Not all ways of measuring body fat were created equal

In recent years BMI, or body mass index, has become a widespread term for how to determine if a person is overweight or obese. With stories out each day about the health impacts of obesity and the growth of America’s waistlines, BMI is often touted as a standard measure.

While BMI can be a good tool for quickly determining a healthy height to weight ratio, an individual’s breakdown of fat in their body cannot be determined using this method. It is not uncommon for those in the fitness field such as myself and other trainers to fall into the obese category using BMI. BMI only takes into account height-to-weight ratios, not lean-to-fat weight percentages.

One method we use to measure Texas Health Fitness Center HEB members is Bioelectrical Impedence. Bioelectrical Impedence is an excellent alternative and often preferable due to its accuracy (+/- 3%). Small electro pads are applied to an individual’s hand and foot. Unnoticeable microcurrent signals are transmitted throughout the body and the rate at which the signal returns helps to determine the body’s composition (fat weight to lean weight ratio). No method is without imperfections. Dehydration can cause a “higher” body fat percentage ratio. The Bioelectrical Impedence unit we utilize at the Texas Health Fitness Center gives us the hydration level of the tested individual. This allows us to make the needed corrections to more accurately determine an individual’s body composition. Most home scales that claim to use the same Bioelectrical Impedence technology will not give a hydration level. So the possibility of an inaccurate reading needs to be considered when using them.

Bottom line is it’s important to be healthy. Knowing your approximate percentage of body fat can be a good indicator of what steps might help you improve your health. But just like the scale, the number shouldn’t rule your life.

You’re great the way you are. But, if you want to lose a little weight and make a few friends along the way to help support you, please give me a call at 817-267-9191.

Mike Moore, B.S., C.S.C.S.
Supervisor, Fitness Staff/Member Services
Texas Health Fitness Center HEB

Looking Healthy vs. Living Healthy

We all hear the old adage, “looks can be deceiving” or “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” This also applies to an individual’s health.

Some may consider me “lucky.” I have been a runner for more than 15 years. I haven’t had any major medical issues. I exercise regularly, drink plenty of water, and get a good night’s sleep. My diet…..well, read on.

Having trained for, and run, several marathons, I give relatively little consideration to calories and fat grams. “I’ll run it off” tends to be my mantra. While I don’t do it daily, I certainty don’t think twice about eating a few pieces of pizza or a hamburger every few weeks. And you will NEVER find me passing up Mexican food (bring on the nachos….the more cheese the better!!). To top it off, I have an awful sweet tooth that I indulge on a frequent basis. Oh well, as long as I “run it off.”

But a recent visit to my general practitioner put this “run it off” thought process to a halt. I tend to be pretty proactive regarding my health and went in for annual blood work. Much to my dismay, my fasting cholesterol was well over the 200 mark. While I may be running off the calories, the “bad stuff” in my frequent “treats” is not running off. My doctor is giving me a few months to work on my diet before placing me on cholesterol medication. I must adhere to a more restrictive diet, sorry Mexican food industry! I’ve dropped my “I’ll run it off” mantra, and have begun to make better choices about what I’m putting in to my body.

The moral of this tale is….just because you work out and look healthy doesn’t necessarily mean that’s true. When I tell people my cholesterol level, they look at me in shock - but after asking around a bit - I have found other “looks can be deceiving” athletes and individuals. From high cholesterol to Type 2 diabetes, many so called “healthy” individuals are suffering the consequences of the wrong choices in diet.

The second moral of the tale is, regardless of your belief in how “healthy” you are, it is still of upmost importance to get regular checkups and go in for your CDC recommended screenings. My doctor feared that without control of my cholesterol through diet and exercise, I could approach the 300 mark.

For me, the most important lesson learned is that while it is nice to look healthy; living healthy is a much more appropriate goal. Check back in the coming weeks and I’ll be sharing my progress as I adapt to these lifestyle changes.

Jessica Reading, MPH
Community Health Educator
Texas Health HEB

How much protein do you need?

Weight training raises your metabolic rate. Protein builds and repairs muscle so it is important to get protein into the body before and after workout.

