Weight Loss

Gullo, S. (2006). The thin commandments diet. Harper Audio. MP3 format. Retrieved from www.imcpl.org.

Sansone, L (2007). Leslie Sansone’s eat smart, walk strong. Time Warner Audio Books. MP3 format. Retrieved from www.imcpl.org .

http://www.deliciousdecisions.org/

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/food/improve/197.html

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/weightls.html

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/fitness/multimedia.jhtml?multimediaId=/templatedata/fitness/multimedia/data/1130272109023.xml

http://www.lightenupindiana.com/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/WT99999

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/for_life.htm

Here is the link for my Project 1 product.  It is an informal newsletter that I created in Publisher. You can print it if you like. I tried to upload it, but I kept  receiving a security message. So I just decided to make a link to Oncourse.  If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks.

https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/marejone/Filemanager_Public_Files/Project%201%20Webfile.pub

I decided to discuss fifth grade health standards  in reference to  my research project.  I selected fifth grade because this is the grade that I remember learning about detailed  health issues.  The standards were taken from this website: http://ideanet.doe.state.in.us/standards/docs-Health/2002-12-06-HealthStandards.pdf .

Standard 1–Students develop knowledge of the importance of assuming personal responsibility for health behaviors, the relationship between health behaviors and health, interrelationships between the dimensions of health, the basic structure and functions of body systems, the influence of external factors on health,causes of disease, ways to prevent injury and illness among adolescents, and basic health terms and concepts. 

Standard 2–Students will develop skills to identify characteristics of valid health information,products, and services; use sources of valid health information; explain how media influences the selection of health information, products, and services;locate health products and services; and compare health products.

If a fifth grader were conducting research regarding weight loss, they would develop personal knowledge of the importance of living a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce obesity and the health issues related to obesity. They would find information regarding the external factors (overeating, sedentary lifestyle, poor nutritional choices) that lead to obesity and health problems. In addition, they would learn preventative methods (living healthy, eating in moderation–portion control, exercising) that prevent obesity and weight gain. Further, students will become familiar with basic health terms such as obesity, healthy lifestyle, portion control, dieting and exercising. (Standard 1). 

For further clarification, in reference to  Standard 1, I will provide a breakdown of the standards that may be applicable to a fifth grade researcher.

5.1.7 Discuss health problems that should be detected and treated early.

After researching, students should be able to articulate their findings to others and identify the characteristics of healthy individuals. Also, students should be able to enhance their self respect, as they learn to care for their weight loss/maintenance needs.

I feel my inquiry process was similar to experiences of a child or a young adult. According to Kuhlthau (Callison and Preddy, p. 39),  I experienced the typical term paper steps–1) Selecting and limiting the subject, 2) Preparing a working bibliography, 3) Preparing a preliminary outline, 4) Reading  and taking notes, 5) Assembling notes, 6) Writing first draft and 7) Writing  final draft. Like a child and young adult researcher, I did experience these stages relative to this project. Although I did not write a final paper, I completed an informal newsletter with my findings. Yet, the process steps were very similar.  Also I did not complete a rough draft–instead I just created a document and kept revising until I was satisfied with the final product.

As an adult,  even though I completed these steps, I did not do them in order. This is probably different than how I researched information as a child/young adult. I used to gather bibliographic information and then start searching. However, as a adult learner, I continue searching until the last possible minute, evaluate my information, draw conclusions and then in the final step I complete the bibliographic entries. I also experienced much recursion during this process, yet, while researching as a child/young adult,  I researched more in a time-line straight fashion.

Yet, the initial inquiry, who, what , where, when and why processes are similar to how a child or young adult would process information. I asked myself many questions. Some of the questions included:  Who will I talk to regarding weight loss? What information will I find?  Where will I find valid information? When will I stop looking for information? Why is this topic so important to me?  As I researched, I continued to have more questions, such as–What is the best way to handle this topic? What really is important? Do I want to include dry, boring facts or provide a lighter informative style of information? What is the best way to present this information and so on? As you can see,  I am always thinking of questions. In this way, I am probably similar to a young child. They are always full of so many questions.

My skills as an adult researcher allow me to consider the source before drawing conclusions. Children sometimes struggle with finding valid information. Evaluating information becomes easier as the researcher’s skills increase. I think I read that somewhere in one of our readings, (perhaps Stripling) but I am not sure where.

