Ph 3259 1900 (24 hours) - Queensland Police Union

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Police Health Police Health by Peter Shanahan, Police Health Chairman CONFUSED ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS? With so many diets out there promising the best weight loss method, it can be confusing for those trying to lose weight to figure out what you should and should not be eating. What’s important to note is that what works for one person may not work for another. This article will look at the basic facts to get you started. If you are thinking about losing weight or starting a new exercise program, it pays to see your doctor or health professional first. Your doctor will check if you have any underlying health conditions that may affect your weight loss attempts or approach to weight loss. THE FACTS AND FIGURES Purely as a guide, one kilogram of body fat contains about 7,700 calories, or about 32,000 kilojoules. This is the amount of energy you will need to burn or forego to lose one kilogram of fat. It’s presumably safe to burn 0.5kg to 1kg of fat per week. The easiest way to accomplish this is to reduce calorie/ kilojoule intake, and increase exercise. Rather than cutting out 1,100 calories per day, it is easier to reduce your daily food intake by 500 calories and exercise (burning 600 calories). After 7 days you’ll reach the 7,700 calorie reduction. To work out energy (Cal/KJ) in food, read labels, go online, or buy a reference book. The Department of Health and Ageing has created a helpful site called the `Healthy Weight’ website: www.healthyactive.gov.au There are also plenty of free apps and other websites. You don’t need to spend a fortune. If you just try to dramatically reduce your calories, your body might hinder your weight loss efforts, because it may think you are going into starvation, and may try and hang onto fat (energy stores). So why make it harder for yourself? Exercise is beneficial not just for losing weight, but also for general health, so eating well and exercising is a win/win. ARE ALL CALORIES THE SAME? Dietician Australia recommends eating a variety of fresh foods of all colours to make sure you get all the vitamins and minerals essential for a healthy body. It is easier to keep weight off and maintain a new eating plan if you make real food choices rather than substitutes. The vitamins, minerals, and fibre in nutritional whole foods play an important part in both your energy levels and how you feel. Fibre will help fill you up and keep your body regular in getting rid of waste products. If you limit your variety of foods, you are likely to miss out on important vitamins and minerals, and no doubt you will get bored with eating the same thing over and over. This will only make it harder to stick with your diet. You should aim to develop sensible eating habits that are easy to relax once you reach your goal weight, without going back to old bad habits. SET YOURSELF REALISTIC GOALS Don’t be fooled into thinking it is possible to lose the ten kilos a week shown on reality TV shows. They don’t show the contestants exercising for five-seven hours a day with personal trainers, while on extremely low energy diets. They are also monitored by doctors 24/7. This is not realistic for us who have work and life to get on with. If you are losing more than a kilo a week, it is also quite possible that it is not pure fat but water weight (where your body has been retaining water), or even muscle wastage if you are not fueling your body with the right food. www.mydr.com.au has some handy tools including a weight calculator for what weight range is healthy for you. WHEN YOU LOSE WEIGHT, WHERE DOES THE LOST BODY FAT GO? Fat is basically stored energy. Your body converts fat to usable energy for your muscles and other tissues through a series of complex metabolic processes. This causes your fat cells to shrink. These metabolic activities also generate heat and waste products. These waste products - water and carbon dioxide - are excreted in your urine, faecal matter, and sweat, as well as being exhaled from your lungs. To help with the process of eliminating waste products, make sure you drink enough water, particularly if you are exercising. Drinking water will also help you feel full when dieting, because dehydration is often confused with hunger. In summary, balance your energy intake with energy output. Choose foods and eating patterns that help reduce your calorie intake and combine this with physical activity that you find enjoyable and sustainable. Take a long-term view, 70 Queensland Police Union Journal July 2012
