Newswise — ‘Tis the season of merriment, cheer and overindulgence. If your holiday season usually turns into a new year that includes a few extra pounds, you can prevent holiday weight gain with these 10 tips from the team of medical experts at Greenwich Hospital’s Weight Loss & Diabetes Center (available for interview: see note at end of release):
1. Set realistic expectations. Consider patterns in your weight during previous holiday periods. This is usually a time to maintain, not lose, weight.
2. Schedule downtime. If you tend to have a lot of social events and responsibilities on your calendar, also schedule times to relax. It’s equally important for your overall health.
3. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time as best as you can. It’s easy to get distracted and pick up something "quick and easy" from a fast food restaurant. Instead, bring an apple, banana or small bag of nuts to eat in the car as a healthy snack.
4. Write it down. This applies to a meal and snack schedule, and also to a food diary of everything you eat. Review it at the end of the day and start again the next day.
5. Ask for help. It's nice to take care of others, but not to the point that it gets in the way of eating healthy, exercising adequately, and getting enough sleep for your personal health.
6. Never go to a holiday party hungry. It’s a sure bet that you’ll overindulge on calorie-dense foods, and you'll be overeating in no time, but don’t get down on yourself for a special-occasion binge.
7. Engage in mindful eating. In other words, don’t eat while multitasking. Savor each bite, focus on the joy of flavor. Appreciate every morsel.
8. Drink water throughout the day and at events. Staying well hydrated can keep you alert. People often misread the body’s signals for thirst as hunger.
9. Use exercise to relieve stress and empower you with physical and mental energy to follow your healthy holiday plans. Take a daily walk, even if it's only for a few minutes. This will help clear your head, regain perspective, help control your hunger and bump up your rate of metabolism.
10. Get an adequate amount of sleep. When you are tired, simplest daily tasks can be a struggle, not to mention all of the holiday hustling. Lack of sleep triggers hormones that affect your weight and mood.
(These tips may be re-posted or printed when credit is given to Greenwich Hospital’s Weight Loss & Diabetes Center.)
Available for Interviews:Christopher Mosunic, RD, PhDDirector of Greenwich Hospital’s Weight Loss & Diabetes Center; Dr. Mosunic is both a registered dietitian and clinical psychologist, and helps people understand WHY they eat.
Erica Christ, Exercise Physiologist, RD, CDEExercise physiologist, dietitian and certified diabetes educator; specializes in disease prevention and sports nutrition.
Joshua Hrabosky, PsyDClinical psychologist; specializes in the psychology of weight-related issues, self-esteem and body image
Yi-Hao Yu, MDDr. Yu, Medical Director of the Weight Loss & Diabetes Center, board-certified in endocrinology. Dr. Yu helps people understand the connection between hormones and diabetes, and works with hormonal and metabolic disorders related, either directly or indirectly, to weight and body composition.
Gavin Pritchard, RD, CDEChef Gavin loves to cook healthy meals. His “In the Kitchen” cooking classes teach people that healthy food can be delicious, easy and no more expensive than other family meals.
About Greenwich HospitalGreenwich Hospital is a 206-bed (includes 32 bassinets) community hospital serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. It is a major academic affiliate of Yale School of Medicine and a member of the Yale New Haven Health System. Since opening in 1903, Greenwich Hospital has evolved into a progressive medical center and teaching institution representing all medical specialties and offering a wide range of medical, surgical, diagnostic and wellness programs.
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