Week 1

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” ~Maya Angelou

In Week 0, I wore a BodyMedia armband.  It's an armband that tracks my activity and it's been making waves in the press more recently. Most of the time, I didn't notice wearing it. Other times, I was excited for the end of the day when I got to take it off. I don't like wearing a watch so that's not a big surprise.  However, I think I could handle it if I get assigned into the group that has to wear the armbands.  I won't find that out for 6 months. In the first 6 month period, all groups get the same intervention method.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Right now, it's Week 1 and today was the first "Intervention" meeting. The intervention meetings will be once a week for 6 months. After that, it's reduced to once a month.  For this meeting, it was just an intro session.  We were given food logs and a copy of the Calorie King book, a book with calories and fat listings.  I'd never make it in this program if I had to pen and paper in everything I ate or drank. Luckily, they said we can also use MyFitnessPal, an app I already used and have on my phone. (It's free. go get it.)

The good doc set my food intake to 1500 calories a day and 100 minutes of walking (or greater) a week. The calorie intake is a deficit, but the exercise level is just the beginning of a ramp up to 300 minutes.  She recommends breaking up the time into any increment of 10 minutes that works.  I think it's about time I start taking those 10 minute breaks from the computer in the morning and afternoon.  It will make my legs, heart, and OSHA happy. Plus, it gets me 100 easy minutes in every day without even thinking what I'd be doing on the weekend.

The doc said recording starts tomorrow and to enjoy our last meal.  Fiancee and I had a good meal from Pho Kim 88, a cupcake (wedding planning is causing a cupcake addiction), and a good beer.

Weigh-in weight: 210.8


UPDATE: It's been a long time since I used MyFitnessPal.  The bar code scanner on the app has improved by leaps and bounds.  It found everything I scanned today. I also logged into my account at www.myfitnesspal.com and noticed that they added a Quick Add feature to allow you to repeat meal entries from the prior day, a specific date, or even save it as a specific meal.  I really like the last option.  It's annoying to enter 2 pieces of bread, 2 T. of peanut butter, and 1 T. of jelly every time I make a PBJ. Now I can save that as My PBJ and I can call it up every time.

Week 0

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending
- Maria Robinson

Between the pre-screen and the official measurement, I let myself enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's one last carefree time. I kept thinking .... two years.  So I got while the getting was good. I know that's not what you're supposed to do leading up to a program like this, but I wanted one last huzzah before going on a restricted caloric intake.

I had to fill out some boring online questionnaires about myself and get an MD's approval signature beforehand.

"Risk Associated with Completion of Questionnaires: You may experience non-physical risks such as boredom, frustration, stress, and time constraints when completing the questionnaires. The risk of this happening to you is likely because this occurs in more than 20% of people (more than 20 out of 100 people) "

0 MONTH OFFICIAL MEASUREMENT

I almost botched it before I even got to the center.  I completely forgot I was supposed to fast for 12 hours the night before. I had a snack and a coke 11 hours before the test. Thank goodness I'm not a late evening snacker. Luckily, they said it was still ok. That would have been a bad way to start a two year program....

When I got to the center, there was a whole team of people specialized in taking different measurements. They were all pleasant and relatively happy that all of their patients were showing up early and scheduled for the morning. After another brief questionnaire, they measured my body weight and height, body composition (DXA total body scan and Bioelectrical Impedence Analysis), resting blood pressure and heart rate. They took blood samples, did a cardiorespiratory fitness test, and had one last questionnaire. At the end the questionnaire, the guy gave me a BodyMedia Fit armband as a trial period, but it doesn't mean I'll be placed in the armband group yet.

DXA Body Scan

The DXA body scan was weird.  Imagine you are a sheet of paper on a scanner. Take away the blinding light and that's what it was like, except it took 7 minutes.  I've also never been hooked up to an ECG machine before.  I had to wear one to monitor my ticker while I walked on a treadmill.  I also had to wear a respiratory contraption thing (I believe that's its scientific name) that measured my air intake while breathing.

Body Media Armband

I kinda feel like one of those guys on Biggest Loser.  They do some of the same tests to those participants and the armband is the same thing they'd wear on the show.  Thankfully, my weight isn't equivalent to a pick-up truck and I'm not expected to lose an unhealthy amount of weight every week. I also thought it was neat that one of CNN's article about the CES 2012 (cool electronics show) featured the BodyMedia Fit.  Cost to public: $180.  Cost to me: free at least this week.  We'll see if I have to wear it all the time. I barely notice it.

After this week, the trial period will be over.  This is their last opportunity to analyze the test results/questionnaires to see if they find something they don't like.  If they rule me out, I think I'd better retitle these articles.

0 Month/Week Weight - 211

(Only gained 3 lbs over the holiday season!  If you saw how much I ate (cookies et al), you'd be impressed it's that low too.)

Kurt Makes a Resolution

A resolution to avoid an evil is seldom framed till the evil is so far advanced as to make avoidance impossible.
- Thomas Hardy


While this is a blog about the IDEA research study and my experiences and suggestions along the way. My #1 resolution is not the IDEA program.  This year, I deviated from my usual formula because the first two resolutions were just too important (and timely) to not make.

So I've made my 2012 Resolution(s):

1. Marry the girl of my dreams
2. Have an incredible honeymoon
3. Do the IDEA research study

Sorry IDEA research study.  #1 and #2 are way better and more important resolutions.

But back to resolution #3.... Resolution #3 was born out of last year's resolution.  Without getting my cholesterol checked, I'd have never considered this study.  My hope is that since my cholesterol was only borderline high, I can avoid the reference to evil in Mr. Hardy's quote.

So you may have made your resolutions already, but you may want to add one more if you are overdue for a physical and cholesterol check. Each year, I try to include the resolutions from prior years.  I don't succeed every time, but I'll be curious to see how this year's numbers compare against last year's numbers.

Kurt gets an IDEA

In order to change, we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired.

– Author Unknown 

I believe the best way to improve your health is through systematic changes to your behavior rather than a diet. I've been working on this for about four years; however, my dietary improvements picked up a lot more speed when I began dating my amazing (now) fiancee, a registered dietitian.

Resolutions for 2011:

1. Get my cholesterol checked, and
2. Use the slow cooker I've had in a cabinet for 5 years.

In fall of 2011, I got a long overdue cholesterol check (crossing off resolution #1). It was borderline high. While I do a lot right, it was an indicator that I need to be doing more for myself. I have a family history dictating that I cannot ignore even a borderline high number. Around the same time, I got a postcard about a weight management study with objectives matching what I intended to do on my own. The research study, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Education Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center, is called Innovative Diet Exercise & Activity (IDEA). IDEA is an "enhanced behavioral intervention to improve long-term weight loss in young adults" ....that goes for two years (yikes!).

Here goes nothing.... I took the pre-screening phone interview and, to my surprise, was enrolled into the program.

In December, I went to the orientation day. The study plans to reduce daily caloric intake to 1500, increase exercise to 300 minutes, attend group meetings, and log my food and exercise. Depending on which of the two study groups I am placed in, I may also get to wear a nifty BodyMedia Fit armband that keeps track of my physical activity. There are body measurement checks at 0, 6,12, 18, and 24 month markers. There's nothing new here.  The study is a comparison of how groups with the armband do against those without the armband. If the study reminds you of the basic premise of Weight Watchers, it's because programs like WW are based on data from these studies.

In the final few days of December, I kept both resolutions and used my slow cooker.

Pre-screening phone call weight: 208