Frequently Asked Questions

A: You do have to get up off the couch! A little movement never hurt anyone. However, remember the standard weight loss saying “Eating less and exercising more will equal weight loss” is a myth. You should eat correctly, exercise moderately and this will equal weight loss of fat.

A: The 7 week CORE class is $249.00. The 5 week Continuing Ed. classes are $199.00. Please see “Are there any discounts available” for discounted pricing options.

A: There are several discounts available. Returning students get 10% off of classes. Students that bring a friend or come with a friend qualify for 10% off. Our HEROs, which are Active Military/ Veterans, Teachers, First Responders (Police, Fire, Rescue) qualify for 20% off with proof of ID or Certificate. Please note, only 1 discount can be used at any given time as they cannot be combined.

A: HLS classes are held in different locations across the DFW metroplex: Austin, Waco, Fort Worth. Anywhere from churches, to schools, office buildings, cafes and even people’s homes! Please visit our enrollment page for specific location details!

A: If you are enrolled in a CORE class plan for 2 hours. If you are enrolled in a CE class, please plan for the class to last 1.5 hour. If you are enrolled in one of our plate or grocery store classed they can be anywhere from 1-3 hours. Please note, these times include weigh in and class instruction time.

A: Enrollment opens 7-8 times a year with multiple location options available across the DFW metroplex and selected areas of the country. Classes are on a 7 week rotation with a -2 week break in between sessions. If we do not have a class in your area and you are interested in helping us by becoming an Ambassador or Facilitator please call us at 817-546-0097.

A: Weight watchers uses a points system and watches weight for life. Here at Healthy Lifestyle Secrets we’re focused on reducing non-essential body fat while gaining & or maintaining a lean muscle mass and staying hydrated.

A: At Healthy Lifestyle Secrets, we don’t do any counting! (except the inches and fat percent you will lose!)

A: You have starved yourself and slowed down your metabolism by sending your body into fat storage mode. We can help you understand how this happened and how to correct it.

A: A diet is something you do for a period of time. A lifestyle is something you learn so that you make better choices for the rest of your life.

A: Measuring weight alone is not a completely accurate assessment of health or fitness because it doesn’t distinguish pounds that come from fat and pounds that come from lean muscle mass. Everyone needs some body fat, but too much fat results in obesity–one of the most important public health issues in the United States. According to new federal guidelines, more than half of the US adult population are now overweight or obese, and one out of four children and adolescents is too fat.

A: Obesity is directly linked with Diabetes Type II and hypertension, and is a contributing risk factor for many other conditions including heart disease, sleep disorders, arthritis, gall bladder disease, stroke, and several forms of cancer. Awareness and monitoring of body fat percentage can be a motivational tool for a fitness or weight management program. Additionally, with any chronic degenerative disease, monitoring body fat and lean body mass is critical to evaluation, treatment, and management of the condition. This information is helpful in determining a suitable exercise and nutritional program on an individual basis.

A: Yes. Both extremes–too much or too little body fat–put an individual at risk for serious medical and/or psychological conditions. Having a very low body fat percentage, particularly for women, can result in musculoskeletal problems and osteoporosis. And it can upset the hormonal balance causing loss of menstruation. Striving for extremely low body fat can also result in severe eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge-eating which have significant health implications.

A: It’s more than that. It’s a tribe. Healthy Lifestyle Secrets classes provide curriculum based nutrition information coupled with your Personalized Biometric profile to inspire and motivate you towards your weight goals and help you achieve a new healthier, happier way of life.

A: Before and after pictures are not required nor are they taken by HLS staff unless you want them on your personal device to help document your progress.

A: Due to HIPAA federal privacy laws we are prohibited from sharing your individual information with anyone else without your written permission.

A: Classes open for registration on the 10th of every other month starting in December for the upcoming calendar year.

A: Protein Supplements are a part of the program. However you are not required to purchase any of the protein supplement options that we carry. Students are provided with a narrowed down a list of recommended supplements and give nutrition label guidelines to follow so they can chose from the list or find supplements on the market that meets the guidelines.

A: Jump start uses proteins that are harder to digest, which forces the liver to work harder at a metabolic level. This creates a higher thermogenic effect, which is what causes the rapid weight loss.

