MARQUETTE - The Focus on Fitness group's Jan. 28 noon meeting centered on goal setting for healthy food choices.
Lunch was a "show and tell" where members reviewed the meals they brought and learned how well they fit program recommendations.
Donna Marlor, group leader and head of weight management at Marquette General Hospital, noted where nutrition was strong or inadequate.
Lunches included soups, sub sandwiches with extra portions of lean meats or vegetables, vegetarian choices, salads, and a personal meat/cheese/fruit selection.
Most were fairly well balanced, but Marlor found some short on protein. She noted one way to increase the protein content of a simple vegetable soup would be to include a soy "crouton" which provides 15 grams of protein per serving.
"The food logs show the group is missing or low on vegetables," she said. "You should get two servings daily of vegetables and fruits. Each day men need about 5 pounds of food and women 3 pounds for satiety. That's why just 'not eating' doesn't work in the long run. The trigger goes up saying 'please eat.'
"One meal a day should have a large serving of vegetables to maintain weight loss over the long haul," she said.
Helping Marlor with evaluations was Dawn Lundin, a dietetic intern at Marquette General Hospital.
Lundin addressed an obstacle brought up by Teresa Kauppila - how to incorporate proper food choices into family gatherings.
"With the Super Bowl, we always serve nachos," Kauppila said, asking how she could cut back for the occasion.
Lundin suggested substituting baked chips for fried, using lowfat cheese, black beans and lowfat sour cream.
"Consider portion control. It's a treat, not a whole tray per person. Tell yourself, I'll have this much. And remember that too much of a good thing is still too much," Lundin said.
Barb O'Neill brought a package of individually wrapped wedges of spreadable cheese to go with a healthful whole grain English muffin she enjoys.
Helene Pytyck had a tuna sandwich made with one slice of whole wheat bread, grapes and water. She has found a new way to include her less-than-favorite tuna in her diet.
"I put white flaked tuna, light mayo, dijon mustard and a dill pickle in the blender. It's like hummus," she said.
Marlor also brought samples of protein bars and Dreamfields low-glycemic pasta.
One serving of this pasta contains 5 grams of digestible carbohydrates, double the fiber of regular pasta, and inulin, a soluble fiber.
"Inulin's a very new thing, and a small amount gives a therapeutic effect. Some is good for you, a lot is not," Marlor said. "It's what's called a nutriceutical - food as medicine."
Making good choices also includes making exercise a priority, and being diligent.
Participant Ken Mullins said, "The first thing for me - the victory - was to get there. I hadn't exercised in five years."
Mark Mattson spoke of getting to the early morning exercise sessions at Northern Michigan University. "We're busy, but my heart rate is up - I'm enjoying it."
"It's important to find a level you can sustain over time," Marlor said. "The weather has been against us; it's hard to get up and out when it's cold," she said, assuring the group their activity would improve with warmer weather.
Part of the FOF program will be publication of statistical progress in the Mining Journal. Points will be allocated for progress in specific areas: attending classes; exercising six times a week, including 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily; muscular endurance; and food logging.
The focus is truly on fitness. "Perks" from the new behaviors could be expected to include weight loss, medications reduction and control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels: all goals mentioned by group members.
Marlor said the most important measurement is the waist-to-hip ratio.
"The waist-to-hip ratio is a predictor of cardiac health - more than BMI (body mass index)," she said. "The ratio will change slowly, but it will change."
Although weights will not be published, Marlor noted that "If you keep weighing weekly, it makes you more successful overall."
She also urged participants to take advantage of the pedometers they were issued.
"Your goal should be 10,000 steps a day," Marlor said. By comparison, she noted, "A person at home gets about 2,000 per day."
Marlor urged the group to pay attention to goal setting, and to sleep.
"It's all about monitoring. You get busy, and if you're struggling you want to just grab a bag of something, sit down and chill out. That's when you need to focus on better choices. Old habits are comfortable, what you've done for years. Try to short-circuit old behaviors. Sometimes you just need to rest."
The next Focus on Fitness meeting will be Wednesday.
