If you’re like most people and resolve to lose weight and eat healthy for the new year, Student Health Services (SHS) aims to help you achieve your goals.
“Eat Well, Live Healthy!” is a free SHS-sponsored weight management series run by Registered Dietitian Ryann Miller. The program, now in its third year, is offered once per quarter.
The winter quarter session starts today at 4 p.m. and will continue every Tuesday until Feb. 17. Call 752-9652 to sign up. Though the nutrition workshops normally have a pre-screening, Miller said students can still sign-up today; she will speak with late-enrolled students after class to figure out the logistics.
“The target population of the workshops are those who are overweight and those who have gained weight recently or those who have a family history of heart disease or diabetes,“ Miller said.
“I want to emphasize that the main target population is those that are overweight,” she said, adding that the cut-off to be eligible is a Body Mass Index (BMI) of above 25.
“I don’t want people to have the wrong impression – it’s not a diet plan, it’s about lifestyle changes,” she said.
Subjects of the workshops include nutrition planning and physical activity.
“On top of various nutrition topics, we will also offer a grocery shopping tour so students can get a hands-on experience,” Miller said. “[We will point out] foods that will help them on their weight-loss journey.“
One class will consist of a cooking class led by Miller and a chef from Sodexo.
“[We will] go over various healthy eating topics, such as food safety, quick preparation and how to make [meals] taste good on a college budget,” she said.
Another aspect of the workshops will expose students to mindful eating.
“It’s basically the opposite of mindless eating,” Miller said, citing eating in front of the television or because of boredom as examples.
Henriette Bruun, a physical therapist at the Student Health Center, will teach a session on the importance of combining fitness, aerobic conditioning and strengthening in addition to dieting.
“The students taking the workshop series need to know that they will be more successful in reaching their goal if they combine dieting and exercises … [and] all the health benefits of improved fitness,” Bruun said in an e-mail interview.
“[The workshops are] a lot of fun – students get a lot out of it,” Miller said. “It gives students a little bit of information on a lot of things that influence weight, [so they] can then see what areas they need to focus on.“
The workshops will also be offered spring quarter, starting April 15.
ANNA OPALKA can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