A: Currently the HLS classes aren’t being offered on line. However we are in the process of taking the steps to be able to offer it in the near future.

A: We highly suggest you treat this as a college course and make every effort to plan other events around your scheduled HLS class. Whatever you do make sure you don’t miss the first 3 weeks as we set the foundation for the rest of your life! If you have to miss a class you can ask a neighboring student to copy their previous week’s notes. Please contact your instructor with any questions!

A: Please feel free to call or text your instructor or you can always call the HLS office with your questions!

A: Absolutely!!! Just because you are no longer in class doesn’t mean you won’t have questions! Please feel free to contact your instructor or the HLS office with any questions.

A: They can absolutely come to class with you! The more the merrier! Separate registration is required in order for them to attend class.

A: You will lose weight based on following the low glycemic index nutritional program provided by Healthy Lifestyle Secrets.

A: The amount of weight loss depends on you. The average person loses somewhere around three pounds of body fat per week or approximately 36 pounds in 3 months. Our most dedicated clients have lost upwards of 45 pounds in 3 months.

A: The six nutrients that the body requires everyday based on your individual need.

A: There are no pills required in the HLS program. We will make supplemental recommendations and will advise you to discuss further with your physician based on blood work and lab results.

A: Omentum is the name of an organ that is attached to the bottom of your stomach behind the muscle. It collects fat cells like a fish net and is one of the primary reasons for protruding bellies.

A: If you are an adult who has approximately 10 hours of intense physical activity and have a resting heart rate of approximately 60 beats per minute or less, you probably need to use the Athlete Mode.
Tanita uses a mathematical formula to determine body fat percentage based upon these variables: height, weight, gender, age group and resistance (impedance). The Athlete Mode uses a mathematical formula that is different than that used in the Adult Mode. The Athlete Mode was designed through population studies of individuals meeting the above criteria.

At this time, populations of professional athletes and body builders have not been studied to establish a separate mode for this unique group. Professional athletes and body builders are advised that since the models have not been designed with them specifically in mind, they may obtain a higher than normal body fat reading. Despite this fact, many of these elite athletes have used the Tanita Body Fat Monitor/Scales successfully to gauge their progress of losing body fat. The great repeatability of the product enables one to establish a baseline and use the product for “trending purposes” to assess loss or gain in body fat over time.

A: Persons with pacemakers or other electronic medical implants should not use the monitor. Persons with non-electronic medical implants may safely use the monitor. Any metallic implant in your body could affect the body fat reading, giving a slightly lower than normal reading. However, since the metal will continue to have the same affect on the reading each time you use the monitor; you can still use the monitor to successfully track the relative change in body fat over time.

A: There is no known health risks associated with pregnant woman using the Tanita Body Fat Monitor/Scales. Since research has not been done on this population extensively we advise women who are pregnant to use the Body Fat Monitors for weight purposes only. Since there are dynamic physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, a pregnant woman cannot expect an accurate body fat reading. Since obtaining an accurate reading during pregnancy is not possible, it would not be recommended to monitor your body fat until after delivery.

A: Independent research at several major universities (including Columbia University in New York City) has confirmed that in clinical settings, the Tanita Body Fat Monitor is accurate within +/- 5 percentage of the institutional standard of body composition analysis–Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). It should be made clear that there is only one method of calculating body composition that is close to 100% accurate, and that is an autopsy. Tanita believes its method to be the most convenient and accessible to accurately predict body composition. Tanita’s Body Fat Monitor Series results are repeatable to within +/- 1 percent variation when used under consistent conditions.

A: People with pacemakers are advised not to use the monitors. Although there are no known health risks, this is a precaution that is advocated by all manufacturers of BIA. Accuracy is an issue for certain categories of people, but the units may still be used to monitor trends and accurately show degree of change. They include:

• Pregnant women
• People who exceed the weight capacity of the scale (models vary) and/or exceed 75% body fat
• Professional athletes and bodybuilders.

A: There are many methods of estimating body fat. The following is a summary of the most common ones.

DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry)
Today, this method is considered a gold standard because of its reliability, precision, and the fact that it is based on three body components (fat, muscle, bone) rather than two (fat and muscle) as in most other methods including hydrostatic weighing. It allows fat distribution throughout the entire body to be read in a single scan. The equipment used is very expensive and a person must lie perfectly still for 10-20 minutes while the scan is taken. DEXA is found mainly in research facilities.

Hydrostatic Weighing
Done correctly, this method is also quite accurate and considered a gold standard. However, the test is somewhat subjective because it relies upon the subject’s ability to expel all oxygen from their lungs while submerged in a tank of water. Oxygen remaining in the lungs will skew the results. In clinical settings, this procedure is repeated a number of times, and an average is taken. The “tank” is expensive and the inconvenience to the user is considerable. Because of the cost, lengthy testing process, and physical burden to the subject, this method is more suitable for research studies.

Conventional BIA
Bioelectrical impedance analysis uses a very small electrical signal to measure body impedance. The signal is conducted through the water contained in the body. Lean muscle has much more water than fat tissue and allows the signal to pass easily. Fat causes impedance or resistance to the signal. Conventional Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis methods are accurate, though not as convenient as the Tanita BIA method, and may be somewhat subjective based on the placement of electrodes. The user must be in a horizontal position while electrodes and conductive jelly are placed on a wrist and ankle. This procedure is usually performed in a physician’s office or clinic. Most conventional BIA manufacturers use hydrostatic weighing as the reference method.

Tanita BIA
Tanita’s leg-to-leg version of BIA produces very accurate results that are highly correlated with both DEXA (Tanita’s reference method) and hydrostatic weighing. Measurements are very repeatable when tests are performed under consistent conditions. The equipment is not expensive, making Tanita a professionally-accepted method that can be adapted easily for home use. There is no physical imposition to the user; no need for a trained technician to operate the equipment; and the entire procedure takes less than one minute.

Calipers
Skinfold measurements taken by calipers are easy to do, inexpensive, and the method is portable. However, results can be very subjective depending on the skill of the technician and the site(s) measured. The quality of the calipers is also a factor. Inexpensive models sold for home use are usually less accurate than those used by an accredited technician. Additionally, the more obese the subject, the more difficult to “pinch” the skin correctly. Many people find calipers to be uncomfortable and invasive.

NIR
(Near Infra-Red) A fiber optic probe measures tissue composition at various sites on the body. This method has become popular because it is simple, fast, non-invasive, and the equipment is relatively inexpensive. However, studies have produced mixed results, and a high degree of error has occurred with very lean and very obese people. Numerous sources report that more research is needed to substantiate this method.

A: Tanita uses its own proprietary method of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA).

A: Yes, there are:

• Select a consistent time of day, and stick to it.
• With an empty bladder
• When normally hydrated
• Unclean foot pads may interfere with conductivity.
• Nylons interfere with conductivity. If it is absolutely necessary to measure in nylons, use a drop of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol on the foot pads to act as a conductor.
• Early morning is not recommended because the body is often dehydrated after a night’s sleep.

Once you have established your baseline, monitor body fat about twice a month. Checking body fat more frequently is not beneficial as changes occur slowly over time.

Things that can affect hydration include:

• Strenuous exercise
• Recent food intake
• Diuretics such as caffeine, alcohol, certain medications

A: All bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) scales sold by Tanita have been cleared by FDA for sale in the US. BIA scales are medical devices that are regulated by the United States Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, Section 510(k). This includes review and clearing an application for a BIA scale prior to its sale to ensure the scale is safe and effective. The FDA also subjects Tanita to periodic inspections to make sure that we comply with their manufacturing regulations as well. Other scale manufacturers bypass this clearance process, Tanita does not compromise, your confidence is our priority.

A: Yes! HLS is more than just a weight loss company. We are a nutrition academy educating people on how to feed their bodies nutritionally in order to support optimum health. For many people they need to lose non-essential body fat while others need to gain essential body fat. Some may want to just focus on building lean muscle mass and losing non-essential body fat.

A: Alcohol spikes your blood sugar rapidly putting your body in fat storage mode. Additionally alcohol causes your liver to get drunk and prevents it from metabolizing. This causes more fat storage.

A: Your Nutritional Profile could change based on the way your body improves.