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YOU’RE NOT ALONE if you’ve made many attempts to lose weight. And with the numerous weight-loss programs available, choosing a weight-management program that meets your goals and can help you maintain your weight can be an overwhelming task.

You may not know what to look for in a weight-loss program or what questions to ask, said Kim Chism, Reg-istered and Licensed Dietitian and Culinary Specialist in the DCH Nutritional Services Department. She suggested the following to help you get the best information before choosing a program:

Talk with your health care provider. If he or she tells you that you need to lose weight, you should become fa-miliar with the ins and outs of how to manage your weight. When you talk to your provider about your weight: Share concerns about medical conditions you have or medicines you take.

Make sure you understand what your health care provider is saying. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about something you don’t understand.

Ask for other sources of information, such as bro-chures or recommended websites.

If you want more support, ask for a referral to a regis-tered dietitian, support group or commercial weight-loss program.

Ask questions. Find out as much as you can about your health needs before joining a weight-management program. Some questions you may ask include: Do I need to lose weight? Or should I just avoid gain-ing more?

Could my extra weight be caused by a health problem? What should my weight-loss goal be? How should I change my eating habits? What kind of physical activity can I do?

Should I take weight-loss drugs? What are the risks? What about weight-loss surgery? What are the risks? Could a weight-loss program help me?

“If you want to fnd a program to help you lose weight, look for one that is based on regular exercise and an eat-ing plan that is balanced, healthy and easy to follow,” Ms. Chism said. “Weight-loss programs should encourage healthy, positive behaviors that help with gradual weight loss, and the program should be the type that you can work into your day with minimal disruption of your daily routine. Trying to make too many changes too fast can send you back to square one with your wellness goals.” Safe and effective weight-loss programs should include:

Healthy eating plans that reduce calories but do not ban specifc foods or food groups.

Tips for increasing moderate intensity physical activity.

Tips about healthy habits that also keep your needs in mind, such as lower-fat versions of your favorite foods. Slow and steady weight loss. Depending on your start-ing weight, a rate of ½ to 2 pounds per week is generally recommended. Weight loss may be faster at the begin-ning of a program.

Medical care if you are planning to lose weight by fol-lowing a special formula diet, such as a very low-calorie diet (a program that requires careful monitoring from a physician).

A plan to keep of the weight afer you have lost it. As you consider your wellness goals, the Slender U weight-management program ofered at Te SpineCare Center might be right for you.

DCH Registered Dietitians and Exercise Specialists lead the Slender U sessions. “Slender U provides sup-port for people who want to lose extra pounds or those wanting to improve overall health and wellness,” Ms. Chism said.

For information or questions about upcoming sessions of Slender U, call 205-759-717 or email clinicalnutrition@dchsystem.com.

MANY PEOPLE THINK managing diabetes is all about avoiding sugar and cutting back on carbohydrates. However, that’s not quite the case. Carbohydrates, which include sugars, are necessary for energy and are an im-portant part of a healthy diet—even if you have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Carbohydrates aren’t found just in sugary and starchy foods but also in grains, some fruits and vegetables, beans and other legumes, and dairy products.

Carbohydrates play a key role in themanagement of blood sugar levels, so it’s important that you eat the right amount of the right types. You can do that with propermeal planning.

TAKING CHARGE WITH DCH “The DCH Diabe-tes Center is available to help people with diabe-tes to learn and to understand how to manage their diabetes,” said Debrah Fisher, DCH Diabetes Center Manager. “We teach the tools and skills needed to manage diabetes with healthy lifestyle changes, such as nutrition, exercise, medication and monitoring blood glucose. For people who are diagnosed as being at increased risk for diabetes (that is, borderline or pre-diabetes), the DCH Diabetes Center ofers a class to help them learn the skills needed to maintain good health.”

A DCH Diabetes Center educator is ready to help you learn the lifestyle changes needed to maintain good health. Carbohydrate-counting books and cookbooks that list the amount of carbohydrates in recipes also can help, as can learning how to read food labels.

Te cost of services at the DCH Diabetes Center is covered by Medicare, BlueCross BlueShield and most other health insurance plans.

To schedule an appointment, simply request a re-ferral from your physician, or for more information, call 205-750-520 or go to www.dchsystem.com/diabetes.