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By Stuart Kopps, MS, RCEP, RD
Director of MWMC’s Cardiac Rehab Program

With New Year’s resolutions in full swing there is one resolution always near the top of the list: weight loss.

Whether for health benefits or to simply look better, if you are like millions of other Americans, your number one New Year's Resolution for 2007 is probably to lose weight.

For a weight loss program to be effective, it must consist of the following four components.

1. Physician Approval – First, get your doctors approval before beginning any type of weight management program.  Your doctor may have some precautions or modification he or she would like for you to make to a program.  For the best progress possible, you must see your doctor first.
   
   
2. Good Nutrition – This is not crash dieting, which will always fail, but a good nutrition program which meets all your nutritional needs with a slight calorie debt.  There is a ton of various “diet theories” out there.  To make sure you are getting the best information possible, look for information by Registered Dietitians.  These are trained professionals who help people make good food choices.
   
   
3. Productive Exercise – Exercise is another important piece of the puzzle in effective weight management.  Exercise helps in allowing your body to burn more calories and can rev up the metabolism to help make you a fat burning machine.  In deciphering all the information on the market, try to look for advice from individuals with a degree in the exercise physiology field. These are trained professionals who can help you devise an effective exercise program to help you meet your goals.
   
   
4. Behavior Modification – Last, but certainly not least, is behavior modification.  You must make the appropriate lifestyle changes if effective weight management is desired.  You must place significant importance on your goals and make changes to achieve those goals.

If you can effectively combine the above four components, then you will be healthier and should achieve the results you are after. 

For more information, please contact Stuart at Merle West Medical Center at (541) 885-2313, or to find out more about MWMC’s Cardiac Rehab Program click here.