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Did you know that March is a more popular “dieting” month than January?  Research shows that more people vow to get their weight under control in March than at the beginning of the New Year.  It makes sense when you think about it…  Summer is approaching fast, shorts and bathing suits are on the brain and the opportunity for outdoor exercise is greater.   Vtrim will teach you how to manage your behaviors around eating and exercise so that long-term weight management is possible.  At Vtrim, we teach you to set SMART goals so that you can measure your progress and success.

S = Specific: Set specific goals.  Specific goals have detail and state exactly what you are working on.  For example, “I want to lose 10 pounds by June 1st” instead of “I want to lose weight.”

M = Measurable: Measurable goals include the “how much” and “how often” details of the goal you have set above.  “I will exercise more” is not enough.  “I will walk 3 miles on Monday, Wednesday and Friday” is more like it.  You can measure your success.

A = Achievable: Your goal should be achievable.  Losing 10 pounds in 3 months is achievable.  Losing 50 in 3 months is not.

R = Realistic: Do you believe you can accomplish the goal you have set out to achieve?  If yes, your goal is realistic.  Meeting realistic goals and reevaluating when you get there is more rewarding than shooting for the moon and always missing.

T = Time-limited: Goals need to have a time-frame.  A time frame gives you the framework to monitor your progress and evaluate how you are doing.  If what you are doing is working and you are getting closer to your stated goal, great!  If not, how can you adjust so you still meet your goal in your stated time-frame?

If your motivation is high and changing your lifestyle to manage your weight sounds like a worthy goal, then go with that train of thought and get on board with Vtrim.  Check out our schedule of March classes and let Vtrim show you the way to lasting weight control!

Vtrim was recently mentioned in a Diabetic Living article called Log On To Take It Off by Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE a nationally recognized dietitian and diabetes educator.  The article does a great job of breaking down online options for weight loss from “fee to free”, as Hope writes.  All websites are not created equal and just because a program is online does not mean it will be inexpensive to participate.  It is important to realize what you are buying when you sign up for any online program.  You will find similar weight loss tools on practically every site but that may be where the similarities end.

Many sites are inexpensive and that is because they are self-help programs.  It is up to you to take advantage of what is offered and to keep your motivation high.  Weight loss is difficult and keeping it off is even harder, so for many people a self-help program is not enough.  However, there are certainly success stories that come out of these programs and they are usually front and center on the homepage with a disclaimer that says, “results not typical”.

The Vtrim program is online and we utilize a website to deliver our program, however we are much more than a weight loss website.  We know how difficult behavior change is for weight loss and our program is considered the gold-standard treatment for obesity in the research world.  The word treatment gives respect to the weight loss process.  In order to lose weight and have the best chance of keeping it off, you need a plan, a systematic approach.  Relying on willpower alone is usually a set up for failure.  Changing behaviors takes time and support.  All websites have something to offer but remember they are not all created equal.  Know yourslef, know what you need to succeed and seek out a site that will deliver for you.  If you need expert feedback, accountability and peer support, a structured program, like Vtrim, is a good option.

Download the Article Here

For those of you that follow our blog, you know we are referring to weight, so becoming a successful loser is something to aspire to!  You all know by now that Vtrim is a research-based program.  That sounds credible but what the heck does it mean?  In a nut shell, we have combined research findings from obesity research done at the University of Vermont by Dr. Jean Harvey-Berino and research results from other universities to create a commercially available program that provides the best chance of success based on many research studies over many years.

One of our favorite sources of research data is the National Weight Control Registry.   This database was started in 1994 and is now 5000+ people deep.  The criterion for joining the Registry is maintenance of at least a 30 lb weight loss for at least one year.  Rena Wing, PhD and Jim Hill, PhD, two renowned obesity researchers, started this database in an effort to study people who have lost weight and kept it off.  People self select to join this database and it is not a randomized controlled study.  The researchers concede this limitation but the point is to gleen common characteristics of people who are keeping weight off long-term.  What are they doing and how can this knowledge help others who are attempting to maintain the weight they’ve worked so hard to lose?