As I reflect on this project, these are some of Lamb’s questions I am considering:

What were the strengths and weaknesses of the project?

Completing a project and blogging the results proved challenging for me. I am not one to journal my research steps. Instead, I enjoy spending more time actually completing research. Yet, while completing this assignment, I did spend much time on actual researching and blogging.  In regards to my weaknesses, I feel that I spent too much time researching web sites, books, magazines, etc. Most sources stated the same information. In addition, I feel I could improve my organizational skills. I had my handwritten notes in post-it format, notebooks, journals and blogging entries. When I reviewed my notes, I found duplicate information. I could also improve upon my time management skills. Initially, I spent a large portion of my time reading the edublog tutorials. This proved to be a big waste of time, as actually jumping  in and blogging is one of the best ways to learn.

My strengths include my researching skills and searching skills. I love to dig and search for information. As a result, I feel I found reliable and safe weight loss information.

What would I change?

I would organize my records and make a schedule. I would dedicate so much time to writing the blog and so much time to actual research.

How could I approach the problem from a alternate perspective?

I could have included the interviewee’s results in my final project. However, my interviewees’ comments matched what the research stated, so I chose not to include the information.  Also since I struggle with my weight,  I could have included my personal perspectives as to what weight loss strategies work–as I have lost 50 lbs during the past year or so. But, honestly, I lost the weight by dieting, exercising, healthy lifestyle and portion control. It is the same information that the experts are stating.

How will I approach the next project differently?

I will make a schedule and budget my time accordingly. In addition, I will learn to skim and scan articles for key points. This project as well as the other assignments leaves me brain dead. For me it is way too much information. I read and read and read;yet, there is still more important information.  I need to learn how to concentrate on the specifics and keep moving. I am not complaining, as I love to learn new information. However,  I need time to digest the information and when there is so much,  I experience information overload. I am working on redefining my study habits, in order to avoid information overload.

As I reflect back, I wish that my web-page skills were more developed, as I think a web-page may have been a great way to share the information. In addition, I wish I was more efficient at blogging. In viewing others blogs, I see some pretty cool things that can be done.  In time, I plan to learn more.

I really did enjoy blogging the diet information and creating the final product. Publisher is pretty fun. It has been so long since I tried a newsletter.  I also enjoyed viewing and creating the concept maps–new to me.  Overall, I guess I can say I really enjoyed this project.

At times, I was flustered by the blog technical difficulties and the feelings of information overload, but I still had a great time.   I feel like I have learned more information regarding dieting and I will continue to work on reaching and maintaining my weight goals.

Waving includes communicating ideas, asking for feedback  and sharing (Lamb).  When I signed on to my blog for the first time in six days (My DSL was down from Monday until earlier today),  I noticed that I received more  feedback from my blog team mates.  Their comments helped me to feel a sense of connection–something that is sometimes lacking in online classes. So, receiving feedback from my classmates was beneficial.  Additionally,  I found many comments helpful.  For example, comments regarding incorporating a brochure for the product were helpful. In addition,  comments from blog mates regarding the connection between weight loss and diabetes were helpful.  My blog mates suggested websites that were beneficial.  For example, one blog mate suggested the Mayo Clinic website and from this website I found this site:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mayo-clinic-diet/WT00016.

This site was full of suggestions regarding incorporating a healthy diet, sensible dieting and increasing physical activity.

Waving also involves identifying an audience. Who needs to hear, see and/or read my ideas?  How can I have an impact? How will I share my ideas with others (Lamb)?

Who need to hear, see and read my ideas? Everyone interested in maintaining or losing weight.

How can  I have an impact?   Set an example and communicate healthy lifestyle information to others.

How can I share? By word of mouth and by sharing my product with others.

Waving also involves communicating with others by establishing a purpose, considering the best channel for sharing and determining the product format. (Lamb). In considering my purpose, I want to inform, persuade and instruct others regarding the healthy ways to lose weight. I am interested in two way communication. Once others read my product, they can blog their comments in this forum.  My product will be shared via Oncourse discussion forums. In reference to the format, the product will most likely be a PowerPoint presentation, informal newsletter or a brochure. I am leaning toward competing a newsletter, as I enjoy reading informal newsletters.

