Before Beginning - What Leads to Successful Weight Management?  Available Now

What does the current research say that you can do to help you lose weight and keep it off?  Find out if you are in the right step to begin a lifestyle change in your diet.

Download the GetFIT Connections™ Goal Coupon Book with 16 Coupons

Download the booklet Manage Your Healthy Lifestyle with the Right Goals For You

Use the Cooking With MyPyramid 25 Stars Challenge Workshop on page 30 in Cooking With MyPyramid.  Set up the individual or family rewards as directed on page 31-33.

Contract 1 - Tune Into Your Diet 

Determine how many calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and fiber you need per day based on your gender, age, and activity level, as well as daily and weekly food groups.

Evaluate your diet using the 5-Day Food Recorder.  Compare your diet to the recommendations of MyPyramid and take the Nutrient Checklist.

To help you - Try GetFIT Connections Goal Coupons 1 (Recommended Exercise Times), 2 (Make Activity Accessible), and 3 (Follow MyPyramid).  Charts A and B will also be helpful.  Use the Pyramid Slide Guide to find your recommended calorie and food group recommendations. 

Do the Breakfast Checklist on page 51 in Cooking With MyPyramid.  Try a mix or blend breakfast smoothie on page 55-58.  Make oatmeal the night before breakfast.  Use the recipe on page 63.

Contract 2 - Look Before You Buy 

Evaluate your pantry and take a trip through the GetFIT Connections™ Grocery Store.  

Discover tips for low-fat cooking and baking as well as tips for flavoring your meals.

After analyzing the foods you eat, prepare to make your grocery shopping list for what you will buy based on your 5-day Menu Planner.  Use the GetFIT Connections™ Menu Planner and Grocery Shopping List.  Take a tour through the aisles of the GetFIT Connections™ Convenience Grocery store to help you make your shopping list.
   
Learn how to label read for maximum nutrition at the grocery store. Then come home and learn tips for baking, cooking, and flavoring your dishes.  If convenience is your choice, then by all means take advantage of the convenience tips.  

To help you - Try GetFIT Connections™ Goal Coupons 5 (Read the Nutrition Facts Label) and 7 (Look for Whole Grains).  Use the Healthy Snack Turn to help you select healthy foods at the grocery store

Pack a tasty lunch for work or school with the tips on page 83 in Cooking With MyPyramid.  Make your own salad dressing with the tips on page 91 and try the Salad Kabob recipe on page 89.

Read the TIPS on page 4-5 in Cooking With MyPyramid on how to select fresh and frozen vegetables as well as how to keep vegetables tender-crisp.

Contract 3 - Are You Aware of Your Behaviors?

Are you aware of the behaviors that cause you to gain weight?  Use the Behavior Awareness Worksheet to help you pinpoint those behaviors and create solutions

To help you - Try GetFIT Connections™ Goal Coupon 6 (Manage Difficult Situations)

Read Words of Wisdom to Adults in Cooking With MyPyramid to help create healthy eating habits for your family on page 9-10.  Help to limit portion sizes is on page 11.
 

Contract 4 - Exercise 1000 Calories Per Week

Find out how physically active you are.  Use the Activity Guideline to see if you are exercising 1000 calories per week.  It's easier than you think when you know how to motivate yourself.

To help you - Try GetFIT Connections™ Goal Coupon 8 (Make Exercise a Part of Your Day) and Goal Coupon 9 (Vary Your Veggies Each Day)

Reward yourself when you exercise 30 minutes on your 25 Stars Challenge Worksheet on page 30 in Cooking With MyPyramid.

Contract 5 - Set Goals That You Can Do

Are you setting your goals too high?  Learn how to set goals you can accomplish and evaluate your progress.

To help you - Try GetFIT Connections™ Goal Coupon 4 (Follow Recommended Portion Sizes) and Reward Ideas on the inside back cover.

Switch to NUTRICIZED snacks on page 148 in Cooking With MyPyramid.  Pita Salad Pockets (page 159 ) are a unique way to pack a salad for a snack.
 

Contract 6 - What Are You Hungry For?  

Pinpoint what you are hungry for and control your eating.  Help is on the way for those awful food cravings.

To help you - Try GetFIT Connections™ Goal Coupon 10 (Sweeten With Sugar) and Goal Coupon 11 (About Fats)

Use the 15 Tips in Cooking With MyPyramid to help you plan healthy meals.  Use the MyPyramid √ box that is included with each recipe to see the food group servings each recipe contains.
 

Contract 7 - Dining Out Dilemmas

If you eat out more than a couple times per week, then you need to pay close attention to what you are ordering.  Discover
dining out tips for fast food and sit down restaurants.

To help you - Try GetFIT Connections™ Goal Coupon 12 (Use More Nuts and Beans in Place of Meat) and Goal Coupon 16 (Make Dining Out a Success)

If you decide to stay in and cook dinner, try the Southwest Turkey Meatloaf on page 118 in Cooking With MyPyramid.

Contract 8 - Develop a Positive Body Image

Use positive affirmations and creative visualization to boost your self esteem and help you through difficult situations.

To help you - Try GetFIT Connections™ Goal Coupon 13 (Take a 10-15 Minute Activity Break) and Goal Coupon 15 (Get Enough Calcium in Your Diet)

Be a role model for your children and set healthy eating habits.  Use the tips on page 99 in Cooking With MyPyramid as well as the After Dinner, During Lunch, and Before Breakfast Activity ideas to increase your metabolism. Try the Baked Squapple Crisp on page 131.  Can you guess the 2 main ingredients from the name?

Contract 9 - Conquer Your Difficult Situations

What do you do to help yourself get through the typical holiday weight gain of 5-10 pounds.? Are you a stress eater?  How do you elicit support from someone and how do you give support to someone?   Discover the answers to help you with these situations.

To help you - Try GetFIT Connections™ Goal Coupon 6 (Manage Difficult Food Situations) and Goal Coupon 10 (Sweeten With Fruit)

More tips to lower sugar and sweeten with fruit are on pages 36-37 in Cooking With MyPyramid.  The Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Salad on page 60 sweetens with a variety of fruits in place of sugar.

Contract 10 - Successful Weight Management

Keep off the weight you've lost by using proven techniques.  Find out what has helped other participants maintain their weight loss. Re-motivate yourself to make small changes that add up to big lifestyle changes.

To help you - Try GetFIT Connections™ Goal Coupon 14  (Limit Sodium and Increase Potassium)

 

Help for portion sizes is on pages 11-12 in Cooking With MyPyramid.  Also try the Fruity Chewy Granola Bars recipe on page 155.  Portion out the bars into individual bags and freeze one half of them.  Also, throw a healthy party for your family or school with the ideas on page 13.