This data provides a road map of what successful weight maintenance looks like and it is no cake walk, so to speak!

Common characteristics among successful weight losers:

1.  Diet AND exercise are key.  Successful weight maintenance requires both!  Successful losers lost weight with diet and exercise and they continue these behaviors in maintenance.

2.  Most follow a reduced-calorie, low fat diet with an average of 24% of calories coming from fat.  (Tracking fat helps you to meet your calorie goal since gram for gram fat has twice the calories of protein and carbohydrate.)

3.  Almost 80% eat a healthy breakfast everyday. (They get started on the right foot everyday.)

4.  75% weigh themselves at least once a week and many weigh daily.  (This allows you to correct for minor slips.)

4.  90% exercise an average of 1 hour per day.  The average exercise expenditure is the equivalent of walking 28 miles per week.  (Don’t be intimidated, see it as perspective on what you are currently doing.  Can you do more?)

5.  62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.  (No time for TV with all of that exercise!  Can’t give up TV, walk the treadmill while you watch.)

Vtrim will teach you the weight loss behaviors necessary to achieve these markers of long-term success. You too can be a successful loser and Vtrim can help!

So, it was bound to happen and we are now there.  The National Center for Health Statistics reported last week that the percentage of obese Americans has surpassed the percentage of overweight.  A BMI between 25-30 is considered overweight and a BMI of greater than 30 is obese.  You can check out your BMI here.  BMI stands for Body Mass Index.  It is an estimate of your body fat based on your height and weight.  Your risk for weight-related diseases increases as your BMI increases.  The increase is dramatic once you reach the obese category.

Currently, 34% of Americans are obese and 32.7% are overweight.  If you find yourself in a BMI range that is less than ideal, don’t despair, it is never too late to turn the ship around.  Participating in an evidenced-based behavioral weight loss program provides the best chance for long-term success.  Many successful Vtrimmers have achieved a healhty BMI (<25) and have eliminated many, if not all,  of the diseases that were part of their lives or looming as the weight hung around.  Changing engrained behaviors is not easy but with the help of a structured program and expert guidance, success is attainable!

Statistics paint a picture but people make choices!  If you don’t want to sit back and be a stat in our unhealthy American landscape, then make a choice to make a change!  Get healthy today, Vtrim can help.

The Denver Post recently wrote an article about online weight loss and the gamut of options available to the public. Not all programs are created equal and as a consumer it is wise to do your homework before signing up.  As reported in the CNN article, an estimated 80 million Americans go on diets every year, spending more than $30 billion annually on programs and products. That’s a lot of cash and high hopes for change.

The Denver Post article suggests that high tech can work as well as old school. They base this conclusion on the research paper we published in Obesity in 2007 comparing Vtrim to eDiets.com, a popular commercial online weight loss program. eDiets.com is one of the few programs to put their protocol through a randomized clinical trial. Kudos to them! The results they achieved were promising from a public health standpoint. They have hundreds of thousands of active participants. However, a program like Vtrim provides the best results and the best chance of keeping the weight off long-term.

In this study, participants lost an average of 18 pounds in 6 months, 2x that of eDiets.com. How come the weight loss is so much greater in Vtrim? We attribute the difference to the systematic delivery over 24 weeks of a behavioral weight loss curriculum. We teach people how to manage their daily choices around food and exercise. And, we offer expert support and accountability throughout the process. Vtrim participants get weekly feedback on their food journal and their personal reflection activities from a professional facilitator.

The Denver Post article offers a cheat sheet on what to look for in a solid online weight loss program. They say look for the following attributes:

Questions that determine your height, weight, age and weight loss or fitness goals (and, ideally, your body-fat ratio).

A food journal to monitor daily calorie intake.

An activity log with a drop-down menu of tasks and exercises.

An educational element (behavior-modification articles, e-mail access to a therapist or personal trainer).

