There is no magic pill for weight loss. Instead, the key is a gradual change in lifestyle, says Amy Pleimling, a registered dietitian.

&uot;I’m dedicating my work life to weight management done the right way,&uot; Pleimling said.

Through Albert Lea Community Education, Pleimling is offering two new classes this fall to do just that: &uot;Your Weigh to Success,&uot;

consisting of eight one-hour classes, and &uot;Healthy Holiday Eating,&uot; a two-hour class offered in one evening.

Pleimling, the daughter of Lynn and Randy Stay of Albert Lea, first got interested in nutrition in college. &uot;I knew I wanted to do something in the health care field all along,&uot; she said. Once she took a nutrition class and talked with her roommate’s sister, a dietitian and diabetes educator, her mind was made up. She earned her bachelor of science degree in foods and nutrition from the University of Minnesota.

She did a year-long internship at what’s now known as Fairview University Medical Center. She decided to get into consulting, and, along with a partner, started a business, For Your Health Nutrition Consulting, about three years ago.

Through For Your Health, Pleimling works with corporate clients, community groups and individuals, offering wellness seminars, classes and consultations. Her work currently takes her to Minneapolis once a week.

Since moving back to Albert Lea in March with her husband and 2-year-old son, Pleimling decided to offer some of her classes locally through Community Ed.

Included in the class, &uot;Your Weigh to Success,&uot; are: assessment of one’s current diet to develop an individually tailored meal plan, the role of portion sizes, label reading, behavior modification techniques and goal setting, the scoop on popular fad diets, and the role of weight loss medications and physical activity. Class members will also have the option of completing a food record and then will receive a print-out of their daily calories, fat, vitamins and minerals.

&uot;We focus on behavior changes, and where people are stressed in their lives,&uot; Pleimling said. &uot;A lot of people know what they should be doing, but don’t know how to apply it to their own lives.

&uot;We’re getting more obese as we speak,&uot; the dietitian said, adding that it’s hard to lose weight and only a small percentage of people are actually successful at it. Successful weight loss is defined as a loss that’s maintained over a year’s time.

In &uot;Healthy Holiday Eating,&uot; Pleimling said she can show how people can have fun eating during the holidays without feelings of guilt, as well as how to modify recipes for health treats.

&uot;Any foods, even traditional holiday treats, can fit into a healthful eating plan,&uot; Pleimling said.

&uot;Your Weigh to Success&uot; is offered from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Oct. 2-Nov. 20, in room 210 of Brookside Education Center. Cost is $50.

&uot;Healthy Holiday Eating&uot; is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, in room 210 of Brookside. Cost is $10.

To register, visit the Community Ed office in Brookside between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or fill out a registration form from the fall 2002 catalog and mail it to: Community Education, 211 W. Richway Drive, Albert Lea.