The results showed that on average, participants in the comparison group gained almost a pound over Christmas, but participants in the intervention group did not. In fact, those in the intervention group actually lost about one-third of a pound.
“On overage people gain a small amount of weight of up to 1kg [about 2 pounds] each year and holidays such as Christmas are responsible for most of the annual weight gain,” Professor Amanda Daley with the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, said in a press release.
“Weight gained during holiday periods often is not subsequently lost and, although these gains are small, over 10 years, they would lead to a significant increase in body weight.”
RELATED: Great Tips to Burn Off Your Holiday Meals
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The 10 tips for weight management are tips you can benefit from all year long.
They include:
- Eating roughly the same time each day
- Choosing reduced-fat foods
- Walking 10,000 steps each day
- Choosing healthy snacks
- Reading food labels
- Controlling portions
- Standing up for 10 minutes out of every hour
- Choosing water or sugar-free beverages
- Slowing down and practicing mindful eating
- Eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables every day
Remember, the following strategies are proven to curb overindulgence during the holidays and prevent weight gain.
(1) Weigh yourself at least twice per week—ideally every day, and record it.
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(2) Monitor food and drink intake by keeping a daily food diary.
(3) Keep track of how much physical activity is needed to burn off calories in food and drinks consumed.
Constance Brown-Riggs, is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, national speaker and author of the Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World, a convenient guide to help people with diabetes enjoy all the flavors of the world while still following a healthy meal plan. Follow Constance on social media @eatingsoulfully
