

Your body is like a high-performance automobile so you must know your personal "fuel consumption" by obtaining a HAWC Bod Pod measurement (Bod Pod technology is further discussed in my May 2013 Airlifter article at http://www.dover.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123349366. Kate can then teach you what type of fuel and how much to put into your body.

Kate offers classes or individualized counseling based on your specific needs. Registration is required for the following classes but this is to ensure the HAWC can better serve you by calculating your required caloric intake and printing out any necessary laboratory results beforehand.

Better Body, Better Life: This class is designed to help you lose and maintain your weight while enjoying an overall healthy lifestyle. The class is open to everyone and can be helpful for Airmen who struggle with their abdominal circumference. Kate focuses on general information about nutrition, physical activity and behavioral issues dealing with weight and lifestyle choices through a facilitated classroom discussion format including hands-on activities. Classes are held weekly for five weeks with monthly follow-up available.

John & Kate minus Weight: This locally developed class will help you develop an individualized exercise prescription and a personalized nutritional program that together will be the ideal plan for overall health and weight loss success. Kate will analyze your current caloric intake and provide evidence-based information on how to adjust your eating habits. Then, John Walters, our HAWC exercise physiologist, will calculate your existing fitness level and prescribe an exercise program tailored to meet your fitness needs. Everyone will be monitored using the Bod Pod technology and not solely measuring body weight. Classes are held on the third Tuesday of the month from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. with a monthly follow-up and a 90 day follow up Bod Pod measurement.

90 in 90 Nutrition Workshop complements the famous "90 in 90" exercise program by offering a facilitated discussion on fourteen topics related to Performance Nutrition. The workshop runs concurrently with each session of "90 in 90."

If you have a medical condition that complicates your ability to lose weight, Kate also offers specific classes focused to these populations.

Diabetes: The Diabetes Management Workshop will teach you about carbohydrate counting in detail, review food models to determine appropriate portion size, and answer questions regarding healthy eating to improve diabetes control. These classes are offered monthly on the second Wednesday of the month from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. with a follow-up as appropriate.

High Cholesterol: The Healthy Heart Workshop is an interactive informational session that helps you learn how to calculate your healthy weight, review current cholesterol and blood pressure guidelines and implement strategies to achieve your personal goals. The class will teach you to identify cholesterol and blood pressure lowering foods and ways to incorporate them into your diet. Classes are held on the first Wednesday of the month from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. A six month telephone follow-up is included to repeat a cholesterol level to see if you achieved your goals.

High Blood Pressure: The Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Class helps you implement DASH diet principles to lower your blood pressure by finding substitutions for high-sodium foods and emphasizing weight control and behavioral strategies for lasting change. Patients need a referral from their primary care manager and classes are held as needed.

Lap Band/Gastric Bypass Surgery candidates: Kate offers individual counseling sessions for anyone considering Lap Band or gastric bypass surgery. Six months of progressive, supervised medical nutrition therapy for weight loss is required by Tricare prior to approving the surgery. Interactive group meetings are held as needed.

You do not need to make holiday eating choices alone. Make an appointment with Kate at the Health and Wellness Center at 302-677-3733 (302-677-FRED - Fun, Rest, Exercise, Diet) to discuss how to face your holiday fears and to achieve success in the New Year!