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The Truth About Holiday Weight Gain

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:30:00 PST

You've read the harrowing tales that the average American gains around 5 lbs. between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Do you think it is true? Answer the question below to find out!

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Prevent Holiday Party Weight Gain With 3 Must Dos

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:13:39 PST

Everyone's approach to beating holiday weight gain differs. Some amp up the exercise time, while others simply give in to the extra noshing and stick to clothing with elastic waistbands. Regardless of your philosophy, the abundance of holiday parties, full of rich foods and fancy cocktails, is a major reason the numbers on the scale often go up. Keep these three tips in mind at your next shindig, and hopefully you can prevent your waistline from expanding this season.

Don't Show Up Famished or Empty Handed
Before heading out the door, snack on something filling like a banana with peanut butter, a pear with some almonds, or some whole grain crackers with hummus. Combining fiber and protein in a sack is satiating, so you won't arrive famished and end up making a meal out of appetizers. To show your hosts some appreciation for throwing the party, it's nice to bring along a present; but instead of the usual bottle of wine, prepare a healthy dish or dessert to complement the meal. Not only will party-goers appreciate the gesture, but you'll know at least one thing on your plate is good for you. This chard, avocado, and asparagus quinoa makes a great side dish, and a batch of healthier holiday cookies are often a nice addition as well.

Continue reading for two more tips to help prevent holiday party weight gain.

Hilary Swank Talks Holiday Weight Gain and Elastic Waistbands

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:27:07 PST

Once Oct. 31 rolls around and not until the last day of the year, Hilary Swank isn't one to turn away scale-tipping holiday foods. Her secret to staying slim during the holiday season is no secret at all, because she tells Us Weekly:

"Eat away! Starting on Halloween, all the way through New Year's, I'm eating. That's why elastic waistbands are a must. So that you can eat a lot and let it stretch a little bit. You've got to have the elastic, and I think sparkles are always good for the holidays."

With all the high-calorie goodies and festive frothy drinks, it's hard to resist temptation, so I give in a little, too. When it comes to all the holiday fare, do you take it all in (heck, it's only one time of the year, right?) or do you strictly stay on track with healthy eating?

Is It Hard to Stick to Your Diet Over the Holidays?

Leta Shy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:05:42 PST

Chances are you've been to a holiday party or two already. And besides the guaranteed drinks and merriment with your friends and family, there's another guarantee - the table of never-ending treats.

It can be hard to think about diet and exercise during a month chock-full of cookies, candy, and eggnog. I've asked my friends if it's been easy to stick to a diet as the holiday festivities ramp up, and most of them answer with a resounding, "No!" I'm the same; for me, the holidays mean less a focus on diet than ensuring I stick to a pretty normal workout routine (regular exercise is one of the best ways to prevent holiday weight gain), so I don't feel a compelling need to limit myself when the treats roll by.

If you're having the same trouble staying with a diet plan, don't worry; we have some tried-and-true tips for staying healthy whether you're at a holiday party or if you're eyeing the food court while gift shopping. But if you've abandoned all hope until after New Year's Eve, you're not alone - after all, January's a big month for renewed diet resolutions for a reason, right? So tell us: do you conveniently forget about your diet plans over the holidays, or do you make sure you stick to your normal healthy eating plans?

Ways to Ramp Up Workouts For Holiday Indulging

Michele Foley — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:35:54 PST

Confession: I've thrown in the towel when it comes to healthy holiday eating. Between the cocktail parties, office treats, and elaborate dinners, it seems near impossible! To compensate for my indulgences, I am ramping up my fitness regimen. (Recent studies confirm that regular exercise minimizes weight gain that comes from a fatty, high-calorie diet.) If holiday indulgences also have the best of you, see which kind of calorie-torching workouts will give you the most bang for your buck during this season of indulgence.

