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Frequently Asked Questions About Online Weight Loss

Is this program tax deductible?

The Retrofit program may be tax deductible. You should consult with your legal and/or tax advisor to determine whether you may deduct the Retrofit program on your taxes.

Do you have an affiliate or partnership marketing program?

Yes, to find out if you qualify for this program, send email to affiliates@retrofitme.com.

Do you have corporate programs?

Yes, to find out if you qualify for this program, send email to corporate@retrofitme.com.

What about group sales that aren't a corporation?

There are advantages to joining with other people. Having the support of a peer group is a valuable part of creating the best possible environment for success and the best results. We offer group sales for families, friends and other social groups that are looking to begin the program together. For more information on group sales call 855-4-RETROFIT x. 1 or send email to info@retrofitme.com.

What makes this program different?

The Retrofit program is broken into two phases - weight loss and weight stability. And we spend at least as much time teaching you to maintain a stable weight as we do teaching you to lose because research suggests that it's more important for your long term success. In the initial weight loss phase each client meets weekly with a member of their expert team, uses wireless devices to enable daily monitoring of their weight and activity and follows a program customized by their registered dietitian, behavior coach and exercise physiologist. During the stability phase of the program, meetings with the expert wellness team members may stop or occur infrequently as needed, while daily monitoring of your personal data, helpline access and customized program elements continue until healthy lifestyle habits are well established. This approach is designed to radically increase your odds of lifetime success with at least 6 months of active practice achieving weight stability before graduating from the program. Check out the Science and Company pages to learn more about the origins of this innovative approach.

Why did you name this program "Retrofit?"

To retrofit means to modify something, generally mechanical, to make it stronger, faster or better equipped to handle the environment in which it operates. We provide you with really neat new parts - a wi-fi scale, a wireless activity monitor, and dashboard that brings all of your data together in one place. We also equip you with a team of experts who engineer your specific program. Our goal is to replace your current eating habits and activity level with improved strategies for fueling your body with the nutrition it needs, a fitness plan that will increase your total physical performance and motivation to keep your new way of life a permanent change.

Why is behavior change - not just weight loss - the focus of your program?

Any program can help you to lose weight. A 3500 calorie reduction will cause you to lose 1 pound of weight, whether that is achieved by eating nothing but cabbage or grapefruits or by having a donut hole for the day doesn't matter. The simple equation for weight loss is a math equation that doesn't take into account nutritional needs or ability to sustain that eating pattern.

We are focused on your long term results, not just a short term dip. To achieve weight stability and improve long term health, it is critical that your initial weight loss is achieved in a way that is sustainable. We help you make better daily choices within the specific constraints of your life, so that those new positive habits can be sustained over the long haul.

Who is on my wellness team?

Each team is made up of professionals in the three core areas that drive successful weight loss long term: nutrition, mindset, and fitness. You will be assigned a registered dietitian, behavior coach and exercise physiologist. Your individual team's assignment will be based on your personal needs and designed to meet any licensing rules within the state that you live.

What is a wireless activity tracker? Why do I need a wi-fi scale? Why all these devices?

We love data and we think you will too. It helps you see exactly where you are succeeding and where you may need to focus some attention. We use two devices in the initial program. The wireless activity tracker is a tiny little pedometer that comes in your welcome kit and is easy to use and discreet. We think it's fashionable enough to clip on the corner of our pockets and compete for steps at work, but if you want to be more discreet you can clip it on your undergarments. The waistband of boxers or briefs or even the center front section of a bra can all work well. This little device counts steps, calories burned and also some measures of sleep restfulness. The second device is a wi-fi enabled scale that takes a measurement of your current weight as well as your body fat percentage. Stepping on it once a day takes just a few seconds and displays your information on the scale as well as automatically logs your data online. Both of these devices are delivered in your welcome kit during the first week of your program.

The data from these two devices is uploaded into your Retrofit dashboard so that you and your wellness team can monitor the patterns and progress of your program. If you are taking a step back or the devices are showing inactivity you will get a call from your program advisor to check in and see if any program adjustment is needed to help you succeed.

