Would You Like to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain? (Part 1 of 3)
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
Beginning with October’s Halloween, (candy everywhere!) the last few months of the year is a busy time in my weight and lifestyle management practice. “Holiday weight gain is real, says new research from Cornell University, and it’s not just Americans who are affected. What’s more, the study showed that the extra pounds you put on between Halloween and Christmas can take more than five months to lose”. (Real Simple, 2018)
While Thanksgiving tends to include four days of food abundance, this holiday also includes many opportunities to limit exposure to calorie dense food. Now is the time to plan and think ahead: Weight is easily gained and takes skill and strategic thinking to lose. Just a few pounds gained can be elusive and seemingly impossible to drop. Stepping back now, to play a main role in your own situation, can have a great impact on your weight and health over this year’s upcoming, food-laden holiday season.
A Few Common Client Substitution Strategies
Appetizers:
Bring out the crudité and hummus. (40 calories per cup of veg)
Skip the nuts. (800 calories per cup)
*Thanksgiving Meal
Load up your plate with vegetables, even if sauced. (40 calories per cup, with sauce approximately 100 per cup) Note: corn, peas and potatoes are 135 calories per cup. While a few more calories, they are filling. Eat them!
Go easy on the stuffing! (Ranging as high as 400-600 per cup, depending upon how cooked)
Gravy may range from 15 to 50 calories per tablespoon. To lower calories, skim fat from the top, dilute with Heinz fat-free turkey gravy or… use sparingly!
*Calorie values are approximations and may vary based upon ingredients added such as butter and oil.
Dessert:
Yes, there will be the traditional sweets, pies, cake and cookies. All cost approximately 50 calories per bite.
Adding a bowl of fresh, cut up fruit (50 per cup) may displace some higher calorie choices.
Using calorie counting as a reference point, today’s Holiday Series has been about the “calories in” side of your calorie equation. This post relates to one of three “facts of life”; “If it’s there, you will eat it.”
Next week, continuing to share common, client, holiday strategies, I will write about your weight and health management super-power, otherwise known as “calories out” or “Move More”.