Police Health and get some expert help to identify your individual needs. WHERE TO GET HELP • Your doctor • A dietician Police Health pays generous benefits towards health services provided by recognised dieticians and recognised exercise physiologists under Platinum Health, Platinum Plus, and SureCover Extras policies. This story was requested by some of our Queensland Police Health members. If you would like to suggest a topic about health or health issues, please email: feedback@policehealth.com.au This article provides a general summary only. Professional advice should be sought about specific cases. Police Health is not responsible for any error or omission in this article. The information provided reflects the view of the organisations from which the information has been sourced and does not represent any recommendations or views of Police Health. Police Health | Ph: 1800 603 603 www.policehealth.com.au Information Sourced From: Mayo Clinic, National Health & Medical Research Council, Nutrition Australia, Department of Health and Ageing, Betterhealth channel, www.mydr.com.au, www.healthyactive.gov.au, www.measureup.gov.au. This is a general guide only. Please consult a doctor or dietician for individual requirements, because required energy for individuals varies greatly, depending on many factors. THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF KILOJOULES REQUIRED DAILY TO MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT AGE MALE FEMALE 12-15 years 10,500 kj (2,500 calories) 9,000 kj (2,142 calories) 16-18years 12,500 kj (2,976 calories) 9,500 kj (2,261 calories) Adults up to 60 years 11,000 kj (2,619 calories) 9,000 kj (2,142 calories) Adults over 60 years 9,000 kj (2,142 calories) 8,250 kj (1,964 calories) Source: National Health & Medical Research Council, NHMRC, Canberra. These figures represent average requirements for the Australian population. Actual energy needs for individuals will vary considerably, depending on activity levels, body composition, state of health, age, weight, and height. Mydr website has a basal rate calculator http://www.mydr.com.au/tools/basal-energy-calculator so you can work out a general guide to how much energy your body needs for basic functions. If it happens, protect yourself and your family by immediately contacting the QPU office Ph 3259 1900 (24 hours) or your regional representative. They will steer you in the right direction. Queensland Police Union Journal July 2012 71
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AUGUST 2012 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF
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Contents COVER STORY Page 28 THE CO
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General President & CEO Our Central
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General Secretary CPIU offices and
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Metro North Region Roundup SHAYNE M
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Southern Region Roundup DARREN LEES
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Southern Region Roundup their old-s
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Far Northern Region Roundup mechani
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Northern Region Roundup After discu
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Central Region Roundup BILL FELDMAN
Page 21 and 22: North Coast Region Roundup DES HANS
Page 23 and 24: Metro South Region Roundup TONY COL
Page 25 and 26: South East Region Roundup BOB SMITH
Page 27 and 28: CHANGE OF ADDRESS OR STATION Please
Page 29 and 30: INTERNATIONAL POLICE ASSOCIATION Au
Page 31 and 32: The Coldest Case - The 60th Anniver
Page 39 and 40: potential tax savings. SAVE ON •
Page 41 and 42: The Kokoda Challenge Hutchinson (SE
Page 43 and 44: The Kokoda Challenge nervous people
Page 45 and 46: The Kokoda Challenge the top ridge
Page 47 and 48: Your dream home now has a dream rat
Page 49 and 50: Nationwide POLICE ASSOCIATION OF VI
Page 51 and 52: Nationwide The Northern Territory P
Page 53 and 54: QPCU started by police for police F
Page 55 and 56: Day in the Life of Lorraine Van Dul
Page 57 and 58: Day in the Life of Lorraine Van Dul
Page 59 and 60: Police Living Police Living GUIDE 6
Page 61 and 62: From the Archives From the Archives
Page 63 and 64: The most popular health cover among
Page 65 and 66: 85 YEARS AND BEYOND Current Ipswich
Page 67 and 68: Australasian Police and Emergency S
Page 69 and 70: Letters to the Editor Letters to th
Page 74 and 75: QRPA QRPA NEWS - AUGUST 2012 State
Page 76 and 77: QRPA NEW MEMBERS & ASSOCIATES Welco
Page 78: QRPA the vehicle is an Old Classic,
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