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There are all kinds of messages in the media today touting the health benefits of milk. Many patients feel that now that they are pregnant, they must drink extra milk. But can you have too much of a good thing? Dairy products are by far your best source of calcium, but they also tend to be high in fat.

Calcium requirements per day are as follows:
Children (4-8 years) 800mg
Teens (9-18years) 1300mg
Adults (19-50 years) 1000mg
Adults (51 and older) 1200mg
Pregnant and Nursing Women 1200mg
Postmenopausal Women 1200-1500mg

We have been working on our resolutions, making them achievable, setting goals, accountability and so on. What do I do when I have fallen short of the goals I set? Mistakes should be used as an opportunity to learn, not an excuse to quit. As we mentioned before, weight loss is a lifestyle change. We have to adjust over time to what works best for us and what works best given our lifestyle. Results are achieved by trial-and-error. Don’t be afraid to try. Ask yourself “What was it that kept me from achieving my goal?” Then make the correction and reset your course.

Some of the things our group discovered are:

Our next section in our healthy dietary change resolution for 2010 is accountability.  Having accountability helps you keep on track, helps you monitor your progress, and helps to keep you motivated. So, what are some ways we can be accountable?

We have been very busy getting our new satellite office up and running in the last couple of weeks. If you have not seen it, the office is located at 307 Euless Westpark Way.

This time I’m going to talk about the next section in our healthy dietary change resolution for 2010. Once you make your resolution specific and achievable, make a plan. Again, make your plan specific. In our plan we have added our short-term goals. I tell my patients that this is what you will focus on. As I said in the previous blog, don’t focus on the end result. Keep your focus on what you are going to do today or this week.

MacArthur OB/GYNs’ Plan

• Each person will weigh once a week
• Each person will keep a weekly food diary
• Each person will attend the diet and nutrition classes provided
• Each person will begin to incorporate more activity (we will also walk as a group on nice weather days at lunch)

Our Short Term Goals include:

This week’s tip for a successful resolution is:
Make your resolutions achievable

• Losing 15 pounds in the next 3 weeks to fit into that bathing suit for your vacation to Mexico is not very realistic
• however, losing 1-2 pounds per week for the next 3 months is.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew

Raise your hand if you have made a New Year’s resolution in the past and not achieved it? (My hand is up) Better yet, raise your hand if you have made a resolution for this year and have already fallen off the wagon? (My hand is also up) It is not too late to jump back on that wagon.

I invite you to join the staff at MacArthur OB/GYN in a resolution to make healthy dietary changes for 2010. Many of the staff have expressed a desire to either lose weight or to learn how to eat healthier. It is not too late to join us. I will keep you all posted of our progress.

How do you achieve the resolution you make?
Over the next few weeks we will discuss various ways for you to make sure you complete your resolution. First, avoid resolutions that are vague.  Because vague resolutions are not measurable, they can be harder to accomplish.

Be specific:

Trying to LOSE weight during the holiday season can set you up for failure. Focus instead on MAINTAINING your current weight. This can be hard especially since everywhere you look there are all kinds of wonderful food and snacks. If you are diabetic (gestational, Type 1, Type 2) it is an even larger challenge to keep your blood sugars normal. Hopefully, by following some of these tips we can get through this season and maintain our current weight.

Use a small plate

• This makes the amount of food appear more than it is
• Eat slow and savor the flavors
• Wait at least 20 minutes before going back for seconds
• Before going back for seconds, figure out if you are really hungry or only craving the foods 

Catch up on the neighborhood gossip away from the kitchen