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Center assists in weight management Stop by Health 1st’s Wellness Wednesday table in the Children’s Hospital lobby between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Feb. 6 to learn more about the Weight Management Center and the programs offered. Participants also can have their BMI calculated. by Joshua D. Brown, Ph.D. (clinical psychologist), and Tonya Turner, registered dietitian The MUSC Weight Management Center (WMC) offers a number of programs to serve the different needs of  people. However, all of the programs include a strong emphasis on helping people to make the long-term lifestyle changes that are so important for success in the long run. These changes are the ABCD'S of lifestyle change: Activity changes Exercise is crucial to the long-term success of a weight loss program. No single exercise program is right for everyone, so it is important for you to create and work towards an exercise program that is effective and reasonable for you. Behavioral changes Your habits and behaviors are important parts of your lifestyle and, therefore, your weight. Many of your behaviors are automatic, occurring without you even thinking about them. Monitoring your behaviors is one of the most important tools for helping change your lifestyle and manage your weight. Regularly graphing your weight and keeping eating diaries are important new habits to develop. Cognitive (thinking) changes Your thought patterns are as important as your behavior patterns. Your associations to food and your thoughts about dieting affect your ability to successfully watch your weight. It is important to become more aware of and change the thought patterns that lead you to overeat or sabotage your own progress. Dietary changes Successful long-term weight loss and overall health depend on a healthy diet. A registered dietitian can help you form an eating plan with which you can live. Support systems The process of losing weight and growing accustomed to new ways of dealing with food can be difficult. Your friends, family, and co-workers can be great sources of support; they can also be harmful when it comes to your attempts to make lifestyle changes.   Also, visit http://www.MUSChealth.com/weight or call 792-CARE (2273) to schedule  a free consultation to learn which of the programs is best for you.   On Feb. 20, the WMC will present, along with Prevention Partners, a Weight Loss Skills workshop. Health 1st is promoting this workshop. To obtain a registration form, e-mail health1st@musc.edu or call 792-9959.   The MUSC Weight Management Center is staffed with registered dietitians, exercise physiologists, physicians, psychologists and nurses. Highlighted upcoming Health 1st event Break the Habit! Sign up for the “Freedom From Smoking” series, an American Lung Association Program. This is a free (normal registration fee is waived) seven-week,  eight session course, from noon to 1 p.m. starting Feb 26. To register, call 792-9959, or e-mail health1st@musc.edu. Registration is limited to 20 participants. Also, go to http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/health1st for information on other upcoming events/classes.     Friday, Feb. 1, 2008 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.