from the experts
TREAT YOURSELF N UTRITI O N SCI E N CE S
You’ve seen it on Facebook. You’ve read it on the internet. You’ve felt it as you make your New Year’s resolution. But that 5 to 10 pounds you gain over the holidays? Not true. Studies show less than 10 percent of people gain 5+ pounds.
H
owever, Stephanie Grenert (NS, '12), registered dietitian and owner of Grenert Consulting, LLC, where she provides assessments in adult weight management and medical nutrition therapy for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease says, that is no excuse to go crazy this year. Even if you only gain one pound every holiday season you will still be 20 pounds heavier in 2038. “The holidays are synonymous with special foods – don’t deprive yourself, but also – don’t overindulge,” says Grenert who is a 2012 graduate of our Dietetic Internship program in Nutrition Sciences. “Whether it is meals with the family or snacks at a party – fill up on vegetables – that will help you eat a small portion of your favorites and avoid overdoing it on the special treats.” Loosely plan your day in advance. Have an idea of what you will eat, when you will eat, and stick with your plan. And that plan you have of not eating until dinner? That plan is simply the worst. “The concept of saving up for a big meal doesn’t apply – you end up depriving yourself, becoming ravenous, and wanting to eat everything in sight,” says Grenert. “If you’re eating a dinner begin your day with a small breakfast and then have a salad or something simple for lunch. Spacing your meals out will make you eat more reasonably when the good stuff comes out.” This advice is great if you are in one place all day long, but every family is unique. We all know families that are split in different places
10
for different reasons. And when the families are near each other it often requires multiple visits and even worse – multiple meals where you can’t offend the host by not eating. If that is you, Grenert has this advice: “It’s not about avoiding – it’s about portion size – have a small taste of everything, be honest about your activities, and most importantly, compliment the host on the food when dinner is over.” After you eat, move. And remember any movement is a win. Want bonus points with the host? Help clear the table or wash the dishes. Want to help parents out? Take all the kids outside to play. Don’t want to go outside? Break out the Wii or the PS3 and show off your skills on Nickelodeon Fit or Dance Dance Revolution. Just move it. Grenert also recommends tracking your entire day. She prefers apps that synchronize with her fitness tracker, but says keeping track using analog – writing it out in a food diary – works just as well. Ultimately though, try your best to look beyond the food, because when the day is done you will remember the food, but the holiday moments are what you will relive forever. “My family – like most families – make so many memories in the kitchen and around the dinner table during the holidays,” says Grenert. “And while these special memories include food, they are not really about what we cook or eat – they are all about the moments shared and the stories told while we are all together.”