How to Avoid Weight Gain Over the Holidays

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The holidays are a time when family and friends gather to enjoy each other’s company—and eat! Indulgent meals, bountiful buffets, cookie swaps,holiday parties… it’s no surprise that maintaining a healthy weight can present even more challenges during the holidays than throughout the rest of the year. Each year, on average, we tend to gain a small amount of weight (about one pound per year). According to some research, most of that weight is gained over the holiday season.

Study suggests you can control holiday weight gain

2Does that mean we are destined to see a bigger number when we step on the scale in January? Or can we keep the end-of-year weight gain at bay1keep sb/sth at bay 阻止，遏制（令人不快的事物）。?

3A study published in The BMJ2The BMJ 全稱為The British Medical Journal，創(chuàng)刊于1840 年，是世界一流的醫(yī)學(xué)期刊。sought to find out. Researchers examined the effectiveness of a brief (four to eight weeks) behavioral intervention to prevent weight gain over the Christmas holiday period. The researchers randomized 272 adults into one of two groups.The intervention group was given a behavioral intervention intended to increase their restraint of food and beverage consumption. The intervention involved three components: encouraging participants to regularly weigh themselves and record their weight;providing specific weight-management strategies; and providing information on how much physical activity would be needed to burn off the calories consumed in typical holiday foods and drinks. The control group received information on healthy living.

逢年過節(jié)是親朋歡聚一堂的日子，也是敞開肚皮盡情吃喝的日子！豐盛大餐、豪華自助、餅干交換、節(jié)日派對(duì)……難怪在節(jié)假日期間保持健康的體重比一年中其他任何時(shí)候都更難。我們的體重平均每年都有小幅度的增長(zhǎng)（一年大概長(zhǎng)一磅）。有研究稱，體重增長(zhǎng)主要發(fā)生在節(jié)假日期間。

研究表明：你可以預(yù)防“過節(jié)肥”

2年初踏上體重秤時(shí)，我們難道注定要看到體重上漲嗎？我們能遏制年末的增重嗎？

3《英國(guó)醫(yī)學(xué)雜志》刊登了一篇文章試圖回答這個(gè)問題。研究人員評(píng)估了一項(xiàng)預(yù)防“圣誕肥”的短期（4 到8 周）行為干預(yù)實(shí)驗(yàn)，看其是否有所成效。他們將272 名成年人隨機(jī)分為兩組。干預(yù)組的成員接受行為干預(yù)，需要加強(qiáng)對(duì)飲食攝入量的控制。干預(yù)措施包括三個(gè)部分：鼓勵(lì)參與者定期稱重并做記錄；提供具體的體重管理方法；告知參與者需要多少運(yùn)動(dòng)量才能燃燒掉從常規(guī)節(jié)日飲食攝入的卡路里。對(duì)照組則獲得關(guān)于健康生活的資訊。

4Results showed that the intervention group lost an average of 0.3 pounds,while the control group gained 0.8 pounds. This may not seem like much,but research shows that weight gains are not fully lost in the months following the holidays. Although the yearly gain is small, it can add up to an increase of 10 pounds over 10 years.

10 top tips for weight management

5Study participants in the intervention group were encouraged to follow these 10 tips to help prevent weight gain:

? Keep to your meal routine. Try to eat at roughly the same times each day.

4結(jié)果表明，干預(yù)組平均減重0.3 磅，對(duì)照組則增重0.8 磅。雖然這看起來不多，但研究顯示，在假期結(jié)束后的幾個(gè)月，那些增長(zhǎng)的體重也并不會(huì)完全減掉。每年雖然增重不多，但十年累積下來也有十磅。

體重管理的十個(gè)小妙招

5干預(yù)組成員采用了以下10個(gè)預(yù)防肥胖的小妙招：

? 飲食有規(guī)律。一日三餐時(shí)間大致固定。

?Go reduced-fat.Choose low-fat foods when possible.

?Walk off the weight.Aim for 10,000 steps each day.

?Pack a healthy snack.Choose fresh fruit or low-calorie yogurt instead of chocolate or chips.

?Look at the labels.Check food labels for fat and sugar content.

?Caution with your portions.Don’t heap food on your plate, and think twice before having second helpings.

?Up on your feet.Stand up for 10 minutes every hour.

?Think about your drinks.Choose water or calorie-free drinks, and limit alcohol.

?Focus on your food.Slow down,and don’t eat in front of the TV or on the go.

?Don’t forget your 5-a-day.Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

How much activity would it take to burn off this eggnog3 eggnog 蛋奶酒，西方圣誕節(jié)的傳統(tǒng)飲品。?

6Physical activity—or at least understanding how much physical activity it would take to burn off calories, and possibly considering that information when making choices about what to eat—also played a role in preventing weight gain.In the study, the researchers provided the intervention group with a chart that showed the approximate amount of activity it would take to burn the calories found in a given amount of festive foods. For example, it would take approximately 12 minutes of walking or six minutes of running to burn off the calories in five pigs in a blanket4pigs in a blanket 豬包毯，一道以培根包裹香腸的菜肴。, and it would take approximately eight minutes of walking or four minutes of running to burn off the calories in 5 tablespoons of gravy.

