About this course: This 5 week course will guide learners through the essential steps in planning an individualized weight loss program. There is no guarantee of weight loss through completing the course; learners will have the framework and essential components for an evidence-based weight loss program. This course is intended for healthy adults who do not have any chronic disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease or any others. In addition, this course does not provide information for people who have food allergies or intolerances. Losing weight and keeping it off requires planning and goal-setting. Crash diets or fad diets are ineffective and can be dangerous. This course provides evidence-based information for planning a weight loss program that is safe and effective in producing a one to two pound loss per week. This course will help learners establish the following: 1. A realistic goal weight with a specific plan for rate of weight loss and time frame for achieving goal weight. 2. A realistic goal for the frequency, duration, and intensity of exercise that will enable the learner to achieve and maintain the goal weight. 3. A specific set of strategies for grocery shopping, eating in restaurants, eating at social occasions, and dealing with hunger and emotional eating. 4. A plan for monitoring food intake, exercise and weight loss. 5. A plan for continued evaluation of progress to goals and strategies for adjusting goals for continued weight loss for the next 6 months or longer. 6. A thorough understanding of the difficulty of maintaining weight loss and a plan for maximizing the chances of keeping off the weight lost.

Who is this class for: The example learner for this course is interested in improving their diet and is open to adopting new behaviors around cooking, grocery shopping, eating, and exercise. The learner should be over the age of 18 and should be in good health without any chronic diseases (such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, or food allergies.) Prior knowledge of nutrition principles for a healthy diet would be useful to the learner but is not required. Learners are required to seek approval from their primary care physician before starting the course.

Created by: Case Western Reserve University

Taught by: Mary Beth Kavanagh, Senior Instructor and Director of Bachelors/Masters Education
Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University

Level	Beginner
Language	English
How To Pass	Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.
User Ratings	4.1 stars Average User Rating 4.1See what learners said

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Week 1

Let’s get started on designing your personal weight loss plan! We begin this first week by setting a personal goal weight that is realistic for you and making a plan for exercise. You probably expected that we would start out with calories and food - but these two topics are actually the right place to start!

4 videos, 7 readings

Reading: Disclaimer
Video: Welcome from Mary Beth Kavanagh, MS, RDN, LD, FAND
Discussion Prompt: Introduce Yourself
Reading: An Introduction to SMART Goals
Reading: A Note About Assignments
Reading: CWRU Wellness Initiative Participants
Video: Determining Your Goal Weight
Video: How and When to Weigh Yourself
Reading: Daily Weight Record Worksheet
Video: Making a Plan for Exercise
Reading: Measuring Intensity of Exercise
Reading: High-Intensity Interval Training

Graded: Assignment #1: My Goal Weight Statement

Graded: Assignment #2: My Exercise Plan

WEEK 2

Week 2

In week two we will focus on the topic of nutrition. This week you will learn how many calories you should take in to lose weight and how many servings from each of the food groups you should take in daily to make sure you get all the essential nutrients that you need. You will also make a plan for grocery shopping.

3 videos, 3 readings

Video: Nutrition
Video: Food Groups for Good Nutrition
Reading: SuperTracker User Guide
Video: Grocery Shopping and Nutrition Labels
Reading: Planning to Grocery Shop
Reading: Grocery Shopping When Hungry

Graded: Assignment #3: Five Day Menu Assignment

WEEK 3

Week 3

Is it OK to eat out in restaurants when you are trying to lose weight? How can you manage your calorie and food group intake in your workplace cafeteria? What strategies are most likely to increase your ability to lose weight and keep it off?

2 videos, 3 readings

Video: Strategies for Eating Out
Reading: Tips for Dining Out
Reading: Research on Restaurant Meals and Dining with Others
Video: Identifying Support and Self-Monitoring
Reading: Self-Weighing in Weight Management

Graded: Assignment #4: My Support and Self-Monitoring

WEEK 4

Week 4

This week we will learn about the “triggers” that can get you off track when you start your weight loss program and we will develop strategies to deal with these. We will also take some time to review all the goals you have set for yourself so far and make any needed revisions.

2 videos, 2 readings

Video: Triggers That Get You Off Track
Reading: Healthy Living: Sleep
Reading: The Non-Diet Diet
Video: How Are You Doing So Far?

Graded: Triggers That Get You Off Track

Graded: Assignment #5: My Triggers

WEEK 5

Week 5

You made it to the final week of this MOOC! Our focus this week will be on helping you to stay on track and avoid going back to old eating habits as you lose weight. We will also consider why it is so hard to keep weight off once you lose it and some strategies you can use to increase your success.

2 videos, 1 reading

Video: Relapse Prevention
Reading: Behaviors for Successful Weight Loss
Video: Planning to Stay with Your Plans

Graded: Assignment #6: The Biology of Weight Loss

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Creators

Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University is a leading national research university located in Cleveland, Ohio. Through its seven schools and college, Case Western Reserve offers top-10 programs in health law, organizational behavior and social work and top-25 programs in biomedical engineering, international law, medicine and nursing. More than 4,000 undergraduate and nearly 6,000 graduate and professional students are enrolled at CWRU, representing all 50 states and more than 90 countries.

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