Weight Loss Central

By Diana Clay
MyNewsOK Contributor

The three-month stretch between Halloween and the Super Bowl that dietitians call “The Eating Season” leaves many Americans overweight, out of shape and back to old, bad habits.

Karen Funderburg, a registered dietitian at the University of Oklahoma College of Allied Health, said it’s not the overstuffed tummy on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day that ruins the waistline. It’s the constant munching, snacking and extra high-calorie foods we eat from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day.

“People get into a mindset that they’ll just take care of it after the holidays by saying, ‘I’ll start exercising and eating better New Year’s Day,’” Funderburg said, “but, it doesn’t work that way.”

OU experts offer these ways to stay trim and eat your pie, too: •Practice environmental control as opposed to self control. Funderburg said environmental control works better. Keep the cookies, pies, fudge, alcoholic drinks, egg nog and other holiday treats to a minimum in your home. The less you have around, the more likely you are to avoid eating it.

•Increase physical activity. If you know you have a holiday party at 6 o’clock, take a walk in the afternoon or at lunch. Eat a lighter breakfast and a small lunch. The goal is to somehow compensate for the extra calories you are going to consume at the party.

•Don’t snack. The turkey, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes at dinner are not the issue. It’s the holiday treats that we nibble on all day, day after day. A can of fudge or a tin of wonderful Danish cookies are yummy, Funderburg said, but they are really high in calories and often high in saturated fat and sugar. Instead, save the treats for mealtime and skip fast food while shopping. Your waistline will thank you