Holidays are Upon Us!

It's been a while since I've written a blog entry, but the holidays are here and we need some strategies.

We think the Holidays begin the moment those bags of Halloween candy appear in local stores. And they continue through Valentine's Day - and maybe even Easter! It's not one or two meals that gets us into trouble; it's the continual eating throughout the "season!"

Here are some tips that might help you when you approach the Holidays:

1. Think about what a specific holiday means to you. Is it the people you'll be seeing?
2. What are the non-food parts of holidays you really like, i.e. specific musical events?
3. If it's simply too difficult for you to attend a special meal during your Active Weight Loss Program, why not go for a while - or maybe after folks have eaten?
4. Be sure to exercise in some way on each holiday - even if it's a short walk.
5. Take care of yourself in any non-food way you can.
6. Drink plenty of water. Try a new herbal tea.
7. Get enough sleep.

With busy holidays, we may find ourselves more stressed, irritable: too much on our schedules and too little self-care.

Think about buying yourself a gift this year to celebrate your weight loss victories.

Do the very best you can with your Program. Forgive yourself if you have a slip, and get right back on Program. Remember, we are aiming for a lifetime of better health!

We're all in this together.
Linda Gromko, MD

Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss Ventures out on Lake Union Again

What's not to like about kayaking?

We've found kayaking to be a great form of urban exercise - particularly in Seattle, where our whole city centers around Lake Union. It's easy to get out, even for an hour or so. It's a wonderful form of exercise, and the scenery is gorgeous.

We set off on another kayaking event on September 11, 2011 - a somber day for the country. But why not stay active, and focus on life's gifts?

Here are some photographs of our most recent urban excursion:

  

Parallel Strokes in No Time at All!



Perfect Water!



Beautiful Smiles

Taking a Little Break



Photos by T. Tibbs

Kayaking under the Aurora Bridge

We're hoping to join NW Outdoor Center on their holiday carolling event in December!

Stay tuned, and remember:
We're all in this together!

Linda Gromko, MD

Thanks to Northwest Outdoor Center for a Great Event!

Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss ventured out on Lake Union in kayaks this morning. We had a group of nine, including Laurel - our guide from Northwest Outdoor Center. We took two double kayaks, and the rest singles. Our group had varying degrees of experience - but we all did great! Even the weather cooperated; it was a overcast and a little drizzly, but very comfortable.

We paddled around the periphery of the lake, gliding by houseboats - including the one from the film "Sleepless in Seattle."


Seaplanes took off and landed around us. But rather than moving toward the shore, one of our members took a picture with her cellphone! We're expanding our horizons as we're becoming more healthy...and brave.

Everyone had a good time. We're even hoping to sign up for NW Outdoor Center's Holiday Caroling event in December - paddling and caroling around the floating homes.

It was a great event - and another excellent example of how we can incorporate more physical activity into our lives!

Remember, we're all in this together.
Linda Gromko, MD

Congratulations to Johanna on Winning the National "New You" Award!

Seattle's Johanna Moody-Gatlin was one of three national winners in the Second Annual OPTIFAST "New You" Contest. announced May 31, 2011. Having lost nearly 100 pounds as a participant in the Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss program, Johanna's prize includes a luxury weekend trip to New York City, a make-over, and a shopping spree.

Johanna has served as a program advocate, sharing her experiences with participants at the Northwest Women's Show held in Seattle in March, 2011.

For full story, please visit http://www.optifast.com/, and click on the "New You Contest."

Johanna, you've made us all proud!

We're all in this together.
Linda Gromko, MD

Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss Donates 600 Pounds of Food!

Today, Brian Grev and I went to the Ballard Food Bank to deliver our Program's contribution of 600 pounds of food: cannned vegetables, cereal, soups, and other staples.

We started our Food Drive several months ago. We got the idea from one of our members who had lost over 100 pounds. She had a party in honor of her victory, and asked her neighbors to bring food for the food bank.

So, we invited our members to bring a pound of food for every pound they had lost through the program. Our goal was 600 pounds of food donations - to celebrate the first 600 pounds we'd lost.

It felt good to contribute to the community - especially since food banks tend to get fewer contributions at this time of year.

