Controlling the Holiday Bulge

The holidays are a time to enjoy friends, family, and good food. Problem is many of us attend so
many holiday functions that before you know it, you're entering the New Year with new pounds.  The Calorie Control Council has estimated that the average American could consume as much as 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day. Just Thanksgiving Dinner alone could pack 3,242 calories for some.

I know what you're thinking, "I wait all year to enjoy those homemade seasonal goodies." You don't have to do without. BUT, you do have to practice moderation and accountability. Eat your favorite foods, but eat small to moderate portions. If you do indulge a little more, then account for it. Work it off with additional exercise.

Here are a few tips that also might help fight the Holiday Bulge:

• Begin the day with a run, brisk walk, or hit the gym for a circuit workout. Getting your metabolism ramped up early will get your engines fired for the day.
• Try to schedule your holiday meal at lunch instead of dinner. This way you'll be able to have time after lunch to get in a walk or a workout. Also, the digestion process pretty much stops when you sleep, so if you go to bed on a full stomach all that food is just going to sit there.
• Bargain with yourself. If you really want a huge piece of pecan pie, determine what other goodie you can do without. "I'll skip the mashed potatoes and gravy, so I can have that pie!"
• Be sure to eat breakfast. Many will not eat all day thinking they'll be able to eat more at dinner? Well, that basically is true, but if you haven't eaten all day, then you'll be more likely to overeat at dinner time. So instead of saving those 2000 calories till the end of the day, you end up packing in 3500 in one meal because you're so hungry. It's kind of like the old saying, "Don't go grocery shopping on an empty stomach." Don't come to Thanksgiving Dinner hungry either.

Holiday Weight Gain: How To Avoid It!

The holiday season is just around the corner! This is the time of year that many of us fear gaining a few extra pounds. Actually a recent study found that we don't actually gain as much weight over the holidays as we think, but hold on...here's the bad news....it tends to have a cumulative effect over the years and may be a major contributor to obesity later in life.

Government statistics show that more than half of all adult Americans are overweight (based on body mass index). 54.9% of Americans have a body mass index of 25 or more. A BMI of 25-29 is considered overweight. 22.3% have a BMI of 30 or higher and are considered obese.

Previous studies show that as adults, Americans tend to gain an average of 0.4-1.8 pounds each year. Scientist weren't sure if this weight gain was spread over the course of the year or if it was gained at specific times during the year such as the holiday season.

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Guess what the study showed? Drum-roll, please!......

Many think they gain 5-10 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Year's, but but the study (done by Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) found that most people gain about a pound (1.05 lb)between October and late February or early March. Most of that weight gain (0.8 lb) occurred during the six-week interval between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

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Not surprisingly, study participants who were much more active during the study were less likely to gain weight over the holiday. Some actually lost weight. Participants who were less active during the holiday period had the greatest holiday weight gain.

So how do you maintain your weight over the holidays? Run! Workout! Be active! Also keep in mind calories in and calories out. To gain a pound in one week, you have to ingest 3500 calories above what you normally ingest during a week. That's an extra 500 calories a day. That sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that one slice of pecan pie has 500-800 calories! Does that mean skip the pie? Nah....but what it does mean is that you need to be aware of what you're eating as well as uping your activity level to help keep a balance between those calories in and calories out.

Maybe Christmas Eve is the big family meal for you, or maybe it's New Year's Day. Whatever it is, think about saving up for those extra calories by eating a little lighter the days leading up to the big feasting day while at the same time keeping up your running and exercise routines.

Remember that higher-intensity workouts are going to be better for burning those extra calories. So during the holiday season, add a few more interval workouts into your routine. You can do this at a track or right on the treadmill at home or in the gym. Just throwing in some fartleks into your regular 5-miler will help up the intensity too. Resistance training is another great way to up your metabolism and burn more calories. So hit the gym and lift some free weights.

Don't deprive yourself for those special holiday treats, but think moderation and stay active. Run! Run! Run!