Healthier for the Holidays
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Collapse ▲Healthier for the Holidays
Did you know the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is anywhere from 0.8 pounds to just under 2 pounds, according to a research review published in the Journal of Obesity.
The good news is there are many ways to avoid gaining weight at all during the holidays:
- Exercise/Move your body: There are many ways to stay active even when the weather may not be ideal for getting outside.
Walk a few laps around the mall or store while shopping.
Take exercise breaks throughout the day – try for ten minutes 2-3 times throughout the day, especially if you have a desk job or tend to sit a lot at home.
Involve your friends and family – go for a walk together after your holiday meal.
Sign up for a Holiday Challenge like the “Eat Smart Move More: Maintain Don’t Gain Holiday Challenge Bring the Holiday Challenge to Your Setting – Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less.
- Get enough sleep – less sleep means less energy and can lead to craving comforting, less nutrient-dense foods.
- Don’t skip meals – this can interfere with your body’s hunger cues and think that you’re starving and needs to hold on to calories for survival.
- Make healthier choices whenever possible – opt for grilled instead of fried, load your plate up with raw, grilled or baked vegetables, and try and limit gravies and heavy sauces.
- Make allowances for your favorites – we all have our holiday favorite that only comes out once a year!
- Bring snacks when you travel – this will help your wallet and your waistline.
- Moderation – watch your portion size.
- Stay hydrated – the goal is to drink half your body weight in ounces.
- Mindset – practice mindfulness at holiday parties and family gatherings.
- Listen to your body’s hunger cues – are you bored, tired, stressed, dehydrated or are you actually hungry?
- Think long term – making healthy choices isn’t just something we should do around the holidays; it needs to become a habit and part of a healthy lifestyle.
If you want to know more about how to stay healthy and maintain balance over the holidays, please contact Shannon Royce, Swain and Jackson County Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent at 828-586-4009/828-488-3848 or scroyce@ncat.edu to find out more!