Planning helps keep weight in check over holidays

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Melanie Holochwost
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The holiday season can be a challenging time for those watching their diet. Most people tend to gain weight because cookies, candies, pies, cakes and other fattening foods lurk around every corner.

To avoid holiday weight gain, Maj. Sean Sarsfield, 56th Training Squadron Aerospace Physiology director, recommends making a plan and sticking to it.

"A good plan makes it possible to enjoy holiday foods and beverages without packing on the pounds," he said.

Major Sarsfield suggests starting a plan by choosing set days to indulge in those once-a-year type treats.

"Perhaps these are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day," he said. "If you adhere to a good overall dietary and physical training strategy during the rest of the holiday season, you will never notice any adverse effect from these few days of excess. For all of the office parties and other social gatherings, step through the door with the mindset that the occasion won't be a dietary free-for-all."

Plans should also include how to maintain your workout routine throughout the holiday season, Major Sarsfield said.

"This can be challenging with busy schedules, travel and the general loss of focus on healthy lifestyle choices," he said. "If workout facilities are limited or nonexistent during leave or while at home, plan ahead for some outdoor activity that requires little to no formal workout equipment."

Major Sarsfield said maintaining a workout routine will have a two-fold benefit.

"First, it will help you keep focus on your overall physical goals and help avoid the 'I give up, I'll just start over in January with a new year's resolution' effect," he said. "Secondly, it will help keep your metabolism in high gear, which will help to expend the extra energy you may consume."

However, Major Sarsfield doesn't recommend exercising to compensate for over-eating.
"It's not realistic to eat great amounts of food and run a marathon to make up for it," he said. "Nor is it a psychologically prudent strategy as it is actually a form of disordered eating."

Don't wait until Jan. 1 to make up for overeating and poor food choices, Major Sarsfield said.

"Although strong dedication during the post-holiday months will likely remove the excess weight, some evidence suggests that continually cycling through periods of rapid weight gain and subsequent weight loss may make the body more resistant to weight loss the next time this process occurs," he said.