To calculate how much protein is needed, take your body weight in kilograms and multiply that by 1.5 to 2 grams. So, for example, a 210 pound man would weigh 95.3 kilograms. Therefore, he would need 143 grams of protein to 191 grams of protein each day. To put that in context, a 3.5 ounce chicken breast has 30 grams of protein.

Two great sources of protein are whey and casein, a type of protein found in milk.

For more information on getting back in shape, give me a call at 817-267-9191 or visit TexasHealth.org/hebfitness for more information on the Texas Health Fitness Center HEB.

Ryan Karnes
Bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports studies
Certified Personal Trainer by AFAA

Steps to take before trying to get pregnant

Many couples wanting to have a baby wistfully wander the baby aisles at stores or smile at young children they encounter thinking about how they’ll parent in the future. They imagine the joy of holding their child for the first time. But one thing young couples don’t always think to do is take simple steps in advance to help increase the odds of a healthy pregnancy.

The March of Dimes recommends that before becoming pregnant women:
• Take folic acid.
• Get a checkup.
• Eat right, limit caffeine and maintain a healthy weight.
• Stop smoking and avoid exposure to smoke.
• Stop drinking alcohol.
• Do not use illegal drugs.
• Avoid infections.
• Avoid hazardous chemicals.
• Determine if you need to visit a genetic counselor.
• Limit stress and exercise.

If you’re thinking about getting pregnant, visit TexasHealth.org/women for further information or to ask for a Healthy Pregnancy kit. Once pregnant, sign up for the weekly Oh Baby! e-mail newsletter for weekly tips on staying healthy at TexasHealth.org/OhBaby.

Wondering how to become a new you?

Each new year presents a blank slate and often many goals. Lose 20 pounds. Lower your cholesterol. Be more active. The list goes on and on for most women. But perhaps more important than the goals are concrete steps that can help one achieve those results.

Getting healthier often involves exercise, but how much, how often and what exercises? Taking better control of your health involves having some basic tests done, but which ones are really necessary?

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford employees and physicians on the medical staff know how hard it can be to figure out a place to start. That’s why five of our experts at caring for our patients – mind, body and spirit – will gather on Jan. 19 for a free lunch. The event, which starts at noon, is part of the Texas Health Advances in Medicine series. Lunch is provided.

Speakers at the Jan. 19 event include: Dr. Rebeca Sharp; Jennifer Wines, group exercise coordinator and personal trainer; Dr. Jinny Yoon; Dr. Manisha Parikh; and Rev. Linda White. Bring a notebook and a pen because each speaker will offer concrete steps women can take to improve their health.

For more information or to register for the lunch and learn, visit TexasHealth.org/Classes or call 1-877-THR-WELL.

We hope to see you on the 19th!

Taking the guesswork out of dieting

Diets often focus on general rules for how much a person should eat, but it’s possible to pinpoint a person’s exact calorie and exercise needs through metabolic rate testing.

The testing is process that measures your metabolic rate both at rest and during exercise. It measures the amount of calories your body needs, the amount of calories needed to meet your goals (i.e. to lose weight), and the rates at which the individual should exercise to be most efficient. The test can help determine what types of calories are burned while exercising, for example from carbs or fat.

The profile that is created then tells the individual how long he or she should exercise and at what intensity. It also determines a nutritional profile of the most efficient breakdown of food types, i.e. protein, carbs and fat.

Metabolic rate testing isn’t just a way to find out how many calories should be cut for effective results. Many times individuals don’t eat what their body needs and it’s just a matter of switching the types of foods eaten.

Testing costs $195 and takes about two hours, including about 45 minutes to discuss the results in detail.

For more information, contact me at 817-267-9191 or visit TexasHealth.org/hebfitness.

Jennifer Wines B.S., ACIM-CPFT, CLM
Group Exercise Coordinator/Personal Trainer
Texas Health Fitness Center HEB

Brand New Hospital in North Tarrant County

Live in or near North Tarrant County? If so, listen up! Texas Health Resources has purchased land at I-35W and Golden Triangle Boulevard with plans to build a full-service hospital.

If you live in or near this area, you know how fast this area. You may also be familiar with how long it takes to get to the nearest hospital. On a good day with limited traffic, it might take 20 minutes to get to a hospital. If you have a loved one in a hospital in downtown Fort Worth, it might take 45 minutes to an hour with traffic!

