Holiday Weight Gain: Beware of the Eating Season

There is always ample opportunity to take in lots of extra calories and pack on a few pounds from Halloween to New Year’s Day.

If you don’t want to deal with that extra weight in 2012 make 1 plan now about how you are going to manage all of the opportunities for eating extras in the coming months.”

Avoiding weight gain will require more than just doing a little more physical activity.

Generally one pound of body fat is gained by taking in an extra 3,500 calories. If a person eats 250 calories more than normal every day for two weeks they could add one pound to their body weight. One brownie can have 250 calories.

While a person can gain one pound in two weeks, it takes a little bit longer to walk it off. A typical person can burn 100 calories by walking for 30 minutes. To get rid of that one pound of weight, a person would need to walk for 30 minutes, 35 days

Here are a few tips to avoid the holiday weight gain.
1. Watch portion size. Take a small portion and savor it.

2. Watch out for high calorie drinks.

3. Fill up on fruits and vegetables. They are healthy and low in calories.

4. Concentrate on fun rather than food. Visit with friends before hitting the buffet line.

5. Be aware of what you are eating. It is very easy to take in lots of extra calories while you are visiting and not even remember what you ate.

Making wise food choices in the next couple of months can help a person start 2013 without a resolution to have to lose weight.

For more information on nutrition issues, go online to http://extension.missouri.edu or contact one of the nutrition and health education specialists working in the Ozarks: Christeena Haynes, in Dallas County, (417) 345-7551; Dr. Lydia Kaume in Barton County, (417) 682-3579; or Dr. Pam Duitsman, in Springfield, (417) 886-2059.