Holiday Nutrition Strategies by Amy Carlson, MS, RD, LD
Did somebody say Thanksgiving? I nearly fell of my chair the other day when somebody made reference
to Thanksgiving! Well folks, it's only a few days away. Which also means,
we are heading straight into the Holiday Season. Again! For many of my
clients this is a high anxiety time. They feel the pressure to perform,
stress from family gatherings, memories of past weight gain and desire
to overeat just because "it only comes once a year!"
The 5-7 Pound Holiday Bulge
Most of you may know that the average American gains 5-7 pounds during
the Holidays. Do you know how many extra calories it takes to gain seven
pounds? I'll tell you: 24, 500 extra calories. You may be thinking, "I
could never eat that many extra calories!" Let me set up a typical
scenario for you; Thanksgiving Day comes, you are thrilled to be with
your family. You gorge yourself on Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes,
pie, and fresh baked bread. You forfeit your workouts for the whole weekend
because you don't want to be rude with the relatives visiting and all.
You feel sluggish and guilty and Monday morning you are faced with other
people's leftovers. Then the Holiday candy, baked goods, and potlucks
start, followed with a Holiday party at friends Friday night. You suddenly
realize you haven't worked out in two weeks. "Oh, why should I start
now, I feel so gross. I'll wait until January 1st!!!!!!!!" More parties,
your own baking and lots of family get-togethers results in lots of overeating
and under exercising. You vow to never do this again, next year you'll
have a plan, you won't give in and you won't eat everything that's in
front of you! Why not start this year with a plan!
Plan Not to Gain! Let's just make a plan together right now. Get out
your planner. Right now, review all of your Holiday parties. Put them
in red or highlight them in your planner. Ok, now in a different color
go through and write out your workouts from Thanksgiving to New Years.
Schedule at least 4/week. These may not be all at the gym. They could
include a bike ride, shopping at the mall (fast walkingJ) or even a game
of basketball with your relatives. Then write out some of your "holiday
nutrition goals" and put them in your planner, on your refrigerator,
on your work computer and maybe enlist a friend or coworker to do it with
you. Goals may include: 2 fruits/2 vegetables per day, 10 cups water/day,
three meals with snacks as needed (no skipping meals), and bringing a
healthy selection of Holiday goodies to your parties. You may want to
pick up a Cooking Light magazine for some low fat tasty Holiday ideas.
Remember, you don't have to be perfect through the Holidays.
Be A Picky Eater
This is a time to enjoy family and friends and rich traditions. But it
is not a time to lose all self-control and throw your goals out the window.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, BE A PICKY EATER! That is the
best compliment you can receive. Don't just eat it because it's there.
Pick and choose. Your body deserves the very best.
Party Tips
Other party tips include: don't go to any party
hungry! Don't plan on overeating; eat before you go. A light snack will
help you from overeating at the party. Stay away from the cheese cubes.
We down these little square marvels thinking they are a healthy choice
when many of them have 7-10 grams of fat/cube. Don't forfeit your water
since you're drinking so many any other Holiday favorites. Many of those
drinks have the same calories as a dessert! Be positive, you don't have
to gain weight during the Holidays! You can keep on track and still enjoy
yourself. Good Luck and have a wonderful Holiday season!!
Amy B. Carlson, MS, RD, LD is a registered dietitian and consults
clients on a one-on-one or group setting in Houston, Texas. To contact
Amy for an appointment call 713-978-1713 or e-mail her at abcdietitian@hotmail.com.
View Amy's Bio View our frequently asked nutrition questions & answers Ask
Merlino Fitness a nutrition question
