Cycling Nutrition with Monique Ryan: Surviving holiday weight gain

Stay aware and focused

For many of us, the next few weeks are likely to include many social occasions filled with an abundance of foods (many high in fat), an overflow of alcoholic beverages, and hectic schedules that often thwart the best laid plans for calorie burning workouts.  Keeping the holidays healthy and minimizing any havoc created by too much food and drink, is best approached by a mindful approach that combines behavior strategies, nutritional awareness,and realistic goals around food and exercise.

Goal Setting
First, start by clearly defining your goals for this holiday season. Perhaps you are currently in a transition phase of your training program, focusing on strength training, and body composition goals, and completing relatively low calorie burning training sessions. Do you want to maintain your weight, and refocus on body composition goals in the New Year? Are you focused on the types of foods you should include or limit in your dietfor health reasons such as controlling blood cholesterol levels? Would you be pleased to limit any weight gain to one to two pounds this holiday season, and return to a normal training schedule in several weeks. Whatever your goals, keep them firmly fixed in your mind through the New Year, and really consider and appreciate what behavior, food, and exercise strategies are required to meet your goals. Most Americans gain about five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. If you have already set out on that path over the past two weeks, now is a good time to reevaluate what you are doing, put the brakes on, and set some realistic goals. You may not finish out the holiday season any leaner, but you don’t have to finish out the holiday season any heavier either.

Behavior
Make sure that you stick with some solid nutrition basics over the next few weeks. It is really important that you continue with regular grocery shopping and purchase plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Running out of foods and lack of meal planning only add to the holiday frenzy with quick meals eaten at restaurants and fast food establishments. This is an important time of year to plan and be proactive so that you can have simple, quick, and healthy meals over the next few weeks.

Schedule in your training, pack healthy snacks and meals for the day, and stay focused. Cooking several dishes and/or portions ahead of time can also be a useful strategy for a busy week. On days that you plan to attend gatherings filled with food, don’t arrive super hungry. Have regular meals during the day, though perhaps smaller than usual, and consume a snack that contains some protein and fiber right before the party. Look over the foods available, and choose only the foods that you really want to eat. If some of the foods you really want are fairly caloric, practice portion control. Sometimes a few bites can satisfy a craving. Make sure the most of your plate is filled with lower calorie items.

Pace your alcohol intake, and try to follow each drink with a glass of water or another hydrating, calorie-free fluid. If you are inthe habit of taking second helpings, reconsider this strategy, or make sure that your first helping is small to moderate. Give yourself a chance to feel full before you consider refills. You can also bring some lower calorie foods or dishes to parties so there will be one healthy item on hand. Keep your distance from buffets so that you are not constantly nibbling, and munch on lower calorie items such as raw vegetables.

Food Choices
When it comes to food choices, knowledge is power, and that means appreciating the caloric value of various food and beverage items, as well as keeping an eye out for hidden fat. Keep in mind that alcohol is packed with calories. A twelve ounce beer is about 140 to 150 calories (except for lighter versions at around 90 calories), wine is 20 calories an ounce, and 1.5 ounces of liquor is 100 calories. Many mixed drinks can add up to 400 calories or more.

Choose lower calorie beer and wine and drink in moderation. A high alcohol intake often leads to a greater food intake. Watch out for high fat dairy products. At 100 calories per ounce (about the size of four dice) cheese is a very calorically dense food. Look for low fat cheeses and watch portions. If you use spreads such as cream cheese, margarine, mayonnaise or sour cream, use a “light version” and/or spread them thinly.

Choose leaner meats or protein whenever possible. Fish, especially shellfish, are low fat and do provide healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. When it comes to poultry, white meat without the skin is your leanest choice. When choosing red meats, only have the leanest cuts and use the lowest fat preparation techniques. High fat proteins that you should keep an eye out for include processed meats like salami and sausage, dishes in which cheese is a major ingredient.

Vegetables are hard to ruin. You can serve them raw, steamed, stir-fried, or microwaved. Seasonings add great flavor to vegetables. Just don’t smother them with creamy sauces or butter. Use low fat dressings on any salads. Fresh fruit can also be consumed as snacks or prepared for appetizers. When preparing your own holiday meals, many traditional dishes can be modified to lower fat versions, or substituted with a similar dish. Items that can be modified include stuffing and gravy. Of course you should watch out for rich dessert (have small portions), baked goods, and fried foods.
Exercise
You likely have a specific training plan that you are currently following. Just keep in mind that your calorie needs may have fallen off if you are in a transition cycle, and the environmental temptations for eating are much greater at this time of year. In many parts of the country cold weather and short daylight hours limit outdoor training, so it is important to stick with your schedule of planned indoor workouts. A good day of training can also be very motivating when it comes to food choices and portions later that day.

Whatever the results of your nutrition and training program this holiday season, reevaluate your goals for the new year or when your training program undergoes some changes in preparation for the upcoming season.

Wishing you a healthy and happy holiday season.
-Monique

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