Taste Life Blog

The calorie count for the typical Thanksgiving dinner is 2,057. Compare that to Thanksgiving in 1621 the year of the feast that inspired the holiday with the table laden with venison and wildfowl and a likely calorie count of 550 calories. Magazines have suggested you can gain 7 pounds during the holiday season but prospective studies have demonstrated for most people it is more likely 2 to 4 pounds. Studies suggest that this potentially equates to 20 pounds of weight gained over two decades.

1. Get to bed.
   

   Recent studies at the University of Chicago Sleep Research Laboratory have found dieters (oh I do not like that word) who got less than 6 hours of sleep lost 55% less fat and 60% more muscle than dieters who were sleeping 8 or more hours. Study after study suggests when you skip sleep you promote weight gain. One reason may be that chronic sleep debt raises cortisol levels which promotes fat storage.

2. Follow the 90 – 10 rule. Let go of perfection.
   

   Eat healthy colorful foods 90% of the time and treat yourself to special holiday treats the other 10%. Savor not devour! Remember even Santa gets a few cookies.

3. Three bite rule.

   This is great for a buffet or party with lots of food choices. Try a food; don’t make a meal out of a food.
   1st bite – get a good taste
   2nd bite – verify the first bite was good
   3rd bite – last bite

4. Create an activity calendar.

   On Sunday night before you go to bed commit to physical activity and the days you are going to accomplish it. Post on your fridge or phone or desktop. Remember it only takes 100 additional calories each day to gain 10 pounds in a year. 100 alcohol calories takes the average 150 pound person 15 minutes to walk off.

5. Listen to your body.

   Ask: Am I biologically hungry or emotionally hungry? And, listen to your answer.
   Think HALT: Am I hungry, angry, lonely or tired? Maybe you are just tired and need to go to bed. Or maybe you are angry and listening to music and drinking water will do.