Last updated : Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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Holiday Help: Keeping Up With Your Weight Loss Routine

One day when I was in Pittsburgh working on my PhD on one of our research studies, one woman in a study came in for her weekly group meeting.

Study participants would come in, they'd step on the scale, and then we'd have a different lesson each week, which varied depending on what we were trying to learn from each of the studies.

So it's the week after Thanksgiving and "Mary" walks in ... she had been doing alright with her weight loss, but not losing at the rate she should have been, considering she was knocking on the door of morbid obesity.

She steps on the scale and ... it goes up six pounds! This was just eight days after Thanksgiving. That means she had gained six pounds in eight days.

Her immediate response was, "I don't know what happened; I guess I wasn't prepared for the holiday. It just snuck up on me."

It just snuck up on you?!? When you plan ahead for six weeks of parties filled with food, drinks, and desserts, how can it "sneak up on you?" These seven tips will help you stay on track throughout the holidays and beyond!

1. Make sure you get your exercise in first thing in the morning. You're going to eat (and probably drink) more calories than you're used to - think of it like a check book that needs to be balanced, so don't go hog wild and promise you'll be better on January 1st.

2. If you're cooking, sneak in some healthier foods (veggie tray, fruit and cheese tray, etc).

3. Go for a walk post Thanksgiving or Christmas – clean up the dishes and go out for a little stroll. I'm not saying run a marathon, but a little movement is a great thing versus collapsing on the couch and letting that food just sit.

4. If you're preparing the meal, try some slightly healthier alternatives (I'm not suggesting revamping the menu to Tofu and Wheat grass), but there are some simple strategies that will go undetected by even the finest of palates. Things like using 1/2 the butter a recipe calls for, 1/2 the sugar, and switching from full fat milk for mashed potatoes to chicken broth. Trust me, your guests won't even blink an eye!

5. Don't hover over the buffet table. You will eat more when an entire table of food is "staring" back at you. Pick your options and put them on your plate - then step away from the buffet table.

6. Pick your favorite foods and enjoy small portions of them. Dinner rolls are a waste of time. You can get them whenever you want. So are some other "basics" - enjoy the foods that are a bit more unique, that you may only have one time each year.

7. Get right back on track that evening or the next morning, depending on the timing when you eat dinner. One meal will never make or break you. Throwing your arms up in the air and claiming defeat will.

There you have it! Those are my seven simple, yet effective "slim down during the holidays" tips to keep you going strong. Now you won't be "surprised" when Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday comes this year. There's nothing new about any of them, you just need to plan ahead like usual.

For more great nutrition tips, check out iMag's Wellness Section. 

About the Expert: Dr. Chris Mohr is a weight loss expert, who teaches people how to lose fat permanently. His expertise has been sought out by LL Cool J, Food Network Chef Emeril Lagasse, Fitness Celebrity Denise Austin and he is the sports nutritionist for Under Armour. He has written over 500 articles for consumer publications, such as Prevention, Men's Health, and Weight Watchers, and is a nutrition advisor for Men's Fitness Magazine. An athlete himself, Dr. Mohr is a finisher of the 2008 Louisville Ironman. For more information visit www.MohrResults.com.

 

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