7 Tips for Holiday Eating
Posted on Nov 30th 2009 12:00PM by Jonny BowdenFiled Under: Jonny's Take, Diet & Weight Loss
Have you heard that most people gain between seven and 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Well, it's bogus.
Which doesn't mean there's no cause for concern.
There have been several studies on holiday weight gain and most of them show that people gain on average about one pound during the season. Of course, this is "average"- overweight people tend to gain more. (One study showed that overweight people tend to gain five pounds over the holidays!)
And the bad news for everyone, overweight or not, is that the weight gained over the holidays tends to stay on.
Here are a few simple strategies to follow that may help you avoid that holiday weight gain altogether:
Which doesn't mean there's no cause for concern.
There have been several studies on holiday weight gain and most of them show that people gain on average about one pound during the season. Of course, this is "average"- overweight people tend to gain more. (One study showed that overweight people tend to gain five pounds over the holidays!)
And the bad news for everyone, overweight or not, is that the weight gained over the holidays tends to stay on.
Here are a few simple strategies to follow that may help you avoid that holiday weight gain altogether:
1) Eat a small salad before your big meal. Research by Barbara Rolls at the University of Pennsylvania showed that people who ate 3.5 cups of simple salad (100 calories) before a meal led decreased their consumption of calories from the meal by 12 percent.
2) Eat your protein first. Protein tends to fill you up and keep you satisfied, and some weight loss studies suggest that the effect is stronger if you start the main meal with the protein course (not counting that simple salad from above, of course).
3) Never arrive hungry. "Saving up" your appetite for the big meal of the day is a huge mistake. You're way less likely to overindulge if you're not freaking out with low blood sugar and your tummy isn't rumbling.
4) Do not stop working out, in fact, try to add a little more activity to your day. Even a brisk walk in the evening can help keep holiday weight gain at bay.
5) Rehearse the meal. If you plan ahead for what you will -- and won't do -- and practice seeing it in your mind, you'll be less likely to be blindsided by the temptations of the moment. You know they're going to be there -- just decide in advance how much you'll have and stick to it.
6) Try to eat your meal from start to finish inside of one hour. Unlimited grazing before and after -- on nuts, appetizers and leftover dessert -- can be the undoing of even the most motivated partygoers.
7) Divide your plate into thirds. Fill with one third protein, one third vegetables and no more than one third for the other stuff- whether it be sweet potato pie or dessert. And don't take seconds.
Finally remember that there's more to holidays than just food. You're there to celebrate, relax and connect. Notice when you're eating out of anxiety or as a social lubricant, and then try to focus instead on being with the people you're with in a joyous way.
Those kind of pleasures and connections don't require excess alcohol or food. All they need to blossom is you and the people you love: being present and mindful, with gratitude and love.
For more tips on health, weight loss and nutrition, visit Jonny Bowden Solutions.
Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.
