Weight Loss Expert Irena Geller asks Dietitian Pennie McCoy about the new CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet Program. Here’s what she had to say:
What makes this program different from other online wellbeing/diet offerings?
The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet program is a higher protein, low GI eating plan scientifically formulated by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, for sustainable weight loss and overall wellbeing.
Each day on the Total Wellbeing Diet Protein Balance includes 3 x meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), 2 x snacks (fruit and low GI diary) and 1 x indulgence. It is a program that focuses on optimal nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes to achieve wellbeing goals, and uses menu plans that include all the food groups to ensure nutrition targets are met, using natural foods.
A key benefit of the online program is the array of online tools such as the food tracker, meal plans and thousands of recipes which are suitable for the whole family, practical exercise plans you can do at home, reminders and tracking tools, shopping lists, food diary and a community forum to keep you motivated. Each tool featured on the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet program provides the best possible support to help keep weight loss on track.
As an added incentive to motivate our members to be successful in losing weight and improve their health, a unique feature of the Total Wellbeing Diet online is the refund offered to members who have successfully adhered to the program after 12 weeks.
How does it provide accountability?
Accountability comes from regular reminders and emails to record body weight measurements, tracking and recording your food and exercise, as well as support from the community forum. Those that seek the support from the dietitians gain additional accountability from attending their online dietitian appointments.
Members who claim the refund are also kept accountable through adhering to the criteria. To be eligible for the refund members need to record their weight in the online diary at least once per week, upload a photo each week and achieve any level of weight loss over the 12-week program.
Each of these elements are very helpful for monitoring progress and prompting positive changes and makes members accountable for weight loss as it encourages them to succeed.
What measures do clients track aside from weight?
Aside from tracking weight weekly in the online diary, CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet members are also encouraged to record body measurements, upload a photo each week, enter their food into the food diary, participate and track their exercise workouts. Research suggests tracking food and exercise in the diary at least 3-4 days each week is helpful to reach successful weight loss. Members can also gain ideas for recipes thanks to the menu plan and search for different food using the food search tool. Furthermore, members are encouraged to join the member forum to gain support and share their experiences, advice and successes with other members.
How important is it to improve other lifestyle habits when starting a new eating plan?
It’s very important to be mindful of your lifestyle when starting a new eating plan. Changing unhealthy habits needs a sustainable approach that recognises individual needs, preferences and diet types.
The CSIRO Diet Types research found our personal diet type plays an important role in the way we manage our food intake. There are five distinct Diet Types, and each has different challenges to overcome. Understanding your diet type will help you be more aware of your personal challenges and find ways to avoid them. The Total Wellbeing Diet offers personalised strategies for each Diet Type.
You can find out your Diet Type by completing the free survey at www.diettypes.com.au and understand how it plays a role in influencing your eating habits and mindset.
We also know from previous research, that regular resistance training, with a higher protein diet is a powerful combination that produce better fat loss than a higher carbohydrate diet with exercise, or just diet alone.
For this reason, the CSIRO Total Wellbeing online offers exercise plans which combine an easy-to-follow approach to cardio and resistance training with the introduction of a series of new workouts which members can easily incorporate into their weekly schedule. These simple exercises can be done at home without the need for expensive, specialised gym equipment of heavy weights. Using a combination of diet and exercise the Total Wellbeing Diet will continue to help thousands of people enjoy long-term success.
How does the program cater for individual’s needs and lifestyle?
Limited time and busy schedules are factors for many people, so your diet and exercise routine has to fit into your lifestyle to be sustainable for the long term. Many diets are very different from a person’s usual habits, and often don’t fit within a person’s busy lifestyle, work commitments or family life.
The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet is designed to fit into the modern, busy lifestyle. The online tools help members to be accountable to the changes they want to make to achieve their wellbeing goals.
The recipes featured in the program are family-friendly which means members won’t have to cook separate meals for the family. They are made from common sense foods that you’ll find in most supermarkets. The meal plans are flexible too – allowing you to follow them as they are or put together your own weekly menu according to your preferences.
The program also includes an allowance for a daily treat so members can enjoy special occasions or favourite foods without any guilt.
The exercise programs are also tailored to the individual’s needs by catering for different fitness levels, and preferences depending on if they’re a gym goer, or prefer exercising at home or outdoors.
What is happens after 12 weeks?
After completing the 12-week program members can opt to finish their membership or continue with program 2 or a monthly membership to maintain their new healthy weight.
Unlike any other weight loss program, the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet offers members a refund upon completion of the 12 weeks for members who have adhered to the program. Many of our members choose to use their refund to invest in Program 2 which is the second stage of the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet providing an even deeper level of understand of how members can make the diet part of their lifestyle.
To find out more go to www.totalwellbeingdiet.com or ask them to link the program.
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