Craving Change now offered in Beaumont!

 

For more information, please see our website. 

To register, please call our office at 780-986-6624.

I eat healthy food and I am active but I still am not losing weight. Why?

Ask the Dietitian

Submitted by Andrea Shackel – LBD PCN Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator

I eat healthy food and I am active but I still am not losing weight. Why?

We often hear people say “eat less, move more” in order to lose weight but this does not take into account many other issues that are just as important in reaching or maintaining a healthy weight. Consider these other factors:

Healthy Eating – Healthy eating is a complex term and does it not always equal weight loss. Healthy eating refers to what we eat and weight loss refers to eating foods that are providing a calorie decrease from our everyday diet.  Not all “healthy foods” are weight friendly.  For example: 1 tbsp oil a day is considered“healthy oil” however could add up to over 12 pounds a year!

If weight loss is the goal, it’s important to use a lifestyle journal.  Lifestyle journaling is the cornerstone for determining what’s going on as well as help problem solve. It is the #1 tool for long term behaviour change and weight management.  You can journal everything from food, calories, exercise, sleep, mood, stress on a variety of online, phone apps and handwritten journals. 

Activity – Activity has many great health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of chronic diseases and it can play a role in weight maintenance; however it does not play a large role in weight loss.  The majority of the population does not meet the requirements for physical activity of 150 minutes per week – the amount needed to achieve health benefits.  In order to make an impact on weight, a person would need to be doing 250 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity per week.  The majority of the population does not “work off” what they eat. One can of pop has 140 calories which equates to 1 hour of walking to burn off. Is it really worth it?

Medical –Certain health conditions such as sleep apnea, high blood pressure and diabetes can make it difficult to lose or maintain weight. Many medications can also impact your weigh loss efforts.  It is important to follow up with your family physician or health care team should you have any of these concerns with managing your health conditions.

Psychological - Mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, ADHD/ADD or stress can make it more challenging to loose weight and make it more difficult to maintain lifelong changes.  Often, people tend to go for “comfort food” to help deal with the issues above.

Environment –Access to fast food, eating on the run (or while driving), working at a desk or sitting all day, access to 24 hour screen time and messages from the media all play a factor into our personal weight loss or maintenance goals.

It’s overwhelming to take all aspects into our lives into account when working on weight loss or maintenance goals. Identifying the issues that may be impacting efforts and working on them is very important. 

Check out our new PCN class called “Getting Started: Your Best Weight”. This class will address all of these factors, how they impact weight and what to do about it.

Our website offers resources and support for your use. Our PCN also offers classes on dealing with emotional eating and a series of other weight, nutrition, activity and stress management classes. Visit our website to see the calendar of classes; all are open to the public!

To access any of the healthcare team members, please talk to your PCN family doctor or call 780-986-6624.

Have a question for our healthcare team? Please send it to info@lbdpcn.com

For more information on the PCN’s programs and services, please visit www.lbdpcn.com

Ask the Healthcare Team offers trusted, evidence-based healthcare information to our patients and the public. This information is provided to you by the multidisciplinary team at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network. This monthly column will answer common questions our team members hear from patients. 

This article was printed in the Leduc Representative and Beaumont News on September 18, 2015.

Our PCN year in review

Take a look at the great work our PCN has done in this past fiscal year, which runs from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015. 

Click here for a larger view.

New FREE class offered at the PCN!

A new class is now being offered - Getting Started: your Best Weight. This 2 part class will focus on identifying the medical, psychological, social and lifestyle factors that contribute to weight. Participants will learn essential tools and skills for making lifestyle changes. Participants will also discuss the role of motivation, thoughts and emotions in long term behaviour change and will learn how to problem solve and develop a personalized plan for change. 

Getting Started: Your Best Weight (2 part class)

September 16 & 23, 1:00 - 3:30
October 2 & 9, 1:00 - 3:30
November 6 & 13, 1:00 - 3:30

To register, participants can call the PCN office at 780-986-6624.

**All PCN classes and workshops are now open to the public; a referral from the family doctor is no longer required. All classes have been added to the public calendar on our website. Our website will soon be updated to a new template and this template will allow the public to reserve a spot at any of these classes and workshops with a click of the mouse. We will keep you updated on the progress of this update.**