The white zone is for loading and unloading only. Shrinkgeek is a caroling-free zone, doubly so until after Turkey Day. Which, of course, is the traditional beginning of the “OMG I’m going to put on soooo much weight” season, for those folks who don’t get a head start with a post-Halloween candy binge.
I’ve got news for y’all: It’s a myth. A myth! (“Yeth?”)
You know how much weight the average person puts on over the holidays? A pound, maybe a pound and a half. Not five pounds. Not ten. One. Yes, this represents a fair portion of the annual weight gain for an average adult (something on the order of half a pound to two pounds). The fact that we live for many, many years makes this incrementalism build up into some real weight, which we’re going to need to do something about. It’s easier not to have to lose weight at all, right?
Are we off the collective hook, since Holiday Doom looks more like Holiday Peggle? Not exactly, but there are some things you can do to give half the year’s weight accrual a miss.
First, don’t go completely overboard at the dinner table, especially if you’ve got a lot of social engagements on your plate (so to speak). Sure, try a little bit of everything that looks good, but if you want seconds, go with the veggies and protein sources (whether it’s a traditional bird, a ham, or Scott’s preferred main course; having tried the faux-flesh tofu stuff and found it to be pretty decent, I’d be down for a slice of that over-sized corn-dog myself). You really can’t go wrong with veggies and lean protein. My own bugaboo is stuffing, but between the carbs and the sodium, I’m going to try and behave. Any of y’all are welcome to my share of the pumpkin pie, though.
To help cut down on the amount of potential nutritional shenanigans, eat something light but healthy before you head out. Yes, folks, pregaming isn’t just for hitting the bar anymore, but instead of beer and shots, grab a handful of nuts or a banana. You can still enjoy all the fun foods, just in smaller quantities, without torpedoing all the hard work you’ve been doing to make progress all year.
And that brings us to the other big-ticket item when it comes to avoiding packing on some holiday insulation — don’t jettison the workout routine you’ve got going. Just because the office is closed for a few days in close proximity, don’t take the easy excuse to skip the gym, or your walk, or whatever you’ve got going on. Stay active, and keep doing the little things that have helped you get this far — take the distant parking space if you’re going to wade into the retail trenches, bypass the escalator, make sure you’re getting plenty of water. Your body doesn’t know (or care) what special notes are on the calendar; it’s up to the brainmeats to keep focused.
Bonus mythbusting tidbit: It’s not the tryptophan in the turkey that makes you want a nap after that early afternoon feast; it’s the fact that you had the big meal at all. This is frequently made more acute by a huge load of carbs like stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie – and maybe a couple of alcoholic drinks. Your body is saying, “Whoa, better divert energy to digesting all that food, and none of that moving around and thinking crap.” The huge insulin spike those simple carbohydrates unleash on you is just a double metabolic whammy.
If we’re able to miss out on the extra pound other folks put on around the holidays, that’s one less pound we’ve got to worry about when everyone makes their New Year’s resolutions. Sure, knowing is half the battle, and in this case, knowing means we might not have to fight the battle at all. When it’s the battle of the holiday bulge, skipping that battle is definitely a win.
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I am happy to see this as a myth. Got to keep motivated and knowing this will help.
This is pretty good to know. I’m always pretty happy about being tired on Thanksgiving. My family likes to talk about politics and I am too tired to argue at that point.
[...] crime of violating the dictum of “cookies: sometime food.” We’ve discussed the exaggerated perception of holiday weight gain, and what you can do to avoid it, but, really… a couple of cookies [...]