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Very exciting news blog readers!

Vtrim’s corporate program was highlighted in an October issue of the BLR OSHA Compliance Advisor. It’s a stamp of approval for our weight management program, and we’re delighted that HR professionals across the country learned about our homegrown, Vermont-based program.

I had the opportunity to personally speak with the writer at BLR OSHA Compliance Advisor about why Vtrim makes sense for companies and their employees. She asked me what makes Vtrim different from other programs. My answer:

• Vtrim replicates what you’d expect from a research-based weight loss program. Our clinical roots have proven results. As the writer highlighted: “More than 80 percent of participants lose at least 5 percent of their body weight.” That’s an amazing number!
• Vtrim’s focus in less on food and more on how people relate to food. It’s an approach that targets behavior change, encouraging people to change their unhealthy eating and exercise habits for the better.

Vtrim has worked with a number of Vermont companies, including Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Green Mountain Power and Seventh Generation. Props to them for seeing the value in employee health and wellness.

The BLR OSHA Compliance Advisor showcases our work with Green Mountain Coffee. Why does Green Mountain Coffee love Vtrim? Their HR lead for health and wellness Betsy Stanford gives the inside scoop:

• It’s systematic: “A lot of programs out there tell you to eat this and not eat something else. Vtrim focuses on goals for fat, calories and exercise, encouraging people to get up and start moving with an eye to long-term longevity.”
• It’s virtual: “We’ve grown so fast that people don’t have the time to leave their desks.”

We’re proud of our partnership with business. When weight loss helps companies trim waistlines and health costs, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Read the story online here

Have you participated in our Vtrim Corporate Program? Share your experience here. How did it change your workplace eating habits?  Are you exercising during your lunch hour?  We’d love to hear from you.

–Beth

I was perusing the web on all topics weight loss the other day, which is a frequent pastime of mine.  I like to know what is out there and what people are reading since there is a good chance it will come up in an online meeting I am leading.  I came across the Weight Control Information Network (WIN) site, a service provided by the National Institutes of Health.  I was curious how Vtrim measured up to their standards knowing that we would be really close to what they recommended.  I was pleased to see we meet all of their criteria for a safe and responsible weight loss program.  Click here to read more on their site, but in a nutshell, below is how Vtrim meets their high standards.

WIN says, safe and effective weight-loss programs should include:

1. Healthy eating plans that reduce calories but do not forbid specific foods or food groups. This is a core tenet of the Vtrim philosophy.  Each person figures out how to manage their food intake based on their own personal circumstances.  A calorie and fat gram goal is provided to help guide the process but individuals get to choose what they want to eat within those parameters.

2. Tips to increase moderate-intensity physical activity. Vtrim provides tips but more importantly takes it one step further and provides a systematic, graduated exercise program so people can incorporate moderate intensity activity into their life in a gradual, sustainable way.

3. Tips on healthy habits that also keep your cultural needs in mind, such as lower-fat versions of your favorite foods. Sustainable behavior change is the goal so Vtrim encourages people to modify recipes and problem solve ways to continue to incorporate favorite foods but in a smart way that takes calories into consideration.

4. Slow and steady weight loss. Depending on your starting weight, experts recommend losing weight at a rate of 1/2 to 2 pounds per week. Weight loss may be faster at the start of a program. Vtrim assigns a reduced calorie weight loss goal that will achieve a 1/2 -2 pound weight loss per week.  Slow, gradual and sustainable is the approach.

5.  A plan to keep the weight off after you have lost it. Because maintaining weight lost is often more challenging than losing weight, Vtrim offers a monthly maintenance program for graduates of our weight loss program.  Our goal is to partner with people on their weight management journey for as long as we are needed.

Check out what Vtrim has to offer on our website.  We start online classes every month.  We’d love to “see” you online!