5 Keys to Managing Your Weight During the
Holidays
By Dan Greco
Juicy turkey filled with
stuffing, mashed potatoes smothered in piping hot gravy, lasagna overflowing
with ricotta cheese, rich chocolate mousse, and freshly baked chocolate chip
cookies so soft and chewy it melts in your mouth. Have I made you hungry yet?
Foods like these signal that the holidays are now upon us and we eagerly await
the opportunity to indulge in the feast that is a part of what makes the
holidays so special. If your family is anything like my Italian family, grandma
keeps the food coming and coming throughout the day. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll
ever leave the table! Yet these additional quantities often yield additional
pounds. Fortunately, there are ways to manage your weight during the holidays
while still being able to enjoy the foods we love.
Watch your
portion sizes. Americans consume larger portions of food
compared to other nations. If you don’t agree, just think of how many times
you’ve needed a doggy bag after having a meal at a restaurant. Sometimes the
appetizers are a meal in itself! During holidays and special occasions we tend
to indulge or become carefree with food because, well, it’s the holidays and we
should enjoy it! There is nothing wrong with eating foods that may not be very
healthy for us as long as it is done in moderation. The key is to serve yourself
smaller portions and stop eating at the first sign that you feel full. You’ll
consume less calories and still be able to eat the foods you enjoy.
Spread
your courses throughout the day. This also incorporates the
principle of portion sizes previously mentioned. Many times we sit down for a
holiday meal and by the end of the meal we become so bloated and full that we
feel like we don’t want to eat again for a week. Chances are you probably won’t
eat anything until breakfast or lunch the next day. When we go a long time
between meals our bodies go into starvation mode. The body purposefully slows
down its metabolism, burns fewer calories, and takes the food we just ate and
stores it as fat for reserved energy. By eating small meals often and spreading
it throughout the day, we keep our metabolism elevated, burn more calories, and
feel less full.
Exercise
before you start your meal. Thanksgiving and New Years Day are big
football days. Why not gather some family and friends and toss the football
around. Not a fan of football, take a 30-minute walk and spend time catching up
with a family member or friend you have seen in awhile. Whatever exercise method
you choose, doing it before the meal is more beneficial. This is important for
two reasons. First, there is about a 15-60 minute period of time after we
exercise that there is a large uptake of blood flow to our muscles. The
nutrients from the foods we consume immediately after a bout of exercise will
begin to go towards replenishing the muscles, rather than getting stored in the
fat cells. Second, exercising earlier in the day keeps your metabolism elevated
for a period of time throughout the day. The higher the exercise intensity the
longer your metabolism will remain elevated.
Reduce the
amount of stress associated with the holidays. Stress levels become
elevated for some people during the holiday season. There are two types of
stressors on the body, eustress and distress. Eustress is the positive stressors
such as meeting with family, opening gifts, and laughing. Distress is what we
most commonly refer to when we think of stress, the negative stressors. Negative
stress causes the pituitary gland to release certain stress hormones that cause
weight gain, particularly in the abdominal region. Increased fat in the
abdominal region is linked to higher health risks than fat stored elsewhere on
the body. The holidays bring about occasional distress in the form of shopping
for gifts, preparing the house to host guests, or wondering how to pay off the
hefty the credit card bill that will arrive in January. While some stressors are
inevitable, some can be managed. Don’t procrastinate. Shop early and often,
which allows you to buy a few gifts at a time instead of cramming your shopping
until last minute. If feasible, don’t do all the holiday planning yourself.
Delegate certain preparations to other friends or family members. Finally, find
time for yourself to exercise or relax, the two best ways to handle stress.
Exercise,
Exercise, Exercise. If you haven’t noticed yet from this article,
exercise is key. There is no secret to weight loss, no matter what diet may be
out there. It’s the simple principle of calories in versus calories out. If you
burn more than you consume, you’ll lose weight. Aside from the increased caloric
burn, exercise also increases the production endorphins, which are hormones that
suppress pain and stress, control our appetite, and produces a positive
emotional state. Play a recreational sport, walk instead of taking the car when
it’s reasonable to do so, or stick to your New Year’s resolution to join a gym.
A personal trainer can motivate and set you on a schedule, should exercise not
feel like a priority for you during the hectic holiday season. Whatever method
you choose make exercise something you enjoy doing and it will become a
priority.
Don’t
let yourself succumb to the fear of weight gain this holiday season. By applying
these five keys to your holiday lifestyle you should have no problem managing
your weight. Bon appettit and enjoy!
By Dan Greco
Dan Greco holds a
BA in Health and Physical Education and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. He
taught Health and Physical Education for several years before becoming a full
time Personal Trainer. Specializing in weight management and sport-specific
training, Dan trains at Game Shape Physical Therapy and Fitness Center,
Manalapan, NJ.
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