TeamTracker Online Registration System
Click here to sign up your team today!


Team Building Forum
Visit our online forum, where you can connect with others who are looking to join teams.

Here are answers to the questions that are being asked most frequently by phone and email.

I don't have a team. How can I join?
You must sign up as a team captain or be invited by a team captain to participate. There are two options:

1. Step up to be a team captain. Sign up online at www.shapeupri.org/teamtracker and use our online system to invite your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to join your team.

2. Find someone to be your team captain and invite you to join a team. Visit our online Team Building Forum to connect with like- minded Rhode Islanders.

Do I have to recruit my entire team before I sign up?
No! We recommend that you first sign up as a team captain, and then use our system to send electronic invitations to potential team members, who will follow an email link to join your team. You will have until January 28 to recruit at least 5 team members (including yourself) for your team.

Can I sign up if I haven't decided on a team name?
Yes! The team captain has the ability to change the team name any time up until January 28. So use a temporary name, sign up your team, and change the name when you have finally decided on one that suits your team.

Can I sign up if we haven't decided which divisions to compete in?
Yes! Please select at least one division temporarily when you create your team. You have until January 28 to decide exactly which divisions your team will be competing in.

Will I still receive a pedometer if I'm not participating in the pedometer division?
Yes! Your $15 registration fee includes a digital pedometer and reminder wristband that will be delivered to your team captain.

Does my insurer or insurance status matter?
No! Anyone who is 14 years or older and who lives or works in Rhode Island is eligible to participate, regardless of insurance status or brand of insurance. You must be at least 18 to participate in the weight loss division.

Shape Up RI has received tremendous exposure in the Rhode Island media over the past several days.

>From features on 630 WPRO AM, 93.3 Coast FM, CW28 Providence, Eyewitness News Channel 12, and The Providence Journal, awareness is building and registration for the 2007 competition is heating up!

In an effort to keep the Shape Up RI community informed of breaking health news, we draw your attention to a recent US health study which showed that lunchtime and after-school bottles of soda and juice drinks may be jeopardizing our children's health.

The study of 154 girls observed biannually since the age of five indicated that by their thirteenth year, 14% of these girls had a high risk of developing metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of ominous risk factors that point to future trouble with heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes. These risk factors were determined by the girls' big waistlines, high blood pressure, and low levels of good HDL cholesterol.

What made these high-risk girls different from other girls is that their parents were more obese and had more obesity-related health problems than other parents. The high-risk girls gained more weight, and gained weight faster, than other girls. Amazingly, the only observable difference in their diet was the sugary drinks that they consumed at young ages.

"We found the highest risk group was consuming more servings of these sweetened beverages at age 5 to 9, compared to other groups," researcher Alison Ventura said. "At the later ages it was more soda, but in the earlier ages it was things like 10% fruit juices, sports drinks, and flavored beverages with added sugar."

From WebMD, By Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H.

If you just can't curb the urge to wolf down chocolate or cookies, you should head straight to the kitchen. That's right. Because even though mindless noshing packs on the pounds like no other pastime, some foods can make a definite dent in your need to nibble.

According to registered dietitian Milton Stokes, eating low-calorie, fiber-rich foods before a meal (salads, soup and fruits) may prevent a dieter from submitting to an all out gorge-fest. But some of the best appetite killers are nibbles that might be hiding in plain sight in your kitchen right now:

Nuts: New research shows the fatty acids in pine nuts initiate the release of an appetite- suppressing hormone called cholecystokinin (CKK). According to Stokes, it=92s too soon to tell if these results will stand up. In the meantime, sprinkle pine nuts on your salad or mix them into pesto over whole wheat pasta. Want a more accessible nut? Try almonds. People who consume these nutrient powerhouses lose more weight and fat mass than those who don=92t. Why? The cell walls of almonds seem to act as a physical barrier to the total absorption of fat.

Hot Stuff: Spicy foods have a metabolism- boosting benefit and can dull your taste buds so you're apt to eat less. Even foods that are hot in temperature -- like tea and soup -- may diminish your appetite. Just make sure your soup is tomato or broth-based (not cream!) and your tea isn=92t of the sugary variety (beware commercial flavored types like Chai). In fact, if you go green, your tea may actually give your metabolism a boost, too.

Apples: Apples pack a lot of fiber -- twice as much in every bite as peaches, grapes and grapefruit. Fiber helps turn on the fullness switch and prevents you from overeating. Get into the habit of eating an apple before dinner. Chances are, you=92ll eat less of your meal as the fiber starts to kick in.

Milk: Research shows that dairy foods promote weight loss, but the mechanism isn=92t fully understood yet. "It looks like calcium helps break down the fat in cells," says Stokes. "But getting calcium from real dairy foods, like low-fat or nonfat milk or yogurt, help more than taking supplements."

Green Leaves: Two cups of cabbage, celery or lettuce provides almost no calories. And in most cases, you burn off the greens just by digesting them. Pickles and cucumbers count in this category, too.

If snacking doesn=92t do the trick, sniffing might. According to Alan Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell and Taste Research Foundation in Chicago, just a whiff of green apple, banana and peppermint might help you drop some weight.