The holiday grazing season could be one of “no pain, no gain” this year.
The season, which once spanned November and December, has been lengthened to include Halloween in October and football playoff and bowl games through much of January. The average five- to seven-pound holiday weight gain has increased accordingly, said Gaylene Zier-Ryan, a clinical dietitian at Newman Regional Health.
“So, the season has really gotten longer and the average weight gain is about 12 pounds,” Zier-Ryan said. “The diet industry will be making billions of dollars.”
Zier-Ryan offered some tips to help eaters, with their doctors’ approval, balance their weight needs and their appetite wants.
“We first of all encourage moderation,” Zier-Ryan said. “No good foods, no bad foods — to partake but use smaller portions. If you choose to take a larger portion, you just need to increase exercise. There are ways to balance it.”
Exercise can be scattered throughout the day. During the busy holiday season, people may find it easier to exercise for 10 minutes three times a day, rather than one 30-minute session. She also suggested using stairs instead of elevators or parking a little farther away from stores to add some walking time.
“Little things you can do every day total up,” she said. “We also are a big advocate of the 10,000 steps a day.”
A pedometer can be a great aid in tracking the steps, and some are priced inexpensively.
“It keeps you on track so you can’t really fudge so much,” Zier-Ryan said.
Fluids and fiber continue to hold an important spot in diets. Eight eight-ounce glasses of water is recommended, though health authorities have relented a bit on caffeinated beverages as part of the total. Alcohol, a diuretic, still does not count toward fluid intake.
Fluids make a stomach feel fuller and may curb the appetite.
“That in itself can help prevent some of the weight gain, and that can help you with the portion control as well,” she said.
Fiber serves a similar purpose, as well as helping in other health areas. Eating a piece of fresh fruit before going to a party would provide fiber and give a fuller feeling that could discourage overeating.
Zier-Ryan emphasized increasing fluid intake along with fiber intake.
“You definitely want one together with the other,” she said, advising to increase fiber slowly, at about four to five grams per week. “Definitely have water to go with that. If you don’t, you definitely will have some issues.”
Pack a few healthy snacks the night before for the “grab-and-go-life” most adults lead during the holidays. Having a fresh snack in the stomach can help avoid overeating the holiday treats on the table in the break room.
Substitutions in recipes can eliminate some calories without affecting taste. Reduced fat, fat-free and sometimes sugar-free products can be used when baking and cooking for the season. Reduced fat or fat-free cream of mushroom soup make green bean casserole less fattening, and up to one-third of the sugar in recipes can be cut without affecting the volume, she said. Applesauce can be substituted for cooking oil in cakes and other recipes.
“You’re not even going to miss it,” she said. “It may dry out a bit quicker so you need to keep it wrapped.”
Soups served as appetizers can be filling and low-cal. Reduced fat or no-cholesterol meats, such as 90-10 ground beef or bison, will lower calories in chili, for example.
“Turkey, you have to be careful,” Zier-Ryan said. “If it doesn’t say ‘lean,’ it quite possibly could have more fat than the beef. ... It used to be that we discouraged red meats and that’s not true any more.”
Low-fat cuts, like sirloin, are especially good choices for beef-eaters who want to hold down fat intake.
Vegetable and dips are easy choices for calorie-cutting recipes. She suggested using fat-free or “light” sour creams in dips and placing them in bread bowls.
Seasonings also can be used in dishes to add flavor while lessening or eliminating the amount of salt needed.
Try fresh fruits and fruit dips for a tasty low-cal approach to nibbling.
“You can even do something as simple as using a light or low-fat vanilla yogurt with a little cinnamon,” she said. “If you want to do the sugar-free, that would be better. Also, it’s great calcium with the yogurt.”
For those times when people have no control over the ingredients in the holiday treats and dinners, Zier-Ryan offered this general rule of thumb:
“Plan ahead, eat in moderation, watch the portions, increase activity and make sure you’re getting your water and your fiber.”
People who have questions may call the Newman dietitians at 343-6800, Ext. 1801.