Do you shut your kitchen down at 8 p.m.? If not, late-night munchies could be keeping you from getting the results you want! Remember, food is fuel, and food eaten right before bed, when your body’s fuel needs are lowest, becomes fuel stored for another day — a.k.a. FAT!

Make an effort to eat your meals and snacks during the day, when your body needs the energy! Doing so keeps your metabolism burning at a steady pace and helps you avoid the kind of ravenous hunger that can drive you into the kitchen at night. Try these tips for breaking the “midnight munchies” habit:

• After dinner, clean up the kitchen and shut off the light. You’ll be less tempted to graze after you “close up shop.”
• Brush your teeth right after dinner. Don’t ruin that minty fresh feeling with a snack!
• Avoid eating in front of the television. Studies show you’ll eat more while watching the tube and not even realize it!
• If you must have a late-night snack, choose wisely! Have a cup of yogurt and fruit, a salad, a broth-based soup, or some steamed veggies.

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Resolutions ready? Take the plunge

12/29/2007By KALEY LYON

Hays Daily News

It’s back!

As 2008 draws near, The Center for Health Improvement is preparing for a repeat of what turned out to be its most popular event yet, Pound Plunge.

The program, which encourages locals to eat healthy and exercise right, shocked staff members and the entire community when about 1,500 people signed on last year to drop the pounds.

While it’s too soon for exact numbers, the second annual event is expected to be another big one, said Stephanie Schaffer, fitness manager.

“They keep coming in every day,” Schaffer said of this year’s registrations. “I’m expecting a lot more.”

The 12-week weight loss program will begin on Jan. 10 and end April 3. Each team must consist of four members, and the deadline to register is Jan. 6.

The beginning of the year is a good time to have such an event — New Year’s resolutions often help keep participants motivated, she said.

“New Year’s is a time when a lot of people in our country set goals,” Schaffer said. “The big thing is to lose weight and to exercise. It’s just a perfect time of the year to implement a team like this.”

Overall, the routine will be about the same as last year. Participants will receive a weekly nutrition or exercise tip to help them drop pounds and keep them off, she said.

The teams also will weigh in each week to track their progress, and at the end of the program, the team with the highest percentage of weight lost will receive a prize.

Unlike last year, when only the first place team received a financial award and free membership to the center, the top three teams will be rewarded.

Also unlike last year, team members will have the opportunity to weigh in on new digital scales, and individuals’ blood pressures will be recorded at the beginning and end of the program to gauge improvement, Schaffer said.

The program isn’t limited to the center — it strives to include the larger community and encourages participants and other local entities to get involved, she said.

“It’s just about getting people moving,” Schaffer said. “It’s just to teach people about fitness and exercise and nutrition, and they love it.”

Schaffer said she expects many of last year’s participants to try it again, and there also are many new team members already signed up.

“I think we’ll have people who did it last year who had great success. They’ll come back,” she said. “I think you’ll have people who did it last year and maybe have found out they need to do it a different way this year. And then you’re going to have the people who are going to come back, and this motivated them to lose weight and keep weight off.”

Deanna Staab, Hays, is one such individual. She participated in last year’s health challenge and has continued losing weight ever since.

At November’s Pound Plunge reunion, Staab took first place for having lost, and kept off, the highest percentage of body weight since the challenge began in early 2007.

Staab lost 13 pounds during pound plunge, and by continuing to eat and exercise healthy since then, has lost an additional 24 pounds.

“I really enjoy it,” she said. “I feel better and started exercising regularly, so that was the key — just to lose a little at a time.”

Staab’s team dubbed themselves the “hot tamales,” and the team support is what kept her going, she said. Her goal for Pound Plunge 2, which she has already signed up for, is to lose an additional 10 pounds, she said.

“I’m just happy about it,” Staab said. “It’s a good deal and everybody should sign up. It just gives you an idea of where you’re at and what you should be doing.”

Reporter Kaley Lyon can be reached at (785) 628-1081 Ext. 138, or by e-mail at klyon@dailynews.net.

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Don’t make your commitment to eating right and getting healthy harder than it needs to be. Clear out these five temptations from your kitchen before the munchies strike!

1. Fried frozen: Fried shrimp, french fries, fish sticks, onion rings, and the like. Even if you “bake” them, it’s too late — they’re already fried!
2. Frozen fat: Pizza and similar frozen foods loaded with cheese, meat, and fats.
3. Snack attack: Crackers, potato chips, and tortilla chips. Most of these are fried, and even the low-fat versions pack a lot of empty calories!
4. Sweets: Cookies, candies, and cakes — even the nonfat ones — contain no vitamins or minerals. If you can’t stay away from them, don’t keep them on hand!
5. Artery cloggers: Sausage, bacon, and other fatty red meats.

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Looking for a rejuvenating burst from one of the energy drinks hitting store shelves? As opposed to sports drinks that restore your electrolytes and rehydrate you, energy drinks are ones that contain caffeine or taurine, giving you a sudden burst of energy. Watch out for their hazardous effects though, experts from the Canadian Health Department warn. These seemingly harmless drinks not only contain empty calories but can also seriously damage your health. Experts recommend you:

• Avoid mixing energy drinks and alcohol.
• Drink no more than two energy drinks in a 24-hour period.
• Keep your water consumption up to prevent dehydration.
• Seek medical attention if you feel unwell after consuming an energy drink.

My advice? Skip the energy drink and head for the source — good nutrition and regular exercise. When you’re taking care of your body, abundant energy naturally follows. And the great news is — unlike with energy drinks — you’ll never risk paying for that pep with your health!

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