Community support via e-mail, chat rooms or discussion boards.

Vtrim has all of these and more and we guide you through the process of losing weight. Check us out today. We’d like to suggest you stop wasting money on fast, false-promise programs and invest in your weight management future with a scientifically-validated program like Vtrim.

Vtrim was one of 4 university-based weight loss programs profiled in this month’s issue of Prevention Magazine. The article featured a success story from each program and highlighted Nancy Rabinowitz of Vtrim. Great job Nancy! It is fun to see our participants get press and kudos for all of the enormous lifestyle changes they have achieved.

Vtrim, a University of Vermont program, is in good company with this list. Duke University, University of Alabama and the University of Colorado were also featured. All of these universities are home to obesity research programs that inform their community offerings. Jean Harvey-Berino, PhD,RD Chair of Nutrition and Food Sciences at UVM and Vtrim Founder has been conducting behavioral weight loss research at UVM for the last 17 years. Of those 17 years, the last 11 have focused on delivering weight loss and weight maintenance treatment over the internet. This research formed the basis of the Vtrim online program which is now available nationally. Our online program differentiates us from the others in this article because we have removed the need to be local to a university in order to receive high quality research-based weight loss treatment. Participating in a highly successful and clinically effective program is now only as far away as your nearest internet connection!

You can check out the article by following this link (Vtrim review begins on page 4):

Vtrim Featured in Prevention Magazine

Following close on the heals of the CDC’s announcement of Burlington as the healthiest city in America, a new report names Vermont the healthiest state in the nation. One contributing factor to the designation is Vermont’s obesity rate of 22%, four points lower than the national average. Low smoking rates and the third highest public health spending, Vermont is leading the way for healthier lifestyles.

Vtrim is doing its part to help lead the way as well. As the only ONLINE behavior modification program for weight loss, Vtrim is providing to the American public years of university research on how to live healthier lives through better diets, more activity, and behaviors that promote weight management. Be a part of the program that knows how to help shape lifestyles, not only for a healthier today, but a healthier tomorrow.

To learn more about Vtrim, go to www.uvm.edu/vtrim. Or join our online webinar about the Vtrim Online Weight Management Program. We’ll be showing you around the Vtrim website, how it works, and what you will experience in an online class.

Vtrim Webinar: Learn more about how Vtrim online works!

Thursday, December 11th

1:00 PM, EST

To get more information or to sign up to attend, please send an email to vtrim@uvm.edu.

The Vtrim Weight Management Program has been flourishing for the last 16 years in America’s healthiest city, Burlington, Vermont. Thousands of Vermonters have participated in Vtrim in both our research studies and our local commercial offering at the University of Vermont campus. Participants of Vtrim have found or rediscovered a healthier lifestyle through weight management, and for those living in Burlington, they now fit right in with the masses. Burlington has the largest percentage of people who claim to be in good or great health (92%). This vibrant city of 40,000 is also among the best in exercise and among the lowest in obesity, diabetes and other measures of poor health, according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As Vtrim rolls out to a national online audience, it brings the Burlington, VT vibe of vitality through a healthier lifestyle to cities all across the country. We are proud to call Burlington, VT home, America’s Healthiest City!

Welcome to the Vtrim blog! We are excited to have this blog up and running and the opportunity it provides to share more information with you about Vtrim and weight management.

Vtrim Weight Management Program is an ONLINE behavioral weight loss program at the University of Vermont. It is based on over 16 years of research on effective weight management strategies and techniques. Because of the research and science behind Vtrim, you can be sure you are learning the most current, most effective information about successful weight management.

We have a few very important purposes for this blog:

1. To create a network of support for those who are interested in weight management
2. To form a support community for Vtrim participants (current and past) by providing another means of staying in touch with the Vtrim program.
3. To keep you informed about the latest research developments in the field of weight management.

We hope you will enjoy the Vtrim blog and the information you find here. We look forward to corresponding with you, and we encourage you to share your ideas as well as questions or issues you would like to see addressed in the blog.