Holiday Feasting Without The Weight Gain

In this column:
--How you can blame your parents for holiday weight gain.
--Why you should go easy on yourself.
--Why alcohol is doubly fattening.
--And some practical, doable steps that will limit your bulge factor.

Are you beginning to worry that after all these holiday parties you'll end up looking like Jolly Ol' St. Nick himself?

Do you think your New Year's resolution for the new millennium should be to lose a thousand pounds?

Sounds extreme, but who among us doesn't fear the holiday season's unlimited power to add inches to places where we really don't need any more inches?

Despite the nearly irresistible temptations of triple-layer boxes of rich, chocolate caramels and endless gallons of sugar-laden rum drinks -- all within arm's reach -- the holiday season doesn't have to mean an apocalyptic end to your good intentions to watch your weight.

It won't be easy, of course, because it seems that everything about the holidays is designed to make us gain weight -- from the feasts, to the gifts of food and drink, to the unrealistic pressure to be as happy as it seems everyone around us is.

To make matters worse, we have a genetic propensity to eat more as the weather turns cold.

Genetics Works Against Us, Too

It's true. At least, it was persuasively concluded a few years ago in research conducted by Georgia State University psychologist John de Castro. De Castro found that people tend to eat more as the weather cools. Perhaps we instinctively believe that adding an extra layer of fat will fend off the cold and keep us more comfortable (when, in fact, adding an extra layer of fat just wards away our favorite items of clothing.)

Building on his past work, de Castro recently concluded that eating patterns are hereditary. Like father, like son. Like mother, like daughter. Unless your parents are on the thin side, this news is less than comforting.

And weight gain is a family trait in more than one sense. Just think about your annual visit to the home of your hardy Aunt Fannie. After the usual exchange of pleasantries, you're ordered to the dinner table where you're treated to Fannie's version of the National Anthem: "Eat! Eat! You're nothing but skin and bones." Followed by, "What, don't you like my matzo balls?"

But don't lose hope: There are ways to remain in Auntie Fannie's will and not gain a single pound.

Holiday Reality Check

Let's start by being realistic. 'Tis the season to be jolly, not the season to lose 25 pounds in 15 days. Chances are, you are not going to lose weight over the holidays.

Don't be so hard on yourself -- set a goal that is possible. For example, from now until the end of the year, vow to maintain. This is one game you will win if you just break even. A tie is a victory. High-five yourself if that needle on the scale just stays where it is. OK?

Here's another sobering fact: The winter holiday season can be a stressful, depressing time of the year. Many people who are stressed and depressed turn to "comfort" foods like mashed potatoes, pecan pie and Brandy Alexanders. (OK, so Brandy Alexanders are not food, exactly, but they do provide a high level of comfort -- I attended one party where one fellow was so comfortable he passed out leaning against a doorway).

Most of us know about the added poundage brought about by mashed potatoes and pecan pie. But lots of people don't realize that alcohol itself is chock-full of calories. We often refer to people who drink too much as being "loaded." It may be useful to remember that these same people are "loading up" on calories as well. Even a single glass of wine or a shot of whiskey is going to pack a big calorie wallop.

From Ask the Dietitian: Alcohol -- Where do the calories come from?

And, sad to say, these are empty calories. They do nothing to fill us up or ease hunger pangs. Even if your hand is less steady, it will still reach for that second or third helping of mashed potatoes or candied yams.

So, lighten up on the light beer and leave some egg nog for crazy Uncle Charlie.

Eat More, Work Out More

There's another way to avoid heavying up for the holidays -- exercise. Lots of it. Exercise is a proven stress reliever and depression-buster. What's more, it can also curb your appetite, build muscle and raise your body's metabolism.

Yes, I know, you're just sooo busy during the holidays. But if you put your mind to it, exercise can actually be an integral part of the season and lots of fun, as well. Do things like dance the night away. Go skiing. Build a snowman with the kids (do more than just supervise). Shop till you drop. (A word of caution here: Practice safe shopping. Experts recommend that you take healthy snacks on an all-day outing to the mall. A hard day's shopping is not going to burn many calories if you're walking around with a cup full of fat-cut french-fries drenched with mushroom gravy.)

A few other tips:

Keep a food diary -- and be vigilant about it. In social settings, it's easy to forget about that extra handful of potato chips or slice of fancy cheese. But if you know you're going to have to write it down, you might pass instead of grab. And yes, that includes those really small gingerbread cookies.

As always, counting calories isn't a bad idea. Even if you're not exactly sure how many calories there are in a 12 ounce glass of rum punch, make a good guess. The process alone will remind you this stuff is not doing much to keep your waistline in check. For a list of typical holiday dishes and their approximate calorie counts from Fairview Health Services of Minnesota, click here.

Find ways to cut calories from your favorite recipes. Click here for Simple Tips for Casting off Excess Holiday Pounds from womenof.com.

Eat breakfast. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast tend to burn more calories and eat less throughout the rest of the day. Your mother was right: It is the most important meal of the day, especially around the holidays.

Finally, never go to a party hungry. Eat first -- stressing high-fiber, low-calorie, healthful foods that will fill you up and keep you from sampling those tempting tidbits passed around on hors d'oeuvres trays. Remember, if you arrive really, really hungry, you are going to leave really, really fat.

So, as you go merrily about your way this holiday season, have fun. Be jolly. And start the new millennium without the gift of 10 unwanted pounds.

Editor's note: Some pointy-headed intellectuals may insist that 2000 is the end of the last millennium, not the beginning of the next one. But these spoilsports seem to be overlooking the fact that the calendar is a arbitrary, human-made construct anyway, and if the majority of humanity wants to say that 2000 is the beginning of the 21st century, it is.

First published Dec. 17, 1999