10 August 2008
Holiday Tips to Maintain Your Weight
Posted by Holiday under: Holiday ( General ) .
As the holiday season quickly approaches, the focus often shifts from weight loss to the inevitable question of how much weight will be gained during the months from November to January. Few people find solace in the fact that most weight gain is overestimated during these final months of the year, and instead concentrate on methods to lose as much weight as possible in the shortest amount of time. The following ten tips will assist you in making informed food choices to combat potential weight gain while still making the most of the upcoming holiday festivities.
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1. Indulge in vegetables. Before digging into that big meal, start out by consuming raw vegetables with a low-fat dip. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and naturally low in fat (until smothered in cheese or salad dressing). The fiber in the vegetables acts as an appetite suppressant by making us feel much fuller, while consuming fewer calories. If the excuse is that a vegetable tray will not be at that upcoming potluck dinner, then you now have an idea for what you can contribute!
2. Enjoy a snack before eating any large meal. Most people save all of their calories or food choices for that one big “special meal”. What happens? They eat until almost physically sick and unable to move off of the couch. In addition, when allowed to get so hungry, higher fat foods that perhaps would not normally be chosen become the first priority. A simple snack of cereal and milk, crackers and cheese, or even a ham sandwich on whole wheat bread an hour prior to the big meal can make all the difference. At the very least, you will not be able to eat as much at dinner.
3. Have a glass of water or diet soda. Many people confuse hunger pangs with thirst. When around food, the urge is usually to eat. However, having a calorie-free beverage prior to any meal will assist in determining whether you were really craving the chocolate cake or just in need of a cool, refreshing glass of water.
4. Talk, talk, and more talk. It takes approximately 20 minutes for the brain to realize that the stomach is full. Within that 20 minutes, a lot of food can be consumed. So, take your time and enjoy the company around you as you eat. You may find that your eyes were bigger than your stomach . . . and that you need a to-go bag for your unfinished plate!
5. Exercise before. Believe it or not, exercise is actually an appetite suppressant. So, if you take a brisk 30-minute walk prior to eating your holiday meal, chances are that you will not be quite as hungry as you thought you were. Reason? The body begins to break down fat during aerobic exercise greater than 25 minutes, liberating it into the bloodstream, where it is used by all the body cells to sustain the energy for the walk. Think of exercise as a method to feed your body the fat you were trying to rid from your thighs or stomach. However, refrain from the mindset of ‘no pain, no gain’. Just because you exercised, it does not mean that you need more to eat.
6. Do not sit next to the food table. Remember the old adage, ‘out of sight, out of mind’? The same principle can be applied to our food choices. The further away you are from the food table, the less likely you are to subconsciously consume extra food as you socialize with others. Think about it: starting with a smaller plate and sitting as far away from the table as possible means you will have to expend more energy just to go back to the table if you want to indulge in a second serving.
7. Hit the lower-fat food choices. Fat is loaded with many more calories than either protein or carbohydrates. Where does this fat hide out in at the holiday meals? Candy, cake, pie, gravy, dips and dressing, and fried or cheesy finger foods. While these may be the foods that you’ve waited all year to consume, indulging less in these choices and adding more vegetable and fruit based side dishes, beans, baked or roasted turkey and chicken breast, and whole-grain bread products will assist in reducing the amount of fat consumed.
8. Watch the alcohol. Alcohol is also full of calories, and the stomach sometimes has trouble telling the brain it is full when all that has been consumed is calorie-rich beverages. In addition, most people usually consume more food when they are drinking alcoholic beverages. Stick to actual food without the alcohol, and you will be more fulfilled and probably not be as disappointed when you step on the scales.
9. Add more spice. Consuming spicier foods at your holiday meal can assist you in more ways than one. First, spices (as in cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and Tabasco) raise the body temperature, which increases your metabolism however minimally. But the real bonus of adding spice to the meal is that it stimulates most people to drink more fluids, preferably water. As mentioned previously, drinking more water during meals can never hurt in the battle against weight gain.
10. Ignore the guilt. Following a big meal, there is often that overwhelming sense of guilt, continuing the trend of overeating well into the new year when it is resolved to make the coming year different and lose those pesky extra pounds. Thanksgiving through New Years is six weeks in length, but each holiday lasts only one day. Don’t deprive yourself if you have waited all year for pumpkin pie; just consume a smaller piece than you normally would. There are no good or bad foods; all foods are fine to consume in moderation with a well-balanced and varied diet.
While weight loss or weight maintenance is more difficult during the holiday season, it is not impossible. Mistakes and missteps are bound to occur during the upcoming festivities. Don’t let your weight loss desires become sabotaged by your holiday food choices; be more selective in your choices by picking a few foods that you just can’t live without and leave the less appealing foods behind. Treat each day as a new commitment to better eating patterns and gradual weight loss, and you can successfully navigate through the upcoming months while still comfortably fitting into your holiday finest. If weight gain does occur, your local dietitian (hint, hint!) is only a phone call away and can help get you back on the fast track to successful weight management.
Holiday Tips to Maintain Your Weight. By 1LT Jason R. Woodward, MS, RD, LD Chief, Nutrition Care Division
McDonald Army Community Hospital
Source: www.narmc.amedd.army.mil/mcdonald/links/ oliday%20Tips%20to%20Maintain%20Your%20weight.doc