Intense cardio: If you're looking to melt away fat, walking mindlessly on the treadmill isn't the most effective way to go. New research says that intense workouts are the key to weight loss and speeding up metabolism. Skip the recumbent bike and choose a spin class, cardio kickboxing or dance class, or run continuously on the treadmill at a challenging speed. The idea is to keep the heart rate up and feel so out of breath that you wouldn't be able to carry on a conversation. Need guidance? Use the talk test to gauge the intensity of your workout.
Interval training: If going at a fast pace for an entire workout seems daunting, opt for interval training instead. Whether you're running, biking, or on the elliptical, alternate back and forth between moderate and beyond-fast speeds. A recent study in the International Journal of Obesity confirms that interval training is key when it comes to getting rid of belly fat. Interval training also increases the after-burn effect. This means that post-exercise, your body burns more calories, even at rest or sleep, after doing intervals than after doing a steady paced workout. Check these examples of interval workouts to do on the elliptical, treadmill, and more.
Circuit training: Circuit training is the best of both worlds: a workout that mixes strength training with cardio. (This also makes it an effective workout to do when time is short.) Even though it may not seem like it, building muscle is key to losing weight. Since muscle tissue requires more energy to exist than other tissues (like fat), it burns more calories overall. Mixing it in with cardio keeps the heart rate up, meaning you kill two birds with one stone. Check out this 30-minute circuit workout.

5 Must Dos to Prevent Weight Gain This Holiday

Leta Shy — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:16:57 PST

Even if you are watching your weight during the holiday season, it doesn't mean that you have to skip out on all the fun. We've rounded up five super important tips so you can enjoy the holiday without packing on the pounds. Read on for our tips for preventing weight gain over the holidays!

6 Reasons For Winter Weight Gain . . . and How to Avoid It

Jenny Sugar — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:14:54 PST

Are your jeans fitting a bit more snugly than usual? You may have Old Man Winter to thank for that. All that celebrating through the holidays is one reason the numbers on your scale may have increased, and here are six more ways Winter may cause the pounds to pack on even more, with tips for avoiding seasonal weight gain.

Source: Thinkstock and Flickr User David Leggett

Do Popular Weight-Loss Diets Work?

Shape — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:15:48 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

There's a mountain of evidence that suggests that fad diets don't function as permanent weight-loss solutions. So why do we continue to flock toward them when we know they're not very effective? After rounding up the top 10 searched diet plans on Yahoo! and noticing that almost every single one was a fad diet (such as the Atkins Diet, or HCG Diet), we wanted to know more about why we're drawn to these popular diet plans. So we went to Holly Herrington, a Registered Dietitian at the Center for Lifestyle Medicine at the Northwestern University Medical Faculty Foundation to get her take on these plans and whether they really work for weight loss.

Find out what - if any - fad diets work after the break.

Healthy Dose Link Time: Enjoy the Holidays Without Weight Gain

Michele Foley — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:38:18 PST

Three no-fail ways for staying slim during the season of nog, cookies, and booze - Shape
Why Ryka sneakers are a smart choice for those dance cardio classes - Fit Celeb
Spread healthy cheer by donating good-for-you food items - Daily Spark
Make your vegan happy with these soy nog snickerdoodles - Healthy Happy Life
20 ways to burn 200 calories without having to see the light of a gym - Health
One good food done five ways: arugula - Vegetarian Times
Winter weather taken a toll on your health? Do these yoga poses - Yoga Journal
Never forget: 10 ways to to keep the mind sharp - Prevention

The Five Unhealthiest Habits of the Holidays

Leta Shy — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:36:21 PST

It's easy to forget about your health during the holidays, since you've got so much more on your mind. But instead of putting it off until January when healthy resolutions make their way back up to the top of your priorities, take time this month to ensure you maintain a healthy lifestyle. How to do it? Make sure to avoid these five unhealthy habits.

Forgetting to sleep: Holiday schedules can mean something's got to give. If that means that your nightly sleeping session has dwindled substantially, it's time to reprioritize. Regular sleep helps keep your energy up, mind awake, and immune system functioning properly, so don't neglect your down time when days get busy. Follow these tips for getting a good night's rest.
Ignoring the danger of germs: Present deadlines loom, and that can mean more than a few days spent braving crowds - and the germs that come with them. In fact, places like doorknobs and escalator hand rails are just some of the potentially sickness-inducing surfaces. Makeup testers, fitting room clothes, and more can harbor nasty pathogens. Remember to wash your hands regularly, or carry hand sanitizer if you know you won't be able find a sink.

Read on for three more unhealthy holiday habits.