Ten Weight Loss and Healthy Tips to Post on
Your Employee Bulletin Board
Excerpted from Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.:
Achieve a Healthier Workplace One Employee at a Time!
(T. Gilliam & Associates, LLC, 2005, ISBN: 0-9762703-0-7, $19.95).
• Realize that thinner bodies can equal fatter wallets. It is difficult for companies to improve benefits and provide higher wages when so much more of the company’s money is going to support illnesses that can be prevented. The average cost of a disability claim caused by obesity for a worker in 2004 was $51,000 per year. With over 60 percent of the workforce either overweight or obese, the number of these claims can only go up.
• Keep an exercise calendar. Every time you complete your exercise for the day, write it down on your calendar. Keep track of the duration, kind of exercise performed (walking, biking, and so on) and speed or pace if you know it. Writing it down adds to your sense of accomplishment on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.
• Slow and steady wins the weight loss race. What if you just consumed one roll a day instead of two and used two tablespoons of salad dressing instead of three? That is a caloric savings of 105 calories. One hundred five calories a day for an entire year is 38,325 calories for the year. This will result in a weight loss of about 11 pounds.
• Smart margarine shopping. To reduce the amount of trans fatty acids in your diet, use less margarine and choose a margarine that lists “liquid oil,” such as liquid olive oil, liquid canola oil, or liquid corn oil, as the first ingredient on the food label. (Ingredients are listed in descending order. So the first ingredient is in the highest quantity in the product.)
• Write it down. Write it down. Write it down! Keep a detailed dietary record of what you eat for at least three days. (Go to www.healthybodyweight.com to download a helpful chart.) Most people will say, “I know what I eat. I don’t have to write it down.” Don’t believe it. You probably underestimate. Writing it down helps you evaluate wherein your diet you can make the small changes that will make a big difference.
• When going to restaurants, be aware of “healthy” and “unhealthy” menu terms. Terms to look for: baked, simmered, marinara, marsala, roasted, wine based, stir-fried. Terms to avoid: alfredo, hollandaise, au gratin, bÉchamel, mornay, bÉarnaise.
• Teach kids healthy lifestyle habits from the beginning. Many lifestyle habits and behaviors are established by the time a child is eight. This means physical activity habits and eating habits are pretty well set and are very difficult to change after the age of eight. Remember, today’s children are tomorrow’s workforce.
• Create healthy attitudes toward food by involving kids in meal preparation. Letting them wash fruit or vegetables or stir a mixture helps to create an interest in foods. Older children can learn to set the table and prepare beverages. And don’t forget to ask for help in clearing the table, washing the dishes, and putting things away.
• Three quick, easy, healthy breakfast ideas for kids. Plain or toasted lean ham or turkey sandwich spread lightly with mayonnaise accompanied by fresh apple slices or wedges and skim milk... Your favorite lowfat yogurt topped with dry, crunchy whole grain cereal, fresh chopped berries and nuts along with iced or bottled water... Toasted whole grain bagel spread with your choice of natural peanut butter or fat free flavored cream cheese served with fresh banana or your favorite seasonal fruit and skim milk.
• Go outside and enjoy the weather. For many, fall is a great time of year to get some exercise outdoors. Check out your local and state parks for some biking and hiking. As always, don’t forget the safety gear. And drink water frequently to avoid dehydration.
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For more information, please contact Dottie DeHart,
Rocks-DeHart Public Relations, at (828) 459-9637 or DSDeHart@aol.com
or visit www.healthybodyweight.com.
