WHY IS LOSING WEIGHT SO HARD FOR ME? r ite media is filled with experts sharing their advice on weight loss. The truth is, outside of a few weight loss gimmicks, the advice you hear is mostly good. At Diet Center we know that weight loss is rooted in three things: consistency over time, variety in your daily routine and accountability. CONSISTENCY To lose weight successfully, your body has to gain momentum by making the right choices each day, consistently. You have to decide, each day, that you are going to lose weight. Some of these choices include: • Keeping your organs functioning at their best by drinking a lot of water • Maintaining a well-balanced, low calorie diet • Exercising on a regular basis • Increasing your activities of daily living by making a conscious effort to move more VARIETY If you do the same thing everyday, your body will adjust and your weight loss will slow down. Keep a variety of healthy foods in your kitchen, so you have access to different choices. Mix up your workout routine by trying a new class or a new piece of equipment at the gym. If you like doing the elliptical, choose an interval or hill workout for a change. If you walk outside, try running to one mailbox and walking to the next. ACCOUNTABILITY Studies show that dieters who have a partner helping them achieve their weight loss goals lose more weight. Have someone hold you accountable and keep you focused. Just like hiring a personal trainer, hiring a weight loss company like Diet Center can improve your results. Bring this article in for 50% off program fees on a full commitment program. To make your appointment, call 248-932-DIET (3438). 30 LBS. LOST For more information about how Diet Center can help you lose weight AND keep it off, CALL 248-932-DIET (3438) Diet Center has helped over 15 million dieters lose weight over the past 41 years. ARE YOU NEXT? 6736 Orchard Lake Road South of 15 Mile in West Bloomfield Plaza DIET CENTER health & wellness Changing Relationship College freshman and parents need to adapt to new roles. 5 tarting a new life as college "Parents are transitioning from a students can be a difficult protector and director to a loving con- transition for young sultant and adviser. It's a time adults and can affect their when your child will be posi- parents. tively challenged by new people "Parents have to expect and experiences on campus." that the relationship with There are, however, some their child will change said important steps parents and Ellen Gold, assistant vice young adults can take that will make the first few months president for student well- being at Eastern Michigan of school more enjoyable, Ellen G old University in Ypsilanti. Gold said. For parents: • Realize that the frequency of communication and its nature will be differ- ent. Gold advises parents to let go of their children, but also create a balance. Students need to have the freedom to make mistakes and be accepted. • Understand the difference between mothering and smothering and between fathering and bothering. • It's no longer being a parent of a child; it's being a parent of an adult. Help them to be self-sufficient. Know resources you can point them to. • Be patient when talking with your young adult. Don't make conversations feel like quizzes. Create a balance by not always focusing on them, but share your life as well. • Remember that students often talk with parents at down times and reserve up times for their friends. • Create a healthy distance by not calling or emailing constantly. • Take emotional issues seriously and encourage your student to talk with someone. Universities have a variety of services, such as counseling, that spe- cialize in student problems. • Encourage your student to seek academic assistance from a tutor, an advis- er, a faculty member or academic support service when needed. It is not a sign of weakness to seek help. • Work together to set up a budget plan for the year and encourage them to not apply for every credit card offered. • Prepare your student for the possibility of changing relationships with friends, at school and at home. For students: • Expect to take responsibility for your actions and for the consequences of your decisions. • It's up to you to read and understand the assigned material. Lectures and assignments proceed from the assumption that the students have already read the material. • In college, students are responsible for thinking through and applying what they have learned. Results count. Although a good faith effort is important in regard to the professor's willingness to help students achieve good results, it will not substitute for results in the grading process. • Become familiar with services on campus, such as the health service, the library and the success center that offer help with classes, student organiza- tions and the student center. • Technology has allowed students to become isolated socially. Don't sit in your residence hall room or at home and not meet people or make new friends. Get involved and make campus connections. • Realize how much unscheduled time you have. Create a balance between academics, personal health and wellness, work and social life. • Understand that not everyone will like you. Many will, so don't waste your energy trying to change yourself. • Experience everything you can as a college student. There are all kinds of new people and great opportunities at school. Meet new people and hang out with different groups. Step outside your comfort zone and get involved in campus. ❑ The Weight Loss Proftssionals.® 1940160 62 August 28 • 2014 Heart Failure Beaumont first in state to test gene-directed prevention treatment. A trial fibrillation (AF) is a very prevalent and grow- ing heart rhythm disorder that increases the risk of stroke. AF combined with heart failure, where the pumping power of the heart is weaker than normal, is an especially tough com- bination of problems that significantly impairs a patient's quality of life. A new gene-directed drug being tested through a research study, called GENETIC-AF, may improve care, quality of life and survival in patients with heart failure and AF. Beaumont Health System is the only study site in Michigan. A previous study showed the drug being evaluated, bucindolol hydrochlo- ride, reduced symptomatic atrial fibril- lation when compared with placebo in patients with a specific gene variation or genotype. In the current study, bucin- dolol, a betablocker, is being compared with another betablocker called meto- prolol succinate, a heart failure drug approved by the FDA. "This is an important study of per- sonalized medicine says David Haines, M.D., director of Beaumont's Heart Rhythm Center and the study's principal investigator. "One of the challenges in the treatment of AF in patients with heart failure is that we sometimes need to try many different drugs in a trial- and-error fashion to find out what's going to work. By doing genetic testing, we'll be able to identify those patients who may get an optimal response to this new drug." About half of the U.S. population is believed to have the specific gene varia- tion that responds to bucindolol in the suppression and prevention of AE Candidates for the study will first receive genetic screening through a blood draw to determine if they have the genetic marker that has previously indi- cated a potential response to the drug. If they meet eligibility criteria, patients will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups to receive either the new study drug bucindolol or the drug metoprolol, which is approved for the treatment of heart failure but not for the prevention of atrial fibrillation. Study participation will last a minimum of six months or up to four years. According to the 2014 American Heart Association Report on Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, the estimated num- ber of people with AF in the U.S. in 2010 ranged from 2.7 to 6.1 million. For more on study participation, call Cardiology Research at (248) 898- 8141. ❑