Does it make sense for me to set up my tracker and wi-fi scale device before I am on the meal and exercise plans?

Of course! Our program is designed so that you are using your internet connected devices as quickly as you receive them. The more information your Wellness Experts can see about your current lifestyle and baseline data, the more effective your first Wellness Expert sessions will be. Go ahead...get them set up and start using them as soon as you receive them!

Can I get my wireless activity tracker wet?

No! It isn't waterproof. Do not swim, bathe or sweat profusely while wearing the device or you will ruin it.

How does the wi-fi scale measure body composition?

The surface of the scale is covered with an invisible layer of ITO (Indium Thin Oxyde), a conductive layer to enable the Fat Analysis feature through a bio-electric analysis. The scale sends the bio-electric data, along with the weight measurement, to servers where Withings proprietary algorithm combines it with the user profile information (height, weight and gender) to calculate the repartition of fat mass and lean mass.

Can I wear clothes when weighing myself?

To have the most consistent measurement from day to day, we recommend that you weigh yourself without any clothes. This is to ensure your clothing doesn't influence the measurement. You can wear clothes and get a measurement, but as noted it will influence that measurement. In order to get a valid measurement for the body composition analysis, you need to be barefoot so that the scale can perform the bioelectric impedance analysis.

What is the weight limit for the scale?

The weight limit of the Withings scale is 396 lbs or 180 kg.
The weight limit of the Fitbit® Aria™ Wi-Fi smart scale is 350 lbs or 159 kg.

Why is 10% so important?

10% weight loss drives some terrific health improvements. See links to research supporting the benefits of 10% below. Reference

Numerous studies show that weight loss, even if only 5-10%, significantly improves lipoproteins, [28] [29] hypertension, [30] DM and insulin resistance, [31] risk for osteoarthritis and it's symptoms, [32] risk for selected cancers, [33] and other risk factors for chronic diseases. [34] Reference

The good news is that no matter what your weight loss goal is, even a modest weight loss, such as 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight, is likely to produce health benefits such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars. Reference

The rationale for this initial goal is that even moderate weight loss, i.e., 10 percent of initial body weight, can significantly decrease the severity of obesity-associated risk factors. It can also set the stage for further weight loss, if indicated. Reference

By losing just 10 percent of your body weight, you can lower your cholesterol and reduce your blood pressure, says G. Ken Goodrick, PhD, psychologist and associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Reference

"Lifestyle changes that include healthier diets, regular physical activity and weight loss of 7%-10% have shown phenomenal health benefits that can be more effective than medications," says David Katz, MD, MPH, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center and of the Yale Preventive Medicine Center.

"We have seen a consistent pattern in our weight loss studies that when patients lose 5%-10% of their body weight, they lower blood pressure, reduce LDL ["bad"] cholesterol, improve glucose tolerance, and, in general, lower the risk for cardiovascular disease," says Catherine Champagne, a researcher with Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Reference

Even a small weight loss (just 5-10 percent of your current weight) will help to lower your risk of developing weight-related diseases. Reference

For a person who weighs 200 pounds, a 10 percent weight loss equals 20 pounds, bringing the person's weight down to 180 pounds. This modest weight loss can reap health benefits even if this new weight is still in the overweight or obese range for the person's height, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Risk factors associated with obesity can be significantly decreased by a moderate weight loss such as 10 percent of initial body weight, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The Department of Health and Human Services adds that achieving this initial weight loss goal helps lower the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and osteoporosis. The CDC indicates that a 10 percent weight loss also improves blood cholesterol. Reference

It could be called the 10 percent solution: in recent years a steady stream of research has found that losing as little as 10 percent of body weight, or sometimes even less, has a disproportionately positive effect in improving health. Small weight losses significantly reduce the risk of a wide range of illnesses that have been linked to obesity, from heart disease and diabetes to some kinds of cancer.

In one national study, for example, patients who lost a mere 7 percent of their total body weight reduced their risk for diabetes by 58 percent. A study in Finland found the same benefit with only a 5 percent weight loss. Similar improvements have been documented for hypertension and even sleep apnea.

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