PREVENT WINTER WEIGHT GAIN

Many people tend to gain weight during the winter months. Some people joke that it's because they're hibernating. But there are a variety of factors that contribute to weight gain for many people. It's important to look at the factors that affect you, and plan accordingly to prevent this yearly occurrence.

Make a holiday survival plan. Holidays often mean less time to exercise, more stress, and more treats and parties.

First, come up with a plan for staying active. Often, our regular schedules are disrupted, giving us excuses not to exercise. You may need to lower your expectations during this period, but that doesn't mean you can't stay active. Schedule exercise times like you would any other appointment. Also, find creative ways to stay active, such as parking at the far end of the parking lot when shopping.

Second, if the holidays create extra stress for you, try to find ways to reduce it. Exercise is one of the best stress-reducers around. Also, focus on your priorities and eliminate (or at least postpone) low priority activities.

Third, eat defensively. Enjoy holiday treats, but balance your overeating with undereating days.

Make friends with winter. Shorter days and inclement weather can limit your exercise options, or at least your motivation. Come up with some creative alternatives, such as joining a club, taking classes, walking in the mall, bowling, or other indoor activities. If you want to exercise outdoors, dress in layers to help you stay warm. New fabrics, such as polartec and cool max, are lightweight, yet keep you warm.

Winter doldrums? Get into the light. Many people experience some amount of winter depression, known as SAD, seasonal affective disorder. SAD is often marked by mild depression, increased sleeping, increased appetite, and weight gain. Try to get into sunshine if possible. There are special lights you can buy to help fight SAD. And don't forget exercise is a great mood elevator!

100 YEARS OF EATING IN THE U.S.:

1900-1909
• Plump is the preferred body type.
• Canned tuna is introduced.
• Hershey introduces the chocolate bar.

1910-1919
• Margarine use is on the rise, but butter is still preferred.

1920-1929
• Heart disease passes tuberculosis as the leading cause of death.
• Broccoli is introduced from Italy.
• Slim becomes stylish.

1930-1939
• Kraft's macaroni and cheese appears.
• Red meat, fruit and vegetable intakes rise as the Depression ends.

1940-1949
• McDonald's opens its first burger stand.
• A study of eating habits finds that less than 25% of Americans eat healthfully.

1950-1959
• TV dinners are introduced.
• Margarine overtakes butter in sales.

1960-1969
• Whole grains gain popularity.

1970-1979
• Soft drink consumption rivals milk, and surpasses it in 1980.
• Vitamin C gains superstar status.

1980-1989
• Dairy and egg intakes are down, but high-fat ice cream intake is up.
• Fish and poultry intakes are up.
• Snackwell's are introduced.
• 25% of the adult population is considered "obese".

1990-1999
• Low-fat snacks flood grocery shelves, but we become more overweight than ever.
• Over 1/3 of the population is considered "obese" and over 1/2 is overweight.

NEW GROUPS:

There has been interest in weight management groups for the fall. At this time, I am trying to get feedback, and calculate the interest in the following groups:

Men's group
On-going support group (for those who have completed the 12-week program) Weight management group

If you are interested in any of these groups, please e-mail me at: fran@lifestyleconsulting.com

Please provide the following information:

Your name
Your e-mail address
Your phone number(s)
The group you are interested in
Your availability (i.e., daytimes, evenings, which days of the week)

I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you know others who are interested, please forward this to them as well.