A call for questions from Vtrim (giveaway post).

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Before I let the Vtrim Peeps take over the microphone for the day (I know. I so pun’y!) I wanted to take a moment and remind/let new readers know why I’ve decided to do so. I really like & respect their work.


Vermont was just named the healthiest state in the nation by America’s Health Rankings. So we have some health experts from the University of Vermont’s Vtrim Online Weight Management Program to answer ANY of your nutrition and weight management questions.

This week Heather Leonard and Beth Casey Gold , both Registered Dietitians, directors at the Vtrim Weight Management Program, and health bloggers are here to give insight to questions related to your diet (MizFit note: they mean food plan, People. We are not talking dietdiet here) and weight management!

Please post your question here as a comment to Heather and/or Beth and they will answer them for you in the from of a MizFit guest post.

One lucky commenter will receive a free copy of the Eating Well Diet book, a self-help version of the Vtrim program done in collaboration with Eating Well Magazine.,

Who are Heather and Beth, and what is Vtrim? Vtrim is an online weight management program researched and developed by Jean Harvey-Berino, PhD,RD at the University of Vermont for 17 years.

Heather is Vtrim’s Director of Online Instruction. She manages Vtrim’s Certified Facilitators and coordinates the Vtrim Facilitator training program and continuing education. As a Registered Dietitian, Heather has vast experience in group and individual counseling for weight management, cardiovascular disease, and other health risk factors. Heather has also been a facilitator for weight management research studies at UVM for the past 9 years.

Beth is responsible for sales and business development for Vtrim. She also coordinated all research studies conducted at the University of Vermont’s Behavioral Weight Management Program for nine years, including research on the Vtrim Program. As a Registered Dietitian, she has counseled people extensively on weight management in both an in-person and online setting.

So have at it! Any question will do. And, remember, the only silly question is the one not asked.

Winner announced  December 11. USA only.

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Comments

  3. I hear mixed answers about dairy. Some people (and studies) say it doesn’t matter – that it’s all good. My doctor says that with high cholesterol I need to have low (or preferably no) fat dairy. I don’t want to cut it out. What is the verdict? Is it ok for “normal” people but not for high cholesterol people, or is it all good?

  5. I am a Weight Watchers member, where the points formula basically gives you credit for more fiber. So many foods these days seem to have added fiber, which makes me skeptical. A 100 calorie Hostess cupcake pack with 4 grams of fiber, essentially becomes one point instead of 2 because of the fiber. Seems like cheating to me! What’s your take on added fiber?

  7. Do I have to eat before working out? Specifically running. Running is the one activity that I don’t eat before. If I do, I feel it in my stomach the whole time, feel sluggish, get cramps… I run first thing in the morning. I am able to eat before other activities like spin class, lifting weights, yoga, just not anything higher impact. I just hope I am not slowing my metabolism down by eating my oatmeal after.

  9. I was recently diagnosed with mild hypothyroidism. Besides taking my meds, is there anything special I should be doing with diet and/or supplementation that could help support my thyroid and make weight loss easier?

  12. I’ve been hearing a lot about vegetarian diets being better for health and weight loss, but for some reason every time I try to go vegetarian I end up gaining a few pounds. Any ideas about what I’m doing wrong?

  13. Looking forward to the answers about all this 🙂

    Building off of Lori’s question, IS it a good idea to eat first thing in the morning and at regular intervals throughout the day and a couple hours before bed, even if you’re not that hungry? Is it okay to let longer periods of time go by?

  14. My sister has IBS *and* gastroparesis. Any tips for eating with these two conditions–one which can’t take fiber and another one that requires it? She’s having a hard time walking the fine line and ends up eating white bread all day long–every day. How can she get nutrients without the fiber that causes her gastroparesis to worsen?

  15. Actually my question is that of Fitness Instructor looking to make things easier on her students.

    I recently had some friends join my Turbokick class I teach. They love it, but they REALLY struggle about halfway through because they are still working on quitting smoking. They don’t want to stop doing the class cause they love it.

    Is there something I can do as an instructor (and friend) to help them with their lung capacity other than continuing the ‘quit smoking’ lectures 🙂

  16. How to decide if the sleep is going to be more beneficial than the morning workout? I.E. Get 7 hours of sleep instead of 6 or take the 6 hours of sleep and do a 30 minute cardio session before work?

  17. The numbers game stumps me. How is it that I can burn 2500 calories a week through exercise (that number is from a heart rate monitor), eat 1500 calories a day (yes, I track calories) and still not lose weight? (I am 5’6″ and weigh 180ish). Yes I do have a funky thyroid but supposedly it is being controlled with meds…

  18. I went to see the acupuncturist last week and she questioned me about my weight. She said I was on the light side, asked me if I ever got hungry and questioned what I eat in the day. I’m not trying to lose weight and I do eat smaller meals throughout the day. I’m a 36 year old female (I guess my name tells you that) who’s lost about 15-20 lbs in the last year. I’m 5’6 tall, weighing about 118lbs, Should I see a doc? Should I be putting some more weight on & what can I do to put on a little weight without bulking up my mid section which always seems to be the case?