? 減少脂肪攝入。盡量選擇低脂食品。

? 走路減重。爭(zhēng)取日行萬步。

? 準(zhǔn)備健康的零食。選擇新鮮水果或低熱量的酸奶，而不是巧克力或薯片。

? 看一眼標(biāo)簽。查看食品標(biāo)簽上的脂肪和糖分含量。

? 取餐需謹(jǐn)慎。不要在自己的餐盤里堆太多，吃第二份之前要三思。

? 時(shí)不時(shí)站一站。每小時(shí)站立十分鐘。

? 慎重選擇飲品。喝水或者零卡飲料，少喝酒。

? 吃飯時(shí)要專心。吃慢一點(diǎn)，不要邊看電視邊吃東西，也不要邊走路邊吃東西。

? 記得日食五份果蔬。每天至少吃五份水果和蔬菜。

需要多少運(yùn)動(dòng)量才能消耗掉蛋奶酒？

6體育運(yùn)動(dòng)在預(yù)防增重方面也發(fā)揮著一定作用，至少要了解需要多少運(yùn)動(dòng)量才能燃燒掉卡路里，并且在選擇食物時(shí)有這種意識(shí)。在這項(xiàng)研究中，干預(yù)組成員得到一張圖表，標(biāo)明了消耗特定量節(jié)日美食的熱量所需的大約運(yùn)動(dòng)量。例如，消耗五個(gè)豬包毯的熱量大約需要步行12 分鐘或者跑步6 分鐘；消耗五湯匙肉汁的熱量大約需要步行8 分鐘或者跑步4 分鐘。

More strategies to prevent holiday weight gain

7Here are a few more tips to help you keep your weight in check5keep...in check 抑制；限制。without foregoing your holiday traditions.

? Mark all of the holiday events you’ll be attending on your calendar so that you’ll remember to plan ahead. If the meal is not at your home, eat lighter the day of the event to balance the extra calories you may consume at the party.If the event is in the evening, have a healthy breakfast and satisfying lunch,with a light snack before the event to avoid overindulging later.

? If you are the host and struggle with tasting while cooking, try chewing sugar free gum while preparing the meal, or have a small snack before you start cooking. Serve plenty of raw vegetables and yogurt-based dips to start the event and fresh fruit to finish. After the meal,send leftovers home with friends and family.

預(yù)防“過節(jié)肥”的其他方法

7以下還有一些小妙招可以幫助你既不摒棄節(jié)日傳統(tǒng)，也不放任體重增長(zhǎng)。

? 在日歷上標(biāo)注出一年當(dāng)中要參加的所有節(jié)慶活動(dòng)，提醒自己提前做好規(guī)劃。如果宴會(huì)不在自己的家里舉辦，當(dāng)天就吃清淡一點(diǎn)，以抵消在宴會(huì)上可能攝入的多余熱量。如果是參加晚宴，就吃一頓健康的早餐和一頓飽腹的午餐，赴宴前再吃點(diǎn)小零食，以避免到了晚上胡吃海喝。

? 如果是你在家請(qǐng)客，備菜時(shí)擔(dān)心自己邊做邊吃剎不住車，那么不妨嚼無糖口香糖，或者在做飯之前吃一點(diǎn)小零食。宴會(huì)開始時(shí)多上一些涼拌生蔬和酸奶蘸醬，結(jié)束時(shí)再呈上一些新鮮水果。飯后將剩余的食物打包送給親友帶走。

? The workplace can be hazardous around the holidays; holiday lunches and office parties can make it difficult for even the most health-conscious employee to make smart choices. If the team is going out for a special holiday lunch, choose lower-calorie items and go light on dinner that evening.Move holiday cookies and candies to a high-traffic area to spread the goodies around.

? Start new traditions that don’t revolve around food. For example, attend a holiday concert or show, or take a drive or walk to see holiday lights.Catch up with a friend over a yoga or Zumba6Zumba 尊巴，一種時(shí)尚的健身舞，融合了拉丁舞蹈和健身訓(xùn)練。class instead of meeting for a peppermint mocha latte.

8Preventing weight gain over the holidays can be a challenge. But it is possible!

? 節(jié)日期間的職場(chǎng)也有風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。即使是最懂養(yǎng)生的員工也很難在節(jié)日午宴和同事聚會(huì)時(shí)保持理智。如果團(tuán)隊(duì)中午外出聚餐，那么就選擇低熱菜品，晚上再吃清淡點(diǎn)。把過節(jié)吃的餅干和糖果拿到人多的地方，好分發(fā)出去。

? 開創(chuàng)新傳統(tǒng)，過節(jié)不一定非得吃吃喝喝。比如，去聽一場(chǎng)節(jié)日音樂會(huì)，去看一場(chǎng)節(jié)日演出，開車或步行去觀一場(chǎng)節(jié)日燈光秀。約朋友一起去上一次瑜伽課或尊巴課，而不是去喝杯薄荷摩卡拿鐵。

8預(yù)防“過節(jié)肥”實(shí)為不易，但也并非不可能！