Why You Shouldnt Diet Over the Holidays If you switch your focus from dieting to just living a healthy lifestyle during the holidays, youll actually boost your chances of maintaining your perfect weight. Whatever you do, dont wear THIS to the companys holiday party! It could not only embarrass you, but also put your job in jeopardy. Many of us will gain at least five pounds from the middle of October through New Years Day, said Stefanie Barthmare, a psychotherapist with the Methodist Weight Management Center in Houston. Because weight gain is gradual, we dont realize the damage of our indulgences right away. But the scale tells all when the holidays are over. Thats why lose weight is at the top of our New Years resolution every year. So rather than trying to lose weight between Halloween and New Years Day, focus instead on not gaining weight. That is, make it your goal to maintain your weight. Dos and Donts: Dont count every calorie. Dont restrict yourself from your favorite holiday foods. Do stay active in your everyday life. If you cant get to the gym, do whatever it takes to move your body. Walk the dog more, plan a walking coffee break at work, play in the yard with the kids after dinner or throw the football around with your brothers, Barthmare said. Plan an active, rather than a passive vacation this holiday season. If you normally go somewhere to sit, read and eat, plan a trip where you hike, bike or ski. Learn a new sport just for fun and notice the impact on your waistline. Its all about planning. Have a plan for days when there will be high-calorie meals and possibly stressful family gatherings that cause you to eat comfort foods. Not planning is what leads to trouble. The once-a-year mentality contributes to overindulgence, which eventually leads to weight gain, Barthmare said. You can still have a serving of grandmas stuffing or moms apple pie, the stuff you only get once a year, but its important to develop a strategy. Filling up on more high fiber, high volume foods earlier in the day will give [you] a better chance of maintaining your weight. Also, then theres not as much room for the seconds at dessert. Another way to avoid overindulgence is to turn the focus of holiday gatherings away from food and instead concentrate on connecting with family and friends. Put more emphasis on finding out what others have been doing, what you have in common and how you can support one another. If youve been dieting all year long, youre going to want to cut loose during the holidays and indulge in all your favorite treats, Barthmare said. But, this year, try switching the focus. Eat well all year, keep your body moving and make time for connections. Then you can have some guilt-free holiday indulgences without sacrificing the goal of maintaining your perfect weight. Make this one small change and you can still eat just as much as you do now and lose weight.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 15:01:02 +0000