"Weight gained over the winter holidays isn't lost during the rest of the year!" This was the conclusion of co-author of a study at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK); Susan Z. Yanovski, M.D., Executive Director of NIDDK's National Task Force on the Treatment and Prevention of Obesity.
At a recent holiday hike at Pinnacle Peak Park, in Scottsdale Arizona, this past week, many of the out of town visitors were taking advantage of the 60+ degree weather (unseasonable cool even for of Scottsdale) to burn off some of the extra calories being consumed as the holiday season gets underway.
Comments such as ... "I have to work off some calories" and "I've only gained 2-3 pounds over the holiday season so far; that's not much! ... were common.
It isn't much; if you lose the 2-3 pounds in the next year, however; researchers in the NICD study not only found that most adults do not lose all of this weight but, "overweight and obese volunteers were more likely to gain five pounds than were those who were not overweight, which suggests that the holiday season may present special risks for those who are already overweight."
We carry this weight over, year after year, plus continue to gain our "seasonal 1-2 pounds"; so that by the time you reach 50, you can easily have accumulated 20 pounds of "holiday cheer" around your middle. Keep reading to discover 5 strategies to avoiding the "holiday spread."
1. Awareness of your eating and exercise patterns during the holiday season is the first strategy to outsmarting holiday weight gain. Don't "wing it" - make a plan for how you can avoid ANY holiday weight gain.
Before you leave for your next holiday party or get-together, think about your "trigger foods or situations that trigger eating." Do you find yourself "nibbling" at the office holiday pot luck luncheon all day? Does having all the festive foods in your fridge make it difficult for you to stay on your healthier eating plan? Do you tell yourself "it's just one day, I can skip my exercise."
2. Develop a plan to become "party savvy." Know how to handle the hostess that keeps encouraging you to eat." One way to do this is to "always keep some food on your plate." When a hostess sees a guest with an empty plate that is their trigger to ask you if you "had enough" or say "take more, I made them for you since I know how much you enjoy them." A plate with some food sends the message "I"m not done yet; still enjoying my meal."
Click here to discover the remaining 3 strategies.
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Source: http://www.nichd.nih.gov
