Let’s Talk Health: Staying in control of your weight this holiday season

There’s no escaping it – come holiday season, casserole recipes and 101 ways to cook a turkey take over your news feed and TV channels.

It’s great help to those looking for new ideas and a spin on traditional holiday dinners. But for those watching their weight, the photos of glazed ham, Christmas stuffing with bacon and chocolate-dipped gingerbread cookies become heartbreaking temptations. Thanks, Food Network, and every other food blog.

For the weaker of us who give in to temptation, overindulging at holiday dinners is followed by guilt. We then try to correct our misstep by promising ourselves we’ll start hitting the gym come New Year’s. After all, that’s what New Year’s resolutions are for, right?

Eat now, worry later – that’s what we tell ourselves as a way to excuse our behavior. The issue with this is that it is easier said than done. Joining a gym is not a problem. Two weeks in – that’s when the true self-motivation test kicks in.

Tara Whitledge, the owner of Curves Jenny Craig in Merced and Atwater, said it is common to see a spike in membership come January.

“They gain weight, they can’t fit into their clothes and feel out of control,” Whitledge said. She estimates that women who overindulge during the holiday season can gain anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds.

Binging can also set people up for a cycle of overeating for about five weeks after the holidays, she said.

This behavior can be dangerous because it interferes with the body’s chemistry and can cause hormonal imbalances. Whitledge explained that is also common for some women to try to counteract overeating after the holidays by skipping meals. Eating only once a day is not the key to weight loss. This can actually throw the body’s metabolism out of whack, and can result in lack of energy and lead to more serious health conditions.

“We need nutrients, that’s what food is for,” Whitledge said.

The answer is finding balance, she said. Coaches at Curves Jenny Craig in Merced and Atwater focus on teaching members about moderation and wellness.

“We help them become more mindful of what they are putting into their body,” Whitledge said. She explained that through classes, women learn about the common eating styles: unconscious, emotional, uninformed and social eater – four eating patterns that can lead to weight gain.

Joining a workout and health group also helps people stay on track with their fitness goals. “Motivation is really in the heart and mind,” Whitledge said.

On Saturday, Whitledge will lead a Thanksgiving class, in which she will discuss healthy vs. traditional holiday food options. The goal, she said, is to teach women how to trim fat from their holiday cooking. The class will include a demonstration on how to track calories and grams of fat. The class runs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Merced Curves Jenny Craig on Olive Avenue and is open to the public.

For those responsible for cooking dinners for an entire family, it is also important to keep in mind the health and dietary needs of family members. The American Heart Association, for example, offers a holiday eating guide with nutrition basics. The guide breaks down information by food type, calorie count and serving samples.

It also provides tips on how to keep some holiday classics, such as eggnog, hot chocolate, desserts, casseroles and cocktails, on the light side.

The guidelines advise that people who plan on attending holiday work parties, for example, have a protein-packed lunch such as grilled fish or chicken with a salad and a high-fiber snack. It is easier to avoid overeating at dinner when you’re not too hungry.

When it comes to preparing dishes, baking, grilling and steaming foods is a better option rather than frying, according to the guidelines. Recipes that ask for heavy cream or whole milk can also be tweaked with low-fat or skim milk. Similarly, instead of adding sugar to beverages such as cider, fruits and cinnamon can be used as sweeteners.

For more tips and suggestions, visit the American Heart Association’s site at www.heart.org/HEARTORG and click on the “Getting Healthy” tab.

There are also a number of other cooking websites and blogs that focus on fresh and hearty food options for the holiday season. Most recipes assure that taste will not be sacrificed with lighter ingredients. Let’s cross our fingers for that to be true.

Bon appétit!

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Let’s Talk Health: Staying in control of your weight this holiday season."