According to Lamb’s 8W Wrapping stage, wrapping involves packaging and creating ideas and solutions. Questions to consider:  Why is the issue important? Who needs to be informed? How can I develop an effective product to communicate my ideas to others (Lamb) ? The issue is important because weight and health are related. So many diseases are either caused or compounded due to weight issues.  Children and adults need to be educated regarding a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle will help facilitate a healthy weight. In regards to communicating my ideas, I am considering creating a PowerPoint presentation or a Publisher brochure.

Striplings and Pitts (Callison and Preddy, p. 44) REACTS model  Transforming and Synthesizing processes are stages applicable during Lamb’s Wrapping stage.  Transforming involves drawing conclusions and creating a personal perspective. I am drawing conclusions–diet, exercise, portion control, support and mind body connections are important when adapting a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle facilitates weight loss and/or weight maintenance.  Synthesizing involves conceptualizing and creating solutions to problems. I am conceptualizing that weight loss is more than counting calories. It involves cognitive abilities. It is more about the mind/body connection–an emotional issue. One must have the right mental attitude in order to lose and maintain weight.

Originally, my product was going to include scientific facts, formulas and methodologies for weight loss. However, as I continued to research,  I discovered that the experts are now stressing the mind/body connection in association with successful weight loss. Also when considering my audience, I did not want to bore people with facts and figures regarding calories and formulas.  Really, who has time and energy to constantly count calories??? So I am experiencing recursion again. Stripling states that recursion involves the researcher determining that emerging complex of relationships has underdeveloped areas (Stripling and Hassell, p. 141).  While developing my product ideas, I discovered that I underdeveloped the aspect of the mind/body connection to weight loss.

Here is a link referred to in Lamb’s wrapping assignment:

http://www.kidsnetsoft.com/applications/lessons/brochure.pdf 

This is where I got the idea to complete a brochure. My blog mate also suggested a brochure. So I may attempt to complete a simple brochure regarding ways to loose weight.   I also completed the presentation planning checklist. Here it is:

http://www.2learn.ca/senior/site/Ppreschecklist.html

These tools helped me to organize my thoughts.

According to Lamb’s 8W Weaving stage, “weaving consist of organizing ideas, creating models and formulating plans.  While organizing my ideas, I am collecting information as defined by Kuhlthau (Callison and Preddy, p. 40)–task–gathering information that supports the focus–my focus– diet, exercise, calories, portion control and a healthy lifestyle and healthy diet.  Thoughts–Involves defining and extending the focus areas–I am defining the resources I want to select by organization techniques. In addition, I am extending the focus areas by finding similarities in my findings. For example, all sensible diet plans stress, exercise, portion control and healthy eating. 

I am also preparing to present my findings. This is also a stage in Kuhlthau’s stages (Callison and Preddy, p. 40).  Now I am trying to determine what is the best way to present the information, blog, PowerPoint, Website, Slide-show, etc. Also I am considering what sources will be used. I have so much information.  So true are Stripling’s  comments regarding the greater the interest, the more likely a researcher is to commit greater effort to the research project (Stripling and Hassell, p. 149).  As I have stated in earlier posts, I have a true interest in weight loss–due to my struggles in maintaining a healthy weight.

During this stage, I decided to try concept mapping. This is new to me—usually I just brainstorm in an outline format and doodle my findings. Yet, I have read so much about concept mapping that I wanted to at least try the process.  According to Cawelti (1999) concept maps result in achieved academic performance (Stripling and Hassell, p. 51).  Likewise, according to  Millet (2000); Shaw et al. (1999); Sinatra (2000), graphic organizers require learners to show how to construct knowledge learned and cause students to better summarize their research findings (Stripling and Hassell, p. 52). Thus, I decided to try this method. My concept maps are attached:

concept-map.JPG

project-step-concept-map.JPG

In synthesizing my information for preparation of  the final product, I created a basic brainstorm chart in Word. This provided me with the ability to focus more and to select product topics.   As I was designing the chart, I thought about McKenzie’s Research cycle (Callison and Preddy, p. 56). McKenzie’s cycle includes:

Synthesizing/evaluating information.

My action–I am continually synthesizing and evaluation information in preparation for the product.