    Thanks for your time and expertise.
    Nikki from Canada

  19. Ok here is my question….I’m looking to maximize my results from my strength training program and was wondering what I can do to ensure my nutrition intake is supporting this?

  20. All my questions have been answered by the brilliant commenter above me.

    oh wait.. I heard that reducing simple carbs can also reduce the some of the severity of menopausal hot flashes. True? Anything else that can be done??

  22. How can you work extra (low-fat) protein into your diet? I find that when I workout I need a lot more protein. Do you recommend protein shakes?

    Also I was going to ask the same question as #16 about which is better, more sleep vs working out.

    Thanks!

  23. I’m insulin resistant and have lost about 100 pounds with another 25ish to go. I mostly focus on low-cal … what’s the best nutrition advice you can give me to help me reach my goal weight?

  24. I am another one who will add to the “why can’t I lose more weight”.

    I eat about 1600 calories per day on average (less on the weekdays, more on the weekends), I burn 2500+ per week (run 5-7 miles hard 3 times a week, circuit train for 60 mins 2 times per week), yet I cannot drop below about 153 (I’ve been here for about 9 months). I’m 5’5″ and have already lost 110-ish lbs and looking to lose 20 more. Is it possible my body is just at the right weight even though I’m considered overweight BMI-wise?

  25. Ok all those questions got me thinking! I can’t wait to hear answers… My husband always tells me to switch up my cardio routine. He said that even though I run a lot I will eventually stop losing weight because my body will get used to that type of exercise… Can your body get used to your same ol’ routine like using the eliptical?

  26. Dinner seems to be hardest meal for me to eat right during, so what I do to make up for this is to eat a very tiny breakfast and very tiny lunch. That way I don’t have to worry too terribly much about my dinner choice and I still have some food intake during the day.

    Is this okay? I hear some people say 6 small meals to keep the metabolism going, others say eat a large breakfast, medium lunch, tiny dinner, and then some others say that its the overall calorie count for the day that matters most. There are other things too, but those seem to be the top 3 mindsets I come across.

  28. What is the optimum amount of vitamin D? How much does a person get from the sun and from food? Should we all be taking supplements and, if so, how much?

  30. I have to do some research. I never heard of them. What is the percentage of folks who gain their weight back after following their program and what criteria do they consider when saying folks are successful at their program?

  31. Already been asked…. But does your body really get used to your exercise routine therefore not benefitting you?

  32. At 52 & going thru perimenopause for 4-5 years now, I really see the changes in my body. I know people like to say calories in, calories out & it does not matter but from my experience, the type of calories DOES matter & I keep making small changes along the way to combat what my body is trying to do.. get fatter & mushier. I do play with the protein/carbs/fat combo & I feel that I have to really adjust types of carbs & how many vs. the fat & protein. I keep my fat about 25-30% of calories & I do eat more protein than normal ladies due to my weight training but am finding I have to adjust even more now & in the past year with this protein/carb ratio as previously stated.

    What are your thoughts on this? I am one to believe that we are all different BUT I work out very hard & eat well & still see how much harder & how much cleaner I have to eat now & I was already eating pretty clean!

  33. I want to echo what POD said, because I think that’s such an important question to ask. When every diet/”lifestyle change” I know about doesn’t meet the gold standard for measuring such programs, which is that a significant (more than 5-10%) number of the participants need to keep off a significant (more than 10 lbs or so on average) amount of weight for more than 5 years, what’s different about Vtrim?

  34. I have never been a big vitamin believer, and my annual medicals always look okay although I don’t regularly eat the recommended amounts of fruits and veggies. What are your beliefs on taking a daily multi?

  36. Ooh can I please just take Just_Kelly’s question instead of writing my own? I was thinking the same thing. But if I have to come up with my own, how do you recommend getting enough protein into your diet if you don’t really like meat a whole lot (not vegetarian just don’t like it) and don’t like fish or cottage cheese. I eat a lot of beans and nuts, but I just don’t feel like it’s filling my need.

  37. Wow! Looking forward to hearing some answers here, these are fantastic questions and many of them are important to me.

    I’ve never been so happy to leave a late comment before. 🙂

  38. How important is the timing of a post-exercise snack? And does the importance vary on the intensity and duration of your workout?

  39. I have had several health problems over the years and I have recently started eating 90% vegetarian and I love it. I have never felt better in my life. I have been consuming everything I can read on the topic. If you can’t go 100% veggies then flexitarian is the way to go! I would like to work my way to 100% whole foods but it’s a struggle.

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