Healthy Lifestyle BeeHealthy Timely Hints for a

Tips on losing

weight at work

Gaining on the job? You're not alone. Over 45 percent of workers have gained weight since starting their current job, according to a careerbuilder.com survey.

If you work the late shift, you may be even more prone to weight problems. Below are some inspiring ideas from Weight Watchers to help you avoid gaining weight.

Bring your meals from home. You already know that bringing meals from home can boost your dieting efforts, but sometimes it's tough to get excited about brown bagging it. These ideas may help you stick with it:

Mimic fine dining. Keep a nice disposable place setting in your office so that you can eat on a real plate with real utensils.

Treat yourself. For every day that you bring your meals from home, stash $5 in a piggy bank. At the end of the month, buy yourself that special something you had your eye on.

One-stop shopping. On Monday, bring in five days' worth of low-calorie, frozen dinners and/or canned soups and store them in the company refrigerator. This leaves the guesswork out of portion sizes and makes it easy when it comes to planning lunches.

Keep it cool. Perk up your meal with a sassy tote. It keeps your food cold or hot for several hours and lies flat when not in use.

Switch to mini meals. By eating on the job and dining with your family, you are most likely eating more than three meals a day. Switch to six mini meals so that you can still eat with family and co-workers (just not as much).

Cut off caffeine five hours before your bedtime. Most night shift workers don't get enough sleep. If you get off work in the morning, it may be especially hard to fall back asleep. Lack of sleep has been linked to an increased risk of obesity. Cut off caffeine five hours before your bedtime, and take a minimum of 30 minutes to unwind after work before bed.

Carpool with a weight-loss buddy. You'll save gas money and gain an opportunity to swap diet tips with a like-minded friend.

Hold a weight-loss contest at work. Everyone kicks in $20. Workers who lose five percent of their body weight in three months split the pot.

Workplace Workout. Even if it's just 10 minutes of exercise at a time, get up and move whenever possible. Here are some ideas:

+ Eat your lunch at a park a few blocks away, and walk there instead of driving.

+ Walk to a colleague's desk rather than e-mailing or calling.

+ Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

+ Include exercise breaks in your calendar, such as walking around the perimeter of your building. Treat them just as you would any other appointment - you have to be there!

+ Make copies at the printer farthest from your desk to increase activity.

MRI aids cancer detection

One in 10 women newly diagnosed with cancer in one breast will develop the disease in the opposite breast.

These opposite (or contralateral) breast cancers often take years to diagnose, which leads to patient anxiety, a lower chance of successful treatment and additional, often costly, procedures.

An American College of Radiology Imaging Network study established magnetic resonance imaging as a key diagnostic work-up upon initial breast cancer diagnosis.

The study showed that MRI is a good addition to, but not a replacement for, clinical breast exams and mammography. Additionally, it states that not every woman with an abnormal mammogram should get an MRI.

The multicenter study found the addition of an MRI scan led to the detection of more than 90 percent of cancers in the opposite breast missed by mammography and clinical breast exam - effectively doubling the number of cancers detected.

Supported by the National Cancer Institute, the ACRIN trial recruited 1,007 women who had a recent diagnosis in one breast and found that the added benefit of MRI was consistent - regardless of cancer type, age and breast density.

Researchers are also optimistic that MRI may lead to long-term savings to patients and to the health care system. The fact that MRI can detect most cancers in both breasts prior to therapy may result in fewer rounds of chemotherapy and fewer breast surgeries.

In breast cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment, clearly the greatest costs are in treatment. Unnecessary procedures may be reduced with information obtained from the MRI.

For more information on Windsong Radiology Group's Breast MRI and Breast MRI Guided Biopsy services, visit the Web site at www.windsongradiology.com or call 631-2500, ext. 140.