Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

The holidays are coming! The holidays are coming! Unfortunately, so is the holiday weight gain. In fact, the average American will gain 5 to 12 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. But it doesn’t have to be like that, as long as you implement some simple strategies to stay on track.

Avoiding holiday weight gain doesn’t necessarily mean avoiding holiday goodies. It only means that you should approach it with some sensibility. I mean, if you suddenly stop working out because you’re too busy shopping and start eating every Christmas cookie that crosses your path, you are bound to end up with some holiday pounds. However, if you maintain your activity level, and have a few treats in goodies along the way, then the end result will not give you any reason to fear the bathroom scale.

Think about it, the holiday season mainly consists of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve, with a sprinkling of parties here and there. Those few days shouldn’t have a big affect on your weight unless you choose to “Party (and eat) Like it’s 1999” , all the way up to the day when New Year’s resolutions cause you to go on a diet (which probably won’t work, but we’ll save that for another time).

So, the best strategy is to not lose your mind. Eat and behave like you normally would (which is hopefully at least half decent) on the non- holiday days. Here are a few other tips:

·        Maintain your activity level. Don’t sacrifice your workouts in exchange for shopping. You and your health need to remain at the top of your priority list.

·        If you know that you consumed a particularly large amount of calories, increase your activity level the following day to get right back on rack. You’ll feel better about it, both physically and emotionally.

·        If you genuinely feel to you don’t have enough time for your workouts because of the holiday time crunch, then go ahead and shorten your workouts, but increase the intensity. Look for workouts that can strengthen your muscles and bring your heart rate up simultaneously for an effective use of time.

·        With cooking your own holiday treats, look for recipes that are low in fat and sugar. You can also try simple substitutions, such as using granulated sugar replacement to reduce calories, and substituting applesauce for oil, which works wells in most baking recipes (although the applesauce trick doesn’t work so well in cookies).

·        When baking at home, cook small batches, unless you’re planning on giving them away. Freeze or share with others so you are less tempted to empty the dish.

·        Go lightly. Christmas will not be ruined if there are not mountains of baked goods

·        Drink water while you bake. It will help keep you from being tempted to nibble.

·        If you’re going to a party, eat a healthy dinner before you go, so you won’t be tempted to chow down on fat ridden appetizers and snacks in order to satisfy your hunger.

·        Keep in mind, alcohol is practically liquid sugar. A night of drinking can easily be the equivalent of eating an entire cheesecake. So instead, consider having one or two drinks, and then switching to water, club soda, or what ever else fits your mood and your desire to avoid the holiday punch.

·        Aim for weight maintenance, rather than weight loss during this time of year.

So there you go. Eat, drink, and be merry (with good sense) and your holidays will be brighter and lighter.