Six weeks to a better you: week 6 Published May 24, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Ashley Coomes 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- For the past six weeks, six participants completed the Body Gem® program at the Health and Wellness Center. Each submitted seven days of meals and exercise logs weekly to Staff Sgt. Shaleika Anderson, a Health and Wellness Center dietician. She advised each participant according to their logs, and each participant will describe how they feel they did each week. Here are the participants' testimonials of how they did overall and how the program helped them. Weekend Socialite Stats: Female Height/weight: 5'7", 193 lbs; start weight 193 Age: 25 Body fat percentage: 30%; start 32% Metabolic rate: 1800 calories; start 1800 Well, it's been an interesting six weeks. To be truthful, I wasn't too crazy about having to log every little thing I ate, but I found it did keep me in check. Most of the time, I wouldn't eat crappy food because I knew I'd have to log it. I think logging the exercise was pretty beneficial. I made it into a contest to see how many calories I could burn working out and try to increase it every week. By the end, I didn't really lose as much weight as I wanted (but I did slack the last two weeks so that wasn't helpful). But, at my lowest weight, I lost 10 pounds. The biggest surprise for me was that I went down two percent in body fat! Yippy for me! All in all, I think the program works if you stick to it. I plan to continue using the log system to get back to my girlish figure. Old dog needs new tricks... Stats: Male Height/weight: 6', 212 lbs; start weight 220 Age: 34 Body fat percentage: 19%; start 19% Metabolic rate: 2520 calories; start 2420 This was an interesting project I undertook. While I didn't really change much in the body fat percentage due to not eating enough, I was able to drop more than 12 pounds and really improve my running. Over the six weeks I monitored my eating and exercise, I improved my 5K time from 30 minutes, 27 seconds to 26 minutes, 8 seconds and even came in first in my age category at a local race. The main concept I am taking away from this project is that it's really important to keep on top of all the food that I eat. It's amazing how easily it is to really pack away the calories and not even notice it. Until you are writing down all you eat during a day and seeing those calories add up, do you realize how much we as Americans eat. But I did notice that when I ate lots of fruit and vegetables, I was quite full and kept the calories low. Plus it's healthier for me in the long run. Overall, this was an eye-opening experience and proof that, yes, an old dog like me can learn some new tricks and run quite well with the pack! Tri-athlete in training Stats: Male Height/weight: 6'2", 182 lbs; start weight 180 Age: 28 Body fat percentage: 14.4%; start 19% Metabolic rate: 2330 calories; start 2480 The Body Gem® program worked like a charm for me, and I'm pleased with my results because it helps you reach your goal the right way. I think a lot of people get caught up in the gimmicks out there that promise "You'll lose 20 pounds in two weeks -- guaranteed." Body Gem® keeps you focused on eating right and exercising, plain and simple. My goal was to reduce my body fat percentage and pack on a couple pounds of muscle. Using Body Gem®, I was able to track my calories and make sure I wasn't eating too much or too little, and it really helped balance my protein and carbohydrate levels. One thing I learned a lot about was my sodium intake. Six weeks ago, I had no idea how much sodium I consumed, but I quickly learned that my sodium levels were high. I'm more conscious of the sodium levels in my food and beverages, and hopefully this will be a long-term takeaway for me from the Body Gem® program. These last six weeks on the Body Gem® program were also my last six weeks of training before last Saturday's Fargo Marathon, one of my short-term goals. Paying more attention to my diet, I was able to ratchet up my training to the next level. Several runners from Grand Forks AFB finished before I did, but I cracked the four-hour mark and had a personal best time. I think Body Gem® played a role in that. I'd recommend Body Gem® because it seems to work for all body types, whether you have dramatic goals or just need to refine what you're already doing. Beef cake After six weeks on the Balance Log program, I now have a better understanding of my nutrition and the impact it has on my overall fitness goals. Before, I had the mentality that fewer calories is always better for losing the fat off the middle. Now, I realize that it's not only the correct quantity of calories, but also the quality of those calories. What's the future hold for my relationship with Body Gem®? I'm going to keep in putting my exercise data and nutrition, since it keeps me honest with the quantity and breakdown of my caloric intake. For my goals, I need to eat a lot of food and Balance Log is the perfect tool to track that. At the very least, I'll earn a few more points on the tummy measurement for my next physical test. (Beef cake is TDY and does not have access to obtain new stat information.) The life style change Stats: Female Height/weight: 5'6", 169 lbs; start weight 169 Age: 28 Body fat percentage: 23%; start 25% Metabolic rate: 1580 calories; start 1830 Six weeks have come and gone, and I've learned a lot about nutrition, fitness and stress in that time. I've learned that it's difficult to eat six times a day and stay under a calorie goal, keep fat intake to a minimum and try to avoid carbohydrates. I've learned that eating right is a lot easier to do when everyone around you is trying to do the same. I've learned that exercising is a lot easier in theory than in practice. Most of all, though, I think I've learned to listen to my body. When I'm "hungry" now, instead of instantly going for a bag of baked chips (you can eat more, right:-)), I think about it ... "am I really hungry, or am I bored/sad/anxious?" If it's the latter, I do something, anything, but eat. If I am actually hungry, I try to get in all those servings of fruits and veggies I need a day. Now...that doesn't always happen. I still fight battles with Mexican food, and I still drink beer that is not low in carbs. As it turns out, though, I don't think that's too bad. I did lose two percent body fat over six weeks. I didn't reach my goal of losing weight, but I did learn to control my eating habits (mostly). Since I didn't reach my goal, and thanks to a bout of high blood pressure, I'm going to continue with the Body Gem® program, reducing my calorie intake a bit and increasing my activity. My focus has changed, though. My primary goal is to discipline my eating habits on the weekends and now, instead of weight loss, reducing my blood pressure. I'm only 28; it's kind of creepy to already battle this, but it hit home and made me realize that this program isn't only useful for use in the Leader Online, it could possibly help me live longer and healthier. I guess this program is a pretty good way to wait out my time while they develop the magic pill. Maybe I won't need the pill when they finally finish it:-) Newly Wed Stats: Female Height/weight: 5'8", 162 lbs; start weight 167 Age: 23 Body fat percentage: 21%; start 23% Metabolic rate: 1550 calories; start 1730 After six weeks, I am very satisfied with my results. Although I didn't lose the 10 pounds I had hoped, I lost two percent of body fat. And, the most important part is I can fit into my summer clothes. My challenge was not being able to stop shoving food into my mouth. Although it is still hard for me, keeping active helps off center that. I don't always do a hard-core workout; sometimes I will take a walk or go swimming. Even doing housework or crafty projects keeps my mind off of food. I speak of food like it's an addiction, but for me, it is. This program did just what I needed, kick start into summer. The computer software to log everything I ate was very helpful to keep me from over eating. Also, I ate six meals a day keeping each one less than 400 calories. Remembering to keep snacks at 200 or less calories helps me from going over by daily budget. Just because I don't have to report to someone anymore, does not mean that I will not keep myself in check. I plan to keep going with my weight loss to lose five more pounds.