Read more about Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss' contribution:
http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2011/05/26/news/local-weight-loss-clinic-donates-600-pounds-balla

Our plan is to continue the drive - that way, we'll continue to remind ourselves of our victories and help our community at the same time!

We're all in this together.
Linda Gromko, MD

A Sunny Day for Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss Rowing Experience!

With Seattle weather being so unpredictable lately, we felt extemely fortunate to have had a sunny day for our "Experience Rowing" event, held at Lake Washington Rowing Club May 1.

Under the guidance of Lake Washington Rowing Club's Mike Rucier and Andy Rees, and the assistance of Kim Biggs, six members of our Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss program set out to tour Lake Union - on the water.

We started with a brief didactic session to learn rowing terminology. Then, we moved to the "Ergs" for practice with on-land rowing machines.

The last half of our three-hour session was spent rowing around Lake Union. It was spectacular!

Even better, we all found that we all could do it! Nobody fell in; we got back to the dock intact!

Our boat had lost over 300 pounds total on OPTIFAST before this event - enough weight for two additional rowers!

Better yet, several members said they would want to pursue rowing as a fitness event; one committed to starting a rowing class with her husband.

Stay tuned for next month's activity: Kayaking at Northwest Outdoor Center on Sunday, June 12.

Members interested in the Kayak Event are urged to contact Brian Grev, Program Director for further details; refer to Home Page for Contact Information.

We're all in this together!
Linda Gromko, MD

Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss Announces Rowing Experience

Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss participants - past and present - are invited to attend a special "Experience Rowing" event!

Mark your calendar for Sunday, May 1, 2011. 10 am-1 pm at the Lake Washington Rowing Club.

Participants will attend a class to learn rowing terminology, then practice on the "Ergs," i.e. rowing machines. The session will be capped by an actual row in an "eight" on Lake Union.
Each boat will be crewed by experienced rowers in addition to our "newbie" participants.

Fee for the event is $35, but that fee can be applied to later "Learn to Row" classes at Lake Washington Rowing Club. Weight limit for participants is 275 pounds.

Rowing is my favorite activity. It works your whole body,  but doesn't put excessive strain on your joints. Plus, it's a great stress management tool. You have to concentrate to keep your balance! And it's great fun.

Join us on Sunday, May 1 for a great introduction to a sport you can do forever!

We're all in this together.
Linda Gromko, MD

Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss Brings Real Results to NW Women's Show

We enjoyed an impressive turnout at the NW Women's Show, March 4-6. The event is attended by some 23,000 people, and features a range of topics of interest to women - and everyone, actually.

Our booth was flanked by the Microsoft Research Group and a bra-fitting booth ("Stop Your Sagging; Start Your Bragging").

Our booth was staffed by Program Director Brian Grev and myself - plus three wonderful volunteers who shared their before and after pictures to show our vistors that OPTIFAST brings real results.

We gave out dozens of samples of OPTIFAST Meal Replacement bars, and plenty of brochures. We also offered one free week of OPTIFAST food upon enrollment in one of our Programs - either a full 18-week program, or a 7-week Kick-Start. (We'll honor that offer for anyone who mentions this blog post through the end of April 2011, by the way!)

It was gratifying to hear from many of our visitors that they had used the Program themselves, and found it very helpful.

We all understand that word-of-mouth advertising is the best there is.

After all, we're all in this together.

Linda Gromko, MD

Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss Goes to the Northwest Women's Show!

Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss will be participating in the 23rd Northwest Women's Show coming up Friday-Sunday, March 4-6!

The event features all sorts of exhibits of interest to women - actually, of interest to everybody. Free samples are abundant, and there are numerous stage presentations. Check out the show's website, http://www.nwwomenshow.com/ for details.


You are bound to find something of interest to you, provided that you have a pulse(!).


Located in the Qwest Field Exhibition Center, the NW Women's Show is open the following hours:

        Friday 10-5
        Saturday 10-6
        Sunday 10-5


Admission is $15 at the door, but check http://www.nwwomenshow.com/ for information about discounted and online ticket availability. Children under 6 are admitted free.


Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss is offering a Northwest Women's Show special: one week of OPTIFAST Meal Replacements FREE upon enrollment in a Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss Program!

Come and see us at the Show. We'll have several of our Program Participants ready and willing to share their stories and answer questions.