So, this new hospital will not only be convenient but also provide inpatient and outpatient services close to home.

You may wonder what services are coming to the new hospital? Well, Texas Health is currently in the early designing and planning stages of the hospital, which will include an emergency room, outpatient and surgical services, physician offices and acute-care inpatient beds.

We do anticipate having a groundbreaking for the new hospital in the fall of 2010, with hopes to begin offering services in late 2011. We anticipate the entire hospital will be completed in late 2012.

For more information about the north Tarrant County project, please visit www.texashealth.org/northtarrant For more information on other Texas Health hospitals, visit TexasHealth.org

Weight no more

As Jan. 1 rolls around each year millions of people pledge to move more, eat less and lose weight. But as the days and then weeks add up resolve can wane.

That's why Texas Health Fitness Center HEB is running "Weight No More." The weight-loss competition is designed to improve the health of people in the community by inspiring individuals to take charge of their lives and health.

For $50 a team of up to five people may join the competition. Participants get free access to Texas Health Fitness Center HEB, and its classes, for the duration of the competition. Participants also can take advantage of discounted personal training rates (four sessions for $99) or group personal training sessions at $50 a session. Also as part of the contest fee, participants will have access to two nutrition lectures, weekly exercise routines, and sports massage discounts.

"Our goal for the competition isn't just to help people lose weight in the short term," said Mike Lofland, director of the Texas Health Fitness Center HEB. "We hope the two-month competition will help individuals to develop healthy habits that they can continue for years to come. Our dedicated team of experienced trainers will be on hand throughout the competition to help individuals with questions or to develop specific training goals."

Registration runs from Jan. 11 to Jan. 25. Initial weigh-ins will be held Jan. 24 to Jan. 30. Final weigh-ins will be held March 30-April 4. The individual with the highest percentage of body weight change will a Wii™ Sports gaming system and Wii™ Fitness Program. The team with the highest percent of body weight change will win either MP3 players; or three months membership at the Fitness Center.

For more information, call 817-267-9191 or visit www.TexasHealth.org/hebfitness.

Is your resolution waning?

Did you start off the year with the best of intentions? A week later, how’s it going?

If you’re like me, some of your resolutions may be easily clicking while others are a little slower to get off the ground. Employees at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford are working hard to offer resources to help people in our community improve their health. So, I thought I’d share some resources and upcoming events that might just provide some added spark to the accomplishing your 2010 goals.

Getting organized: Have your plans for a completely up-to-date organizing system not yet materialized? Check out TexasHealth.org where you can request a free calendar. The calendar, which is stylish and a handy purse-size, even offers health tips and screening information. That’s what I call doing double duty on the health and organization resolution.

Getting fit: Finding it hard to get to the gym? Texas Health Fitness Center HEB is getting ready to launch Weight No More. Check back to the blog on Monday for more details on the challenge. But in the meantime, visit TexasHealth.org/hebfitness if you want to get a jumpstart on it.

Being healthier: Personally, I know it’s hard to even know where to begin. Texas Health HEB is offering a program called “A New Year, A New You?” where physicians on the medical staff and employees will offer tips on how to improve your health and well-being – body, mind and spirit. For more information on the free luncheon, visit TexasHealth.org/Classes.

Good luck and please share your successes and struggles to get healthier. And please let me know if you use any of the resources above. I’d welcome blog contributions along your journey. In addition, we’re interested in hearing what other types of resources might be helpful so please feel free to share any suggestions.

Happy 2010!

Jennifer Erickson
Texas Health HEB

You’ve come a long way, Baby

Some of you reading this blog may not know that this phrase was once the advertising mantra for a cigarette marketed to the “liberated” female. Most of you probably do not know that in that “enlightened” decade, the incidence of breast cancer was only 1 in 20. Today, “enlightened” women do not smoke and the incidence of breast cancer has increased to 1 in 8. So what are we suppose to think when the recommendations of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) are to cut screening entirely for women aged 40-49 and decrease it to every other year for women 50 and older? After all, haven’t we come along way, Baby?

