"Choose to Lose" Helps You Reach Your Diet Goals the
Healthy Way"
December 2002 - Margarita Allocca was stuck. Although she was a dedicated gym-goer, she couldn't shed those last few stubborn pounds.
"I was working out regularly, but I wasn't losing weight," says Allocca, 47, of Hollywood. "I figured it was my diet, because I was eating a lot of sugar and junk foods. I wasn't really in tune with eating."
To solve the problem, Allocca enrolled in Memorial Regional Hospital Fitness & Rehabilitation Center's Choose to Lose program, which teaches participants how to eat for optimal health. She didn't miss a class.
"It was a real education," Allocca says. "I learned a new approach to eating, and I lost about eight pounds, which is exactly what I wanted."
Her healthy habits even influenced her husband to change his diet and begin to work out. He lost 12 pounds.
Allocca's experience is a common one, according to Choose to Lose program instructor Marilyn Gordon, MS, RD, LD/N, dietitian and nutritionist at Memorial Regional Hospital Fitness & Rehabilitation Center. "Many times, a woman in the class will report that her husband is losing weight, too, and the kids are reading food labels. The whole family benefits," Gordon says.
Why Choose to Lose?
Choose to Lose is unique because it isn't all about weight. "It's not a fad diet for quick - and temporary - weight loss," Gordon says. "We focus on disease prevention through healthy eating, so we teach skills you can use for a lifetime."
During each of the 11 one-hour sessions, participants learn about nutrition and exercise. Instead of weigh-ins, they keep a diary tracking the amounts and values of foods they eat. Then they learn to reduce portion sizes and to modify favorite foods to reduce fat and calories. Few restrictions apply.
"Choose to Lose teaches you how to eat the food that you enjoy and still lose weight," says Choose to Lose program instructor Andrea Morganstein, MS, RD, LD/N, dietitian and nutritionist at Memorial Hospital West Fitness & Rehabilitation Center. "We go to a supermarket and learn to make better choices. We learn how to read food labels, order in a restaurant and cook food that is lower in fat. And because it's a group setting, participants help each other with motivation and ideas."
Success is for the student to measure. "When clothes start to fit, blood sugars improve, cholesterol goes down, exercise capacity increases - those are signs of success," Gordon says. "You can lose weight in a variety of ways, but not all will improve your health and lead you down a path of wellness for a lifetime."
For Allocca, expanding her knowledge of food was the first step on that path.
"This is definitely a life change for me," she says. "I make better choices because of Choose to Lose. For the education you get, the program is well worth the cost. It's great."
A doctor's consent may be required to participate in Choose to Lose. Speak to your doctor if you have a medical condition that could be affected by exercise or a change in diet. To enroll in Choose to Lose, call Memorial Regional Hospital Fitness & Rehabilitation Center at (954) 265-5800 or Memorial Hospital West Fitness & Rehabilitation Center at (954) 844-7125.