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How Much Weight Does the Average Person Gain During the Holiday Season?

a) 3 pounds

b) 1 pound

c) 5 pounds

d) 7 pounds

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How Much Weight Does the Average Person Gain During the Holiday Season?

a) 3 pounds

b) 1 pound

c) 5 pounds

d) 7 pounds

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Weight Gain During Holidays• Researchers at the National

Institute of Health decided to study 195 employees during the holiday season

• They found that most people gained most of their weight between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day

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Adapted from Yanovski S Z et al, N Engl J Medicine

March 23,2000;342:861-867

Weight Gain During Holidays

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Weight Stayed On

• Between February or March and the next September or early October, there was no significant additional change in weight for the 165 participants who returned for follow-up

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10 Strategies to Help You

Avoid Gaining Weight

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1. Don’t Skip Breakfast

• Start your day with a healthy breakfast

• Oatmeal, skim milk, and fruit make the best start

• Whole grain cereal is a better choice than baked goods such as bagels, Danish and croissants

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2. Maintain Physical Activity• Maintain physical activity and

exercise

• Shorter workouts are better than no workouts

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Exercise Ideas

• Add a walk to your holiday festivities• Can walk before or after a meal• Great way to enjoy the lights and get

moving

• Be creative – park far away, walk the mall, take the stairs, etc.

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Exercise Ideas

Here are calories burned in one hour:

• Dancing 210

• Walking 290

• Low impact aerobics 362

• Aerobic dancing 500

• Running 10 minute mile 745

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3. Eat Lighter at Home

• Eat lighter, more vegetarian meals at home to help make up for an increase in richer foods

• Here are some ideas:• Baked Potato & Salad• Soup & Salad• Vegetarian Burger• Vegetarian Chili

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4. Keep the Right Ingredients on Hand• Don’t keep higher-calorie, tempting

foods in your house• Stock your kitchen with easy to

prepare items that are based on whole grains, vegetables and beans

• Meals will be faster and healthier

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5. Eat More Fruits & Vegetables• Increase your intake of fruits and

vegetables• Take them with you for snacking on

the run:• Apples• Carrots• Pears• Broccoli

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Compare Calories:

• Broccoli 24• Carrots 52• Apple 81• Pear 97• Banana 108

• Pretzel 214• Cookie 260• Muffin 340• French fries 350• Cinnamon bun 370

Mall/fast food snacks are significantly higher in calories than fruits and vegetables

Per one-ounce serving:

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6. Survive the Parties

• Eat a healthy meal before parties

• Limit or omit alcohol

• Limit or avoid rich or calorie-dense foods such as desserts, nuts and fatty meats or appetizers

• Focus on conversation

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7. Bring a Healthy Dish

• Bring a healthy dish to parties and get togethers

• Ideas include:• Tossed salad with fat-free dressing• Vegetarian chili• Fruit salad• Raw veggie platter• Veggie side dish

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Bean Dip with Baked Chips • Fruit • Vegetable Platter

Healthy Party Dishes

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8. Bake Fewer Calories

• Bake smaller and fewer cookies

• Form a cookie exchange so you get variety without baking it

• Bake or make crafty inedible items instead of cookies

• Or omit baking this year and exercise instead!

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9. Cook Lighter for the Holidays• Omit butter, margarine and oil in

cooking – use broth instead

• Defat gravy

• Increase vegetable dishes

• Serve light turkey without skin

• Include fruit with dessert

• Use fat-free dairy products

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Lighten Your Meals!

Use skim milk and seasoningsfor mashed potatoes

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Lighten Your Meals!

Use fruit juice to bake sweet potatoesinstead of butter or brown sugar

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Lighten Your Meals!

Omit butter and margarine from stuffing recipes and mixes

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Lighten Your Meals!

Use brown rice in place of white rice;flavor with herbs and veggies

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Lighten Your Meals!

Include plenty of vegetables

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Lighten Your Meals!

Include fresh fruit for dessert

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Lighten Your Meals!

Serve white turkey without the skin

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Lighten Your Meals!

Defat your gravy

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Lighten Your Meals!

Use skim milk, reduce the sugar and use egg whites in place of eggs in your pumpkin pie

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10. Make Resolutions Now!• Make your new year’s resolutions

now and stick to them:• Eat better or eat out less often• Exercise more• Less or no alcohol• Fewer foods with sugar• More fruits and vegetables

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