Be Healthy wants to help you make healthier lifestyle choices in 2013. The Be Healthy Mentors, all members of the Bayhealth community, are great resources. Each month, we will profile several mentors. We’re betting that someone on this list is the right person to help you meet your goals this year. All mentors can be reached via Bayhealth email.

This month, we feature Brittany Newman, Lifestyles Fitness Center; Dave Neisser, Central Service Building Supervisor; Adrianne Johnston, RN, nurse on 1A at Kent General.

All three mentors agree that food plays a major role in maintaining a healthy weight. Neisser, Newman, and Johnston plan ahead and bring small, easy-to-eat meals to consume every 2-3 hours while at work.

Items such as Greek yogurt and granola, low-fat cottage cheese with fruit, canned tuna with salad, and oatmeal with bananas and peanut butter all provide enough protein and carbs to feel satisfied.

“If I’m starving, it’s easier to tell myself that fried food or miniburgers are ok,” Johnston explains. “But if I eat tasty meals that make me feel full, I can stay on track.”

The mentors believe that eating more often prevents excessive hunger, a feeling that can lead to binge eating or impulsive food decisions. Johnston works the night shift, and Neisser arrives at work by 5:00 am, so both must create meal schedules that may not correspond to common breakfast, lunch, and dinner routines.

Neisser uses an online calorie counter to track his daily food intake. After undergoing lap-band surgery with Dr. Thomas Barnett, of Surgical Associates, PA, in February 2012, he has lost 65 pounds and hopes to shed even more. Combining healthy food choices with cardio workouts on the treadmill and elliptical machine has proven successful for him.

Each mentor admits that finding time to exercise can be challenging, but having workout buddies keeps them accountable. Newman, who is working towards certification as a registered diagnostic cardiac sonographer, currently takes three classes on top of her full-time work schedule. In 2012, she and a friend, Summer Sheffield, RN, decided to run five half-marathons.

“Having a partner made those races possible,” Newman said. “Together, we achieved our goals.” This year, Newman hopes to improve her swimming ability so that she can one day attempt a triathlon.

In addition to an exercise partner, Johnston believes that a fitness role model can provide positive inspiration. Her grandparents, who go to the gym regularly and maintain an active lifestyle, motivate her to follow in their footsteps.

Avoid that post-holiday guilt this year! Learn how to make good choices without denying yourself the foods you love.

Please join us on Tuesday, November 13, 2012, for a presentation by Bryan Bowers, Retail/Production Manager for Food and Nutrition Services, on healthy versions of traditional holiday dishes. There are two sessions offered: 11:30am-12:00pm and 12:30pm-1:00pm.

All KGH and MMH employees are invited to attend and are welcome to bring lunch to eat during the presentation. Hosted in the Pavilion at KGH, the event will also be streamed live via video-conference to the Rehab Gym at MMH. As a special treat, Bryan will be offering samples at the KGH location.

Could you use some extra cash? Make your next workout really pay off!
Lifestyles Fitness Center members (full- or part-time Bayhealth employees) who exercise at  Lifestyles 120 or more times in a 12-month period will be eligible for $200. You may use this offer only once per year, so make it count and start getting in shape now, before the hectic holiday season is underway. To be eligible, your annual membership must currently be paid in full or active through the payroll deduction process.

Brrr, it’s cold out…head for the pool!
Lifestyles Fitness is proud to announce a new partnership with the Greater Milford Boys and Girls Club that will provide access to the Richard M. Johnson Aquatics Center in Milford for Bayhealth employees and Bayhealth Lifestyles members. Present your Bayhealth ID badge upon registration to enjoy the reduced rates listed below.

Yearly registration fee of $25.00—Waived
Youth under 18 years old - $11.25/month or $60.00/six months
Adults 18 -54 years old - $22.50/month or $120.00/six months
Seniors 55 & older - $18.75/month or $97.50/six months
Families (up to 4 people per household) - $37.50/month or $187.50/six months

To find out more about this offer, please contact a Lifestyles Fitness Center staff member. Visit http://milfordbgclubaquatics.weebly.com to learn more about the Aquatics Center. 

For Physical Therapy Assistant Cari Ossman, a hug provided the impetus for the first step down the road to a healthier lifestyle. In January 2011, her then three-yearold daughter tried to hug Ossman but could not get her arms around her mother.

It was a defining moment for Ossman, who realized it wasn’t fair to her daughter and her husband for her to not be healthy. Tipping the scales at 212, the 5’6 Ossman could not share the simple joys of motherhood. She chugged for breath when trying to ride a bicycle or play outside with her daughter.

“As a mom, I value every moment that I spend with my child. I asked myself, ‘why would I want to take myself out of my daughter’s life?’” Ossman said.

Ossman began a diet and fitness routine that helped her trim 70 pounds in just over 15 months. She joined Weight Watchers online and began tracking the points for everything she ate. She adopted new food rules such as eating more carbohydrates in the morning and fewer in the evening. Ossman found that drinking hot fluids such as tea helped suppress her appetite. She began snacking on bananas which provided significant potassium but no points to her Weight Watchers scorecard. For breakfast, she ate English Muffins and fruit such as strawberry, cantaloupes, or bananas. For lunch, she consumed low fat yogurt with a high fiber tortilla with lettuce, tomatoes and lean turkey slices. Dinner typically included four or five ounces of protein (steak, chicken or turkey), plus vegetables and a large salad. Ossman also allowed for one day a week to cheat on her diet.

