Sussex County YMCA offers tips to avoid holiday weight gain

Hardyston - With the holidays upon us, many people will find themselves faced with the dilemma of compromising their regular diets and workout routines by overindulging in holiday festivities. “Holiday weight gain threatens even the healthiest people. Traditionally, many people equate ‘holiday festivities’ with food, so the holidays are loaded with high-fat, high-calorie temptations,” said David Carcieri, the Y’s executive director. “But as obesity and weight-related diseases such as type II diabetes and heart disease increase, many people are rethinking their celebratory food habits.”, said, Carcieri offered the following tips to help avoid holiday weight gain: n Don’t Bet on Your New Year’s Resolution - Avoid making the mistake of eating whatever you want during the holidays with the hopes of losing all the weight you gained as part of your New Year’s resolution. Be realistic - sticking to your New Year’s resolution will be hard enough, so don’t discourage yourself by making things harder then they need to be. n Pick Your Battles - You know when and where you will be tempted with those delicious holiday snacks so plan ahead. If you know you have a party to go to on Friday then skip the holiday cookies at the office on Thursday. Like most things, holiday snacks and hearty meals are okay in moderation, so try to eat healthy in the time leading up to those occasions when you know you will be indulging. n Avoid Starvation - Many people starve themselves before a holiday party because they are looking forward to the food that will be served and they want to compensate for all the fatty foods they will be eating. In addition to leading to overindulgence and binge eating, starving yourself early on in the day will slow your metabolism. By the time you finally arrive at the party, you have already tricked your body into thinking it needs to conserve its energy supply, which means any food you eat will most likely be stored as fat. Try eating a healthy breakfast and then eat in moderation through out the day as you normally would. n Scope Out the Snack Scene - When you arrive at a party, survey the food options. Go first for fresh vegetables and other nutritious foods to prevent yourself from filling up on high-fat snacks such as chips, dips, nuts and sweets. n Refocus on What’s Important - Remember the holidays are a time for family and friends, not food. Redirect your focus on them and create new ways to enjoy the holiday spirit.