Holiday Weight Gain

Many of my patients and clients have been complaining about
weight gain over the holiday season. The complaint is simple,
“I have gained at least 5-8 pounds and I am struggling to lose
the weight.  I am exercising but the scale is not moving.”

I know many of my patients and clients were managing their
nutrition intake up until the Thanksgiving holiday.  Many of the
holiday foods consist of sugar, salt and fat. This lovely
combination of ingredients is the key contributors to weight
gain.

To begin losing the weight you gained over the holiday season,
start by decreasing your portion size as well as limiting and
avoiding simple carbohydrates (breads, cereals, chips, pretzels,
flour products, and foods high in sugar or high fructose corn
syrup).

Over a two-week period decrease the foods containing high
fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and sugar. This does not mean you
substitute your sugar craving with artificial sweeteners. If you
want to substitute sugar consider Stevia, agave nectar or sugar
alcohols (xylitol, mannitol).

During this same two-week time period decrease your portion
sizes.  If you are eating food from a box, can, wrapper or bag,
eat only the portion size recommended (usually one portion). The
accepted portion size for meat, poultry and fish is 6-8 ounces.
You may have to measure or weigh your food. That’s okay. You
will only need to do this for two weeks as you’ll get used to
knowing the correct amounts without weighing and measuring
everything.

If you follow this plan for the next two weeks you’ll be
pleasantly surprised at your weight loss. Before you know it,
the holiday weight gain will be gone!

To increase the speed of weight loss, consider exercising
thirty minutes a day. Do a different exercise each day. Just get
moving.

To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results