Yes, we have in many ways come a long way- like assuming responsibility for our special female needs such as breast health. When the experts get together, as they did in the USPSTF, we usually listen and trust their recommendations. Unfortunately - or fortunately - that is not happening with these recommendations. Nationally, about 18 percent of all breast cancers occur in women who are aged 40-49. We all know of or know personally some of these cancer survivors. It’s their personal stories that convince most of us to ignore or disregard the more liberal recommendations.

The issue is actually quite complicated- factors such as what type of mammogram a woman gets, such as digital, full-field, as well as radiologist expertise, technician expertise, false negatives, breast density, additional diagnostics, cost, survival, etc can be considered “evidence” in support of or against the Task Force recommendations. In their defense, members have since announced that the communication of the findings may have been misleading; and that a woman’s individual factors should determine at what age and what frequency her mammograms should occur.

Since the USPSTF recommendations were reported, numerous prestigious medical institutions, professional organizations and individuals across the country have restated their support of the present recommendations that have guided millions of women in assuming responsibility for their breast health. Some of these include MD Anderson Cancer Care Center, Duke University, Mayo Clinic, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and many others.

What do I think? Emotionally, I KNOW that you better start mammography at 40. Statistically, cancer will not be found in the overwhelming majority of the women who do have mammograms yearly starting at age 40. Economically, it will not be cost effective. Therefore I do agree with the USPSTF on one point and that is that women should look at their own individual factors and decide what is right for them. So all in all, we really have come a long way, Baby!

Jenny Ellis, RN, MS, AOCN
Oncology Nurse Specialist
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital
Hurst Euless Bedford

Getting back in shape

So maybe you took the holidays off from the gym. Maybe it’s been even longer since you dusted off that membership card or laced your sneakers for some cardio. Regardless of how long it’s been, the best way to start is slowly.

It’s important when starting a new exercise routine to take it slowly. Don’t shoot for long periods of time working out every day. Instead, first aim for doing 30 minutes of cardio two to three times a week. That will give your body time to adjust without leaving your muscles so sore you can hardly move.

And if you want to add resistance training to the workouts from the get-go, work on high reps with low weights. For example, do more reps of squats without holding any extra weights rather than trying to add extra weight and being unable to do as many repetitions.

If the idea of developing a workout routine alone sounds too daunting, another way to ensure you’re working out the right way and the right amount of time is to enlist the help of a fitness professional. Working with a trainer to develop, and later tweak, routines can take the guesswork out of an unfamiliar situation.

For more information on getting back in shape, give me a call at 817-267-9191 or visit TexasHealth.org/hebfitness for more information on the Texas Health Fitness Center HEB.

Ryan Karnes
Bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports studies
Certified Personal Trainer by AFAA

Imagining Something New

For many people, the coming of a new year makes us pause and think about the new opportunities the future may bring. For some, a new year feels like a chance to try something different or perhaps to try out some new behaviors. Although what we used to do may still be fresh in our minds and has shaped who we are today, we seem to be able to envision a new chapter in our lives or something new with a sense of hope.

When someone begins to heal from grieving a loss in their life, the same thing happens. Memories of the way things were are not gone, but when thinking about how things will be different brings a sense of hope and possibility for their future, healing is happening. Change isn’t easy and sometimes it’s slow, but every small step we take, even if it’s a struggle, may lead us toward something beautiful whether seen or yet unseen.

For more information on grief or to speak with someone, please contact the Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford Department of Pastoral Care at 817-848-4811.

Linda White
Chaplain
Texas Health HEB

Party the calories off

So the resolution is made. Time to get fit, but where should you begin?

How about combining fun with friends and a party with sweating off some of those Christmas cookies or champagne from New Year’s Eve?

On Friday, Jan. 15, Texas Health Fitness Center HEB will host a Friday Night Cardio Party. The event, which will feature belly-dancing, will run from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and costs only $5.

“This is a great event for friends looking to support each other in the new year and improve their health,” said Mike Lofland, director of the Fitness Center. “Exercise is crucial to one’s overall well-being, but that doesn’t have to mean logging tons of miles on a treadmill or climbing a stair machine till your legs are on fire. It’s important to find a fun way to exercise because that will help you stick with it.”

For more information on the Fitness Center, log on to www.texashealth.org/hebfitness or call 817-267-9191.