December 15, 2005

Prairie Fare: Waist Survival Tips for the Holidays

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

At this time of year, all sorts of goodies tempt us. The aroma of baking cookies is like no other. Like most people, I have some favorite, somewhat tattered recipes for cookies and treats that appear on our table year after year.

The other day as I prepared to bake, I pulled out the sugar, flour, vanilla, baking soda, eggs and butter. I paused when I picked up the pound of butter from a refrigerator shelf. I “weighed it” with my hand.

I had just read a study showing that the average weight gain from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day is about a pound. I’d like to say the weight gain was mainly muscle, but for most people weight gain is about adding fat.

That’s like adding a pound of butter to your frame every year. Problem is, once fat is added, it’s often difficult to subtract.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health studied the weight changes of 195 volunteers over a year. Some volunteers were of healthy weight, some overweight and some obese in similar percentages to the U.S. population.

Overall, each volunteer gained about 0.8 pound between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day and a total of just more than a pound by early March. Not too surprisingly, the volunteers gained most of their weight between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Over time, the volunteers didn’t lose the holiday weight. A year later, the volunteers weighed, on average, 1.4 pounds more than they did at the start of the study. People who were less active gained and retained the most weight.

While a pound annual weight gain seems slight, the pounds add up over time. It’s like going to your 25th high school reunion or celebrating your 25th anniversary 25 pounds heavier.

If you’re trying to avoid weight gain during the holiday season, consider trying some of these strategies:

• Don’t skip breakfast. People who skip this important meal more than make up the calories later in the day.
• Have some soup before the party to curb your appetite. Drink a glass of water, too. Both strategies help “fill you up,” so you won’t be so tempted to overindulge at the party.
• Build in physical activity during the day. People who get regular physical activity are less likely to gain weight. According to the latest recommendations from www.MyPyramid.gov, accumulate 60 minutes of activity daily to avoid weight gain.
• At the party, keep some distance between you and the buffet table. It’s easy to continually eat appetizers and tiny cookies if you’re parked next to them.
• Watch your portions. Enjoy smaller amounts of high-calorie foods. Use a small plate and heap it with fruits and vegetables or use a napkin to gather your goodies. You’re less apt to choose the sticky, high-fat items.
• Spend most of your time visiting with people and remember the old rule: Don’t talk with your mouth full!

Here’s a kid-favorite recipe with fiber-rich oatmeal. Each cookie has about 100 calories, so stop at one or two.

Quick Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1/3 c. peanut butter
3 c. oatmeal
1 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan, cream together sugar, milk, butter and cocoa. Heat until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to boil for 3 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter, oatmeal and vanilla. Drop onto wax paper and allow to cool.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies. Each cookie has 95 calories, 6 grams of fat and 8 grams of carbohydrates.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu

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