“I found that giving myself one day a week to eat whatever I wanted helped me to stay faithful to my diet long term,” said Ossman.

She also began a workout routine that included 45 to 60 minutes of exercise four to five days per week. For two days a week, she attended a Zumba class which combined dance and high intensity aerobics. For the other two to three days per week, Ossman ran at her local gym. She even incorporated exercise into her daily lunch break, taking time to walk outdoors or on a treadmill during the winter months.

“Fitness became a priority for me. I even worked out during our family vacation in Mexico. For my daughter, for my husband, for myself, my health has become very important to me and I plan to make it a lifetime change,” said Ossman. The one thing to remember is that a diet is 80% good and 20 % bad, you will have bad days and the only thing next to do is get right back on track. Weight Watchers is a diet that teaches you how to change your way of eating, but still enjoy all you favorite foods.

• Don't skip meals, especially breakfast.
• Get regular exercise.
• Eat high-energy foods, including whole-grain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid fatty foods. Fat takes a long time to digest and makes the body feel sluggish.
• Sugar's OK, but don't overdo it.
• Get a good night's sleep. Getting even an hour less than you need can result in slower mental functioning.
• Drink plenty of fluids. You need to drink the equivalent of a half-gallon of fluid a day.
• Coffee and tea will give you a lift -- in moderation. Caffeine is a stimulant.

(HealthDay News) -- Food cravings can pull you off course when you're trying to diet and eat in a healthful way.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers these suggestions to help you curb food cravings:

• Cravings often are short-lived. Try to wait at least 20 minutes before you act on a craving.
   
• Opt for a healthier alternative to what you crave. Choose fat-free chips instead of potato chips, or bake an apple for a sweet treat.
   
• Buy your favorite treats in single-serving sizes. For example, buy a single cookie, rather than a whole box.
   
• Have regularly scheduled snack times and enjoy a healthy snack that you've already stocked.
   
• Indulge in a social treat -- rather than food -- by calling a friend.
   
• Keep a log of your cravings. Record what you were doing when you craved, how long you felt the craving and how you handled it.

Brenda Thompson
Patient Care Tech
Bayhealth Kent General Women’s Center

For Brenda Thompson, the biggest inspiration to become fit was a dream cruise. 

Thompson and husband Clevon planned to go on a cruise in 2012 to celebrate Clevon’s 50^th birthday.  The gala vacation would offer plenty of opportunities to mix and mingle, sunbathe and strut, preen and primp, on the deck of a luxury cruise liner.  However, the eager anticipation of her first-time cruise was eclipsed only by a lingering, nagging question:  How would I look?

“Clevon and I wanted to look our best for this cruise, which we have been planning for a while.   It gave us a great motivation for taking the first steps on the road towards a permanent, healthier lifestyle,” said Brenda Thompson.

In January, 2012, Brenda and Clevon joined the Bayhealth Lifestyles Fitness Center’s Biggest Loser Contest, a friendly but spirited competition by Lifestyles Fitness members to lose the highest percentage of body weight during a 12 week span.

The 5’5 Thompson weighed in at 213 pounds at the beginning of the Biggest Loser Contest, and she quickly resolved to enter an intense exercise program four days per week.  Two days per week, Thompson met with Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Manager Paul LeBlanc for a 40 minute workout with the stationary bicycle, elliptical and treadmill.  LeBlanc’s interval training had Thompson alternating back and forth between an 80 percent intensity and a100 percent intensity, to achieve optimal results.

One day a week, Thompson met with personal trainer Brittany Newman, who put Thompson through a variety of high cardio exercises, ranging from lunges, to crunches, to squats, to pushups.  Under Newman’s guidance, Thompson was able to complete at least 100 repetitions of a high intensity exercise during a 45 minute workout.

On the fourth day of each week, Brenda Thompson fashioned her own independent  45 minute workout routine, alternating between running, walking, and biking.  She also utilized circuit training in which she used a wide variety of weight machines to focus alternately on her chest, abs, legs and arms.

Brenda Thompson’s diet also changed dramatically.   She ditched the sodas, chips and junk food.  She dropped pasta, bread and other high sources of carbohydrates.  And, in a testament to her steely resolve, Brenda Thompson even gave up her favorite chicken wings and beer.  Instead, she ate baked chicken, fish and turkey with large servings of vegetables.  When her sweet tooth beckons, she fixes a sliced apple with peanut butter.

The sacrifices were great, but the rewards were greater.

When the Biggest Loser Contest concluded in early April, Thompson had burned away 40 pounds in just three months.  She also credits the more active lifestyle for reducing pain in her feet caused by neuropathy.  Yet, the journey for Brenda is far from over.

“I know I’ll look better and feel better when I go on my dream cruise.  But, I also know that staying active and eating healthier are a lifetime commitment,” said Thompson.

Welcome! The Be Healthy Blog will provide helpful tips and articles as well as success stories from some of Bayhealth's own.

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We hope this blog serves as a valuable resource and we hope that the information will provide encouragement on your journey to leading a healthy lifestyle.

Be sure to check out these links:

Be Healthy Videos
For our first video, Lifestyles Fitness Center Site Supervisor Sheri Minear shows you how to take the strain off your muscles during the work day by performing these easy stretches.

Walking Paths
A series of walking paths have been developed on the Dover and Milford campus for your convenience. There are outdoor campus walks, indoor campus walks and off campus walking paths. On your break or lunch time, get up and move!

Tips and Resources
A list of websites where you will find information about nutrition, weight management, physical activity, tobacco cessation and sleep.