Cookies, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie and more. Quite a bit more in fact. The holidays are fast approaching and if you're like me, your mouth is already watering, thinking about those holiday feasts.
If you're like most Americans, you'll find your weight rising rapidly as the temperature drops over the next few months. You've probably heard of the "Holiday Seven" – the seven pounds of body weight (mostly fat) that the average American gains during the holiday season. While the Holiday Seven are often talked about, they may only be a myth. Actually, it's the "Holiday One" you need to worry about.
According to a study from the National Institutes of Health, the average American gains about a pound per year during their adult life, and that one-pound is packed on during a six-week period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. It's one-pound that most people never lose. It adds up to 10-pounds every decade. It's part of the reason half of Americans are overweight, with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more – and one out of four Americans are obese, with a BMI greater than 30. As BMI increases, so does the risk of serious disease, including heart disease and diabetes.
The NIH study set out to determine if the one-pound of weight gained each year by the typical American was gained during a specific time of year. It turns out it was gained during the six-week holiday period. The study also determined that the people who gained the least amount of weight were those who were most active during the holidays. Sure, we all know that exercise burns calories, but despite that knowledge, our activity level drops off during the holidays, at the very time our calorie consumption is going through the roof.
A further complication is that each year after the age of 35, we start losing about one pound of muscle a year, if we don't participate in a regular exercise program to maintain it. If we're gaining one-pound per year of bodyweight and losing one-pound of muscle, we start to experience a rapid shift in our overall body composition... less muscle, more fat. This equates to both looking worse and losing vitality at an exponential rate.
So, Americans eat during the holidays, and spend more time at holiday parties than they spend working out. The result is long-term weight gain, all of which could be prevented.
This holiday season, make a Pre-New-Year's-Resolution to get active during the holidays and plan ahead to cut the temptation of holiday food.
Stock your kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables instead of cookies and treats. Replace the stuffing with vegetables. Replace the mashed potatoes with a baked sweet potato. Drink more water and less alcohol. They're all common-sense solutions, but for them to work, you need to plan ahead and surround yourself with healthy alternatives.
Make a plan to get active and stay active throughout the holidays. Plan at least three, 30-minute cardio workouts each week, incorporating interval training, alternating between sprints, hills and steady paces. High-intensity interval training and weight lifting both continue to burn calories hours after you're done exercising.
By making and sticking with a Pre-New-Year's-Resolution to eat healthy and exercise, you can avoid the "Holiday One", and maybe even reverse the weight-gain effects of many past holidays.
Click here to read the full news release on the NIH Holiday Weight Gain study. |