Remember, we're all in this together!
Linda Gromko, MD

Creating our own Happy Valentine's Day

Does Valentine's Day bring challenges for you? Have you had it up to HERE with flower bouquets, cards, jewelry advertisements - the whole Madison Avenue message that if we were only beautiful enough, thin enough, tall enough, smart enough, and - dare I say it, BLONDE enough - that that knight in shining armour would be arriving - well, by midnight at least?

How many of us have purchased Valentine's Day candy, even half-priced the day after, just for the sake of having it?

How many of us have comforted ourselves - for whatever troubles we are suffering - by eating out of one of those heart-shaped boxes, or unwrapping calorie dense candies from red foil wrappers?

Let's put the brakes on! Take a breath. Valentine's Day is a day of sadness for many people! Just as with the Christmas season, Valentine's Day announces to the world when we are without partners, when we don't "qualify" to have a partner, etc.

The expectations can be staggering. What if you do have a partner and he/she doesn't acknowledge Valentine's Day at all? How should you acknowledge the day?

We recommend that you take a page from our Holiday Program advice: buy your own Valentine - the one you really want. (Provided it's not damaging food, and provided that your kids are taken care of!)

Find a non-food reward to celebrate the meaning of Valentine's Day as a day of love, including love of yourself! (If you have no ideas, think "spa.") Humph.

Be alert to the invitations for sabotage that swirl around us in this season. Take a breath, and thank yourself for the outstanding efforts you extend on your own behalf.

Happy Valentine's Day.
We're all in this together.
Linda Gromko, MD

Announcing our February "Pound-for-Pound" Food Drive

One of our members has lost approximately one hundred pounds! She's planning to celebrate by having a neighborhood party where guests bring food donations - the goal being to collect one hundred pounds of food for the food bank.

What a wonderful way to celebrate! Not only did our Superstar lose her weight, but she's passing that benefit on to her community.

We thought the idea was so great, we decided to launch our own project: the February "Pound-for-Pound" Food Drive! Our goal is to collect 600 cans of food in honor of the 600 pounds of weight lost by our Program Participants.

We'll invite our other patients to participate also - and we'll sweeten the pot with a few Gift Card drawings just to keep it interesting.

What a special group of people we have! We realize that any weight loss program is challenging, but we are delighted by our progress. Lives are changing at Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss! And this group is sharing its victories with our larger community.

After all, we're all in this together!

Linda Gromko, MD

Clothing Give-and-Take

As we are shrinking, we are emptying our closets of our old standby garments - and making room for new, smaller things.

We've invited our members to bring their old, but well-loved items to our Clothing Give-and-Take Bin. As other members shrink into new, smaller sizes, they're welcome to help themselves.

After about a month, if unclaimed by our OPTIFAST Group members, these items will be given to the ICU Family Liason Office at Harborview Medical Center. In the midst of crises, families come with their loved ones to stay at the bedside for weeks on end. Many arrive in pajamas in the chaos of trauma.

These family members often need clothing - jeans, sweaters, etc. - as they often arrive with no personal items at all!

What a pleasure it is to know that our "cast-offs" can help not only our members, but families in crisis. The Director mentioned that clothing in "S-M-L" sizes are easier to come by than larger sizes, so our donations can be of great benefit.

We're all in this together,
Linda Gromko, MD

New Year Brings New Group Schedule

I guess it's predictable. The holidays have passed, and it's time to get serious about fitness and weight management. The health clubs are full, with new members making good on their New Year's resolutions.

And for many people struggling with weight management, New Year's is the time to start - or start again.

To that end, our membership is up, and we now have instituted two Group Sessions per week. You may come to one or both. The curriculum content will be repeated. But with any group, the same content can change dramatically given the dynamics of the specific grorup.

Group times are as follows:

           Mondays 12 noon - l pm
           Wednesdays 5:15 pm - 6:15 pm

Groups are held in the Second Floor Conference Room at 200 W. Mercer, just upstairs from our office at Queen Anne Medical Weight Loss.

So welcome. If you haven't tried the Groups, give them a try. We know that weight loss is maximal in folks who attend Groups regularly.

We promise never to "call you out." You can particiate as vocally or as quietly as you wish.

Plus, you might learn even one small thing that makes a difference in your own Program, in your own life.

See you in Group!

We're all in this together.
Linda Gromko, MD