Revising plan–revisit more more sources.

My action– As I prepare my product, I am mentally revising my plan, as well as visiting the Internet sources to obtain more information. I am sure this process will continue as I prepare the product.

Here is my brainstorm chart:

synthesizing-brainstorm-ideas.doc

In regards to other organizational techniques, my notes are on post-it notes, personal voice recorders, voice mail, my cell phone note pad, wall calender, notebooks and other scraps of paper. I have some notes in a folder and now I am beginning the  process of sorting the information. 

I wanted to add a screen print of the cooking light website. But it would not work. I am sure it is something I am doing wrong. But anyway, here is the website. It is full of healthy recipes.  They seem to be pretty tasty and relatively easy. According to the research I have completed, cooking healthy delicious calorie reduce recipes is a key to successful weight loss.

http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking

Now I am beginning to focus my research on: diet, exercise, calorie counts, portion control,  healthy living and healthy lifestyle. Revised questions:

How many calories must one reduce to obtain safe effective weight loss? 

What types of exercise are beneficial for weight loss?

What is a healthy diet?

What exactly is portion and calorie control?

I am continuing to search for information. Specific examples include, looking through magazines, books, web pages, scanning television shows (i.e. Biggest Loser, Tyra, cooking shows, ), interviewing friends, listening to podcasts,  interviewing family members and thinking about my own personal experiences–failures and success regarding weight management.

Now, I am beginning to Wiggle and Weave (Lamb’s 8W’s) together.  I am formulating plans and organizing ideas (Lamb’s 8W Weaving stage).  In reference to organizing, I am beginning to focus my research upon the topics of: diet, exercise, portion control, healthy eating and and healthy lifestyle. 

I am engaging in Irving’s ( Callison and Preddy, p. 43) steps 3 and 4– 3) Tracing and locating resources and 4) Examining, selecting and rejecting resource.  Additionally, Stripling’s  Investigate stage–planning, organizing, identifying, evaluating multiple sources of information and Construct stage–organizing and detecting relationships among ideas, drawing inferences and recognizing points of view is occurring (Callison and Preddy, p.61). For example, now I am planning, organizing, and evaluating multiple sources.  While evaluating, I discovered that diet, exercise, healthy lifestyle and portion control are key points. Thus, I am detecting relationships amount ideas and drawing inferences.  I am also recognizing points of view and bias opinions–while considering alternative sources as necessary. This is also part of Stripling’s Construct stage (Callison and Preddy, p.61). For example, I realize that many advertisement sources are totally unreliable and bogus. 

I  analyzed and evaluated Internet information by following these suggestions obtained from  :  http://websearch.about.com/od/referencesearch/a/evaluatesource_2.htm 

 (copied directly from the website):

• Can I easily figure out who wrote the information?
• Are all factual claims clearly substantiated, that is, are there cited (linked) sources?
• Are there any glaring grammatical and spelling errors? This could indicate that the content is not credible.
• How long ago was the page updated? Is there a date stamp on the article somewhere? You’ll need this especially if you’re using MLA-style citation.
• Can you verify the expertise of the author? Are the writer’s qualifications clearly stated somewhere on the site?
• Are you selling me something? Determine motivation.
  • Is there an overwhelming bias in the information? Does the writing seem fair and balanced? Or is the writing overly slanted towards a particular point of view?
  • Is the URL appropriate to the content? You should be able to figure out from the site address who the site belongs to, since most organizations and businesses put their name in the URL. This is a good way to determine quickly if the site is legit for your purposes; for example, if you’re researching mad cow disease you probably don’t want to get information from the Beef Farmers of America.
  • Are the ads clearly separated from the content?

This questions helped me to weed out the unreliable web sources.

When evaluating books and magazines, I researched known fitness research entities such as, Shape, Weight Watchers and Fitness magazines, Leslie Sansone, Mayo Clinic and government sponsored web sites.

Below please find valuable weight resources that I feel are  reliable. All offer safe practical tips for losing weight. All incorporate a healthy diet, exercise and calorie control. Many valuable tool, tips and advice are offered.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/index.aspx

http://www.lightenupindiana.com/

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/weightls.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/weightcontrol.html

 http://www.4women.gov/faq/weightloss.htm

http://www.fda.gov/loseweight/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/WT99999