The Holiday Season is upon us! For many it’s a joyful time of celebration with family & friends that typically centers around food. It’s a time of year where overindulgence around these festivities is said to lead to an average weight gain of 5-10 lbs. Fact or myth? * Studies show this is actually a myth. The surprising fact is, average weight gain from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day (the said “Season”) is 1.06 lbs! Although the scale may tell you it’s more than that, anything extra is likely to be fluid retention from consuming sodium laden foods. If you think 1.06 lbs is no big deal, consider this: the problem comes in with the New Year’s resolution to start “dieting”. We stay on track to a point, fall off and ultimately gain back what we’ve lost and then some. Repeat this pattern year after year and those extra pounds can leave us feeling discouraged and jeopardize our health.
Let’s Do the Math
If one pound equals 3,500 calories, then 5 pounds equals 17,500 calories! So, can we truly gain 5 pounds in one day? “But we’re not talking about just one day” you say; “it’s a whole season of 35 days”! Granted, if we were to eat in an overindulgent “but it’s the holidays” style every day for 35 days we could put on some pounds. What’s happening is, we’ve actually tricked ourselves into viewing this 5 week long season as though it were one enormously long day! But guess what, depending on which you celebrate, we’re probably talking about 4 actual holidays and there is usually one celebratory meal on each of those 4 days. Say you’re really popular and you have 2 extra parties each week for 5 weeks. That’s still only 14 days total. More math: If you typically eat 3 meals a day x 35 days, that is 105 meals. If you are enjoying your favorite holiday foods for 14 meals and making healthy choices for the other 91, chances are you are going to come out on top this year!
Myth # 2 It Gets Easier “Tomorrow”
Each day that we delay getting back on track actually reinforces the negative patterns we’re trying to break, making it much harder to start, not easier. So when we throw in the towel and think-I’ve really been out of control, no point in stopping now; we are creating a bigger challenge ahead than is necessary. The good news is-there is no need to put it off. We are always free to begin again and we can do that with the next meal. There are also a few tips that can help us to metabolize the food we eat differently and, even curb the appetite a bit before the parties. Better yet-it most likely involves eating more frequently than you do now!
Winning With Your Health Through the Holidays
Since we’ve established that it will not get easier tomorrow, let’s be all in right now and begin to make changes. The basic tips below can act as a rough guide to eat balanced meals at holiday parties, drink alcohol and still get results and help eliminate holiday cravings.
1. Skipping meals all day long in anticipation of the celebratory meal is a counterproductive huge mistake!. Yes your intentions are good-you’re banking your calories to spend all at once. But, the reality is, each time we skip a meal, blood sugar drops, a hormone called glucagon is over released and causes the body to burn muscle, raise blood sugar and increase cravings.
2. Jumpstart your metabolism by starting the day with a breakfast that includes protein, healthy fat and a carb (like fruit) and repeat with similar small meals at 3-4 hour intervals throughout the day. (Don’t like breakfast? Have ½ of a good quality protein shake.)
3. If you’re going to have an alcoholic beverage or two, count that as your carb. Choose a protein and a healthy fat to go with it.
4. Eat a bit of protein before a party or holiday meal (such as a hard boiled egg or a couple slices of low sodium deli turkey) so you’re not overly hungry when you arrive.
5. If you are the host, add a couple of new healthier dishes among the traditional items being served. If you are invited out, bring a healthier dish you enjoy to share.
6. Enjoy all your traditional favorites including those that might be considered “off limits” without a bit of guilt, knowing you can make better choices starting with your very next meal.
And Finally-Myth # 3 Healthy Foods are boring and don’t taste good.
For many of us, processed foods, sweets, fast food and fried foods have dulled our sense of taste. As we slowly eliminate these foods from our diets, and replace them with healthy, delicious and satisfying options, we awaken our taste buds to new possibilities. Flavors come alive, opening the door to an endless combination of recipes. There’s a whole new world out there, just waiting to be explored!
Enjoy Your Food and Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
