Got plans?
No, not party, travel or family plans, but rather strategies to stay on track with healthy habits from now through New Year's Day. These next 10 days are the prime time for overconsumption and underactivity, just the ticket to derail attempts to keep weight steady through the holidays.
For that reason, this week's Holiday Challenge goal is to plan three healthy strategies to cope with the most tempting eating situations ahead. That's the number that studies suggest is most effective for avoiding major lapses during high-stress times. So if you're going to a party, you may want to have a snack first (one); decide to drink alcohol only with the meal (two) and aim to fill up on the salad and vegetable appetizers first before reaching for the higher-calorie treats (three.)
| | ____Take the Challenge____
• Week 6: To Eat Less, Eat More
• Full Report
____Chart Your Progress____
• Activity Log (PDF)
• Weight Maintenance (PDF)
• Food Journal (PDF)
____Multimedia____
• Video: The Post's Sally Squires offers tips to keep off the excess weight during the holiday party season.
• Audio: The Post's Sally Squires talked with Lean Plate Club members during a call-in show.
• Video: The Post's Sally Squires reveals some eating strategies to avoid feeling like a stuffed turkey after Thanksgiving.
• Video: Sally Squires offers tips and strategies for eating smart during the holidays on NewsChannel 8.
____Live Discussion____
• Transcript: Want to eat healthier and get better but not bigger? Washington Post health and nutrition writer Sally Squires answers your questions.
____Lean Plate Club Newsletter____
Build healthy living habits for the long haul, with recipes, exercise ideas and the latest dietary guidelines
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____Post Your Comments____
• Tell Us How Your Progress is Going
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To burn more calories this week, increase daily activity to 10 minutes above baseline. Physical activity is also "an excellent countermeasure" to the sleep loss common this time of year, says Eve Van Cauter, a researcher at the University of Chicago. At the annual meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity in October, Van Cauter reported that losing just two hours of sleep significantly boosts appetite.
Other suggestions to help you emerge from the holiday season no heavier than you are today:
Start healthy. Seventy-eight percent of "successful losers" -- 3,000 people in the National Weight Control Registry who have lost an average of 60 pounds and kept it off for six years -- eat breakfast. Lean Plate Club member Gail Poulos used breakfast to help her get through last year's Holiday Challenge unscathed by extra pounds. Smart choices: whole-grain cereal, skim milk and fruit; a small omelet with whole wheat toast and juice; yogurt/fruit smoothies.
Pack emergency rations. They help keep you on track when healthy food options are limited. Some portable snacks include: turkey or beef jerky (low-carb, high-protein, low-fat option); dried fruit (a quarter-cup is one serving); cheese sticks or individually packed wedges of pasteurized cheese (good sources of protein); trail mix with whole-grain cereal, pretzels, nuts and raisins (good sources of fiber, protein and fruit); individual packets of dehydrated soup or instant cereal.
Eat only from a plate. That's one way of avoiding mindless grazing. Where possible, use a small plate instead of a big one: Researchers have found that the more food on the plate, the more people eat.
Choose wisely at the food court. Sure, that Cinnabon may be calling, but it has 730 calories and 24 grams of fat. Enjoy the Minibon instead (300 calories, 11 grams of fat) or the Cinnabon Stix (346 calories per five-stick serving, 11 grams of fat). And not all coffee is low-cal. A Starbucks grande white mocha cappuccino with whole milk and whipped cream has nearly 400 calories and 21 grams of fat. Instead, sip a grande cappuccino with skim milk (110 calories, 0 grams of fat.)
Find time for activity. It burns calories, keeps your metabolism revved afterward, helps cut stress, improves mood and sleep, and may boost energy. Besides, when you're moving, you're probably not eating. And yes, speed walking through the mall to hit a store before it closes counts. So does strolling the airport terminal. Housecleaning in preparation for holiday guests also burns calories. How many? Find out at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new physical interactivity Web site, 147.208.9.133/login.asp?NewUser=True.
Recover from slips so they don't become slides. Okay, so you ate your way from one end of the holiday smorgasbord to the other. Big deal. No need to use it as an excuse to go astray for the rest of the holiday season.
How are you doing on the Holiday Challenge? E-mail leanplateclub@washpost.comany time to report your triumphs or your slips.
-- Sally Squires
Share Your Tips or ask questions about healthy nutrition and activity when Sally Squires hosts the Lean Plate Club online chat, from 1 to 2 p.m. today, on www.washingtonpost.com. New To The Club? The Lean Plate Club is devoted to healthy eating and boosting activity. To learn more, and subscribe to our free e-newsletter, visit www.washingtonpost.com/leanplateclub.
