The holidays are a time when family and friends gather to enjoy one another's company — and eat! Delicious meals, bountiful buffets, cookie swaps, holiday parties… it's no surprise that maintaining a healthy weight can present much more challenges through the holidays than the remaining of the 12 months. Each 12 months, on average, we gain a small amount of weight (a couple of pound per 12 months). According to some researchmost of his weight is gained through the holiday season.
The study suggests you. can do Control holiday weight gain.
Does this mean we would like to see a much bigger number once we step on the dimensions in January? Or can we stop gaining weight at the tip of the 12 months?
Oh the study Published in BMJ Tried to search out out. Researchers examined the effectiveness of a brief (4 to eight week) behavioral intervention to stop weight gain through the Christmas holidays. Researchers randomized 272 adults into certainly one of two groups. The intervention group was given a behavioral intervention aimed toward increasing their adherence to food and beverage consumption. The intervention included three components: encouraging participants to weigh themselves frequently and to record their weight; providing specific weight management strategies; and providing information on how much physical activity can be required to burn the calories consumed in typical holiday foods and drinks. The control group received details about healthy living.
Results showed that the intervention group lost a median of 0.3 kilos, while the control group gained 0.8 kilos. It may not look like much, but research shows that weight gain doesn't completely decrease within the months after the vacations. Although the annual gain is small, it might probably add as much as 10 kilos over 10 years.
10 Important Tips for Weight Management
Study participants within the intervention group were encouraged to follow these 10 suggestions to assist prevent weight gain:
- Maintain your eating routine. Try to eat around the identical time every day.
- Go low fat. Choose low-fat foods when possible.
- Walk away from the burden. Aim for 10,000 steps every day.
- Pack a healthy snack. Choose fresh fruit or low-calorie yogurt as a substitute of chocolate or chips.
- Look on the labels. Check food labels for fat and sugar content.
- Be careful together with your portion. Don't pile food in your plate, and think twice before helping yourself.
- Get up in your feet. Stand for 10 minutes every hour.
- Think about your drinks. Choose water or calorie-free drinks, and limit alcohol.
- Pay attention to your food. Slow down, and don't eat in front of the TV or on the go.
- Don't forget your 5 days. Eat a minimum of five servings of vegatables and fruits every day.
How many activities will it take to burn this egg?
Physical activity—or a minimum of understanding how much physical activity is required to burn calories, and possibly considering that information when making selections about what to eat—also prevented weight gain. I played my part. In the study, researchers provided the intervention group with a chart showing the approximate amount of activity it could take to burn off the calories present in a given amount of festive food. For example, it takes about 12 minutes of walking or six minutes of running to burn the calories in five pigs in a blanket, and about eight minutes or 4 minutes of running to burn the calories in 5 tablespoons. of gravy.
More strategies to stop holiday weight gain
Here are some more tricks to enable you to keep your weight under control without neglecting holiday traditions.
- Mark all the vacation events you'll be attending in your calendar so that you remember to plan ahead. If you don't have food at home, eat lighter the day of the event to balance out the additional calories you eat on the party. If the event is within the evening, have a healthy breakfast and a satisfying lunch, with a light-weight snack before the event to avoid overeating later.
- If you're a bunch and have trouble tasting food while cooking, try chewing sugar-free gum when you cook, or have a small snack before you begin cooking. Serve loads of raw vegetables and yogurt-based dips to begin the event, and fresh fruit to complete. After eating, send leftovers home with family and friends.
- The workplace might be dangerous through the holidays. Holiday lunches and office parties could make it difficult for even essentially the most health-conscious worker to make smart selections. If the team goes out for a special holiday lunch, select low-calorie items and go light for dinner that evening. Move holiday cookies and candies to a high traffic area to spread the treats around.
- Start recent traditions that don't revolve around food. For example, attend a vacation concert or show, or take a drive or walk to see the vacation lights. Instead of meeting for a peppermint mocha latte, meet up with a friend during a yoga or Zumba class.
Preventing weight gain through the holidays is usually a challenge. But it is feasible!