Holiday Weight Gain

Hello,
I haven't posted in a bit!! Sorry about that. I went to Italy and Greece and when I came back I was overloaded with work. Now I am getting back on track. Just in time for the holiday season.

So how many pounds does one generally gain during the holiday season?
A) 3
B) 1
C) 10

The answer may surprise you. A study published in the Journal of the ADA (American Dietetic Association) in 2000 states that the average weight gain during the holiday season (time between Thanksgiving and New Years) is only about one pound. Many people would guess between five and ten pounds.

Some people might view that as a free pass to indulge at the all you can eat holiday buffet, but it is important to remember that even small gains each year add up over time. Among the entire population, weight gain during the 6-week holiday season explained 51% of annual weight gain. These results suggest that holiday weight gain may be an important contributor to the rising prevalence of obesity, even though absolute values for weight gain in this study were less than anticipated.

Here are some strategies for avoiding holiday weight gain:
-Don't save up calories on the day of an event. This strategy might make sense in your mind at first, but ultimately you will end up overindulging once you get to the party. Stick to your normal eating schedule, eating every 3-4 hours and try to have a snack that is high in protein and fiber before you go to the party. An example might be a handful of mixed nuts and fruit or a piece of whole grain bread with peanut butter and fruit on the side.

-Step away from the buffet. If you are standing next to the food you will be more likely to pick at the food, even when you are no longer hungry. Take your plate and move to another area of the room. Take your focus off of food by engaging in conversation with friends and family.

-Map out your holiday events on a calendar at the start of the season or take it week by week. Some people feel that this helps them keep their holiday event schedule in perspective. It helps to see that although the season lasts for weeks, the number of days that you can stay on track with your healthy eating plan still outnumber the days when you may be more apt to overindulge. Every Sunday look ahead at what holiday functions you might have that week. To stay on track, map out things like when you will exercise during the week, when you will need to pack a high fiber/high protein snack for "pre-event" munching or when you need to go grocery shopping to fill your house with healthy options. The more you plan and focus on making healthy decisions on non-event days, the better you will feel.

-Don't deprive yourself. This is another one of those strategies that may backfire on you. Instead, break down the holiday meals or options at the buffet into food categories like appetizers, main dishes and sweets. Then decide from what group you will pick a higher calorie option from. If you look down the line and see your favorite appetizer and dessert, make a decision to either partake in only one or have a tiny portion of both. Then focus on filling the rest of your plate with lower-calorie, high fiber foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean proteins.

-Offer to bring foods to the party that you know you will enjoy without breaking the calorie or fat budget.

-Allow 20-30 minutes to let your fullness settle in before you consider going back for seconds. If you decide that you are in fact still hungry, cut the portions of your seconds in half.

I will continue to post during the holidays to help you maintain your healthy living plan between now and the new year!!

7-Day Goal: Today might be a good day to take out that calendar and fill in a couple of holiday events you already know will come up. Start now to look at what days you may be able to fit in some extra exercise. Also today ask yourself in what ways you may be able to take the focus off of food during the holidays? Could you have the office group focus on a low-fat recipe exchange instead of a cookie exchange this year for example or find new fruity dessert recipes to serve at your holiday party?

Let's have a healthy, fun holiday season!

It's good to be back!!
~Kristina


(resource: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2008 Jun;76(3):442-8. Links Holiday weight management by successful weight losers and normal weight individuals.Phelan S, Wing RR, Raynor HA, Dibello J, Nedeau K, Peng W.Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Providence, RI 02903, USA. sphelan@lifespan.org)