June 17, 2005

Second phase of Be Fit program
hits midpoint

The Be Fit nutrition and fitness program that swept through six departments in the hospital earlier this year now is spreading through six more areas that have formed teams in a friendly competition to eat healthier, exercise more and above all else get fit. Sponsored by MGH Nutrition and Food Services and the Clubs at Charles River Park, the second phase of the program features a team from Social Services, Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy and MGH Administration and two teams from Nursing.

With guidance from assigned registered dietitians and personal trainers from the Clubs, the six groups reached the midpoint of the 12-week program last week with a total weight loss of 375 pounds. The groups have worked out an astounding total of 2,700 times so far and have consumed 702 Be Fit meals — formerly called the Nutralert meals from the Eat Street Café. According to Lillian Sonnenberg, DSc, RD, senior manager for MGH Ambulatory Nutrition Services, some changes have been made in the nutrition portion of the program. The Eat Street Café now offers three Be Fit meals at lunchtime each day to give participants more variety, and a Be Fit breakfast has been added to the daily menu. "Some of our nutritionists have noticed that participants are keeping food journals to track what they are eating,"
she says.

Cliff Seeto, assistant manager for the Clubs, has observed that some of the
participants are bringing one or more teammates to the Clubs to help motivate them to work out. "All six teams seem very committed to working out," he says. "They are pushing each other, and they are being motivated by their team captains, who all have been very enthusiastic." In fact, the second-phase team captains recently met with the first-phase captains to get tips and advice on how to encourage their groups to stick with the program.

Peter L. Slavin, MD, right, president of the MGH and a member of
the Administration Be Fit team, works out with his team's personal
trainer, Pete Reynolds, at the Clubs.