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Winter Waistlines
Three Experts Share Healthy Eating Strategies
By Kelly Burgess
It's no wonder everyone in the world vows to start dieting on January 2. From the groaning Thanksgiving table to the midnight champagne on December 31, the holiday season becomes a celebration of calories. By the day after New Year's one is apt to wake up with a few heavy presents they never asked for.
Even if weight isn't a problem, there's just something about that end-of-holiday bloat that leaves even the skinniest people out there feeling about as energetic as a sheepdog on a hot day. All those high-fat, low-nutrient foods are bound to take a toll on even a normally healthy eater. And for those who may have health issues – such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure – or are trying to avoid eating-related health problems, it's just as serious an issue as being overweight.
The problem is that, while the spirit is willing, the flesh is very weak. It can be very difficult to navigate the rounds of buffets, cocktail appetizers (not to mention the cocktails) and big family meals.
However, with a little advance planning (and just a little willpower to stick to that planning), most people can at least maintain their weight. There are two hard and fast health rules that all experts agree on and we'll get those out of the way up front:
1. Don't diet during the holidays.
2. Try to maintain an exercise program, even if it's just quick 15- or 20-minute walks or other bursts of high-intensity exercise, or hiding in your bedroom and doing some stretches.
Beyond that, Gail Woodward-Lopez, a registered dietitian and associate director of the Center for Weight and Health at the University of Berkley, Lynn Laboranti, a registered dietician and continuing education specialist for Nature Made, and Melanie Jordan, healthy eating coach and author of Have Your Cheeseburger and Keep Your Health Too