How to Avoid Weight Gain Over the Holidays如何避免“过节肥”

The holidays are a time when family and friends gather to enjoy each other’s company—and eat！ Indulgent meals， bountiful buffets， cookie swaps， holiday parties… it’s no surprise that maintaining a healthy weight can present even more challenges during the holidays than throughout the rest of the year. Each year， on average， we tend to gain a small amount of weight （about one pound per year）. According to some research， most of that weight is gained over the holiday season.

逢年过节是亲朋欢聚一堂的日子，也是敞开肚皮尽情吃喝的日子！丰盛大餐、豪华自助、饼干交换、节日派对……难怪在节假日期间保持健康的体重比一年中其他任何时候都更难。我们的体重平均每年都有小幅度的增长（一年大概长一磅）。有研究称，体重增长主要发生在节假日期间。

Study suggests you can control holiday weight gain

研究表明：你可以预防“过节肥”

Does that mean we are destined to see a bigger number when we step on the scale in January？ Or can we keep the end-of-year weight gain at bay1？

年初踏上体重秤时，我们难道注定要看到体重上涨吗？我们能遏制年末的增重吗？

A study published in The BMJ2 sought to find out. Researchers examined the effectiveness of a brief （four to eight weeks） behavioral intervention to prevent weight gain over the Christmas holiday period. The researchers randomized 272 adults into one of two groups. The intervention group was given a behavioral intervention intended to increase their restraint of food and beverage consumption. The intervention involved three components： encouraging participants to regularly weigh themselves and record their weight; providing specific weight-management strategies; and providing information on how much physical activity would be needed to burn off the calories consumed in typical holiday foods and drinks. The control group received information on healthy living.

《英国医学杂志》刊登了一篇文章试图回答这个问题。研究人员评估了一项预防“圣诞肥”的短期（4到8周）行为干预实验，看其是否有所成效。他们将272名成年人随机分为两组。干预组的成员接受行为干预，需要加强对饮食摄入量的控制。干预措施包括三个部分：鼓励参与者定期称重并做记录；提供具体的体重管理方法；告知参与者需要多少运动量才能燃烧掉从常规节日饮食摄入的卡路里。对照组则获得关于健康生活的资讯。

Results showed that the intervention group lost an average of 0.3 pounds， while the control group gained 0.8 pounds. This may not seem like much， but research shows that weight gains are not fully lost in the months following the holidays. Although the yearly gain is small， it can add up to an increase of 10 pounds over 10 years.

结果表明，干预组平均减重0.3磅，对照组则增重0.8磅。虽然这看起来不多，但研究显示，在假期结束后的几个月，那些增长的体重也并不会完全减掉。每年虽然增重不多，但十年累积下来也有十磅。

10 top tips for weight management

体重管理的十个小妙招

Study participants in the intervention group were encouraged to follow these 10 tips to help prevent weight gain：

干预组成员采用了以下10个预防肥胖的小妙招：

· Keep to your meal routine. Try to eat at roughly the same times each day.

· 饮食有规律。一日三餐时间大致固定。

· Go reduced-fat. Choose low-fat foods when possible.

· 减少脂肪摄入。尽量选择低脂食品。

· Walk off the weight. Aim for 10，000 steps each day.

· 走路减重。争取日行万步。

· Pack a healthy snack. Choose fresh fruit or low-calorie yogurt instead of chocolate or chips.

· 准备健康的零食。选择新鲜水果或低热量的酸奶，而不是巧克力或薯片。

· Look at the labels. Check food labels for fat and sugar content.

· 看一眼标签。查看食品标签上的脂肪和糖分含量。

· Caution with your portions. Don’t heap food on your plate， and think twice before having second helpings.

· 取餐需谨慎。不要在自己的餐盘里堆太多，吃第二份之前要三思。

· Up on your feet. Stand up for 10 minutes every hour.

· 时不时站一站。每小时站立十分钟。

· Think about your drinks. Choose water or calorie-free drinks， and limit alcohol.

· 慎重选择饮品。喝水或者零卡饮料，少喝酒。

· Focus on your food. Slow down， and don’t eat in front of the TV or on the go.

· 吃饭时要专心。吃慢一点，不要边看电视边吃东西，也不要边走路边吃东西。

· Don’t forget your 5-a-day. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

· 记得日食五份果蔬。每天至少吃五份水果和蔬菜。

How much activity would it take to burn off this eggnog3？

需要多少运动量才能消耗掉蛋奶酒？

Physical activity—or at least understanding how much physical activity it would take to burn off calories， and possibly considering that information when making choices about what to eat—also played a role in preventing weight gain. In the study， the researchers provided the intervention group with a chart that showed the approximate amount of activity it would take to burn the calor-ies found in a given amount of festive foods. For example， it would take approximately 12 minutes of walking or six minutes of running to burn off the calories in five pigs in a blanket4， and it would take approximately eight minutes of walking or four minutes of running to burn off the calories in 5 tablespoons of gravy.

体育运动在预防增重方面也发挥着一定作用，至少要了解需要多少运动量才能燃烧掉卡路里，并且在选择食物时有这种意识。在这项研究中，干预组成员得到一张图表，标明了消耗特定量节日美食的热量所需的大约运动量。例如，消耗五个猪包毯的热量大约需要步行12分钟或者跑步6分钟；消耗五汤匙肉汁的热量大约需要步行8分钟或者跑步4分钟。

More strategies to prevent holiday weight gain

预防“过节肥”的其他方法

Here are a few more tips to help you keep your weight in check5 without foregoing your holiday traditions.

以下还有一些小妙招可以帮助你既不摒弃节日传统，也不放任体重增长。

· Mark all of the holiday events you’ll be attending on your calendar so that you’ll remember to plan ahead. If the meal is not at your home， eat lighter the day of the event to balance the extra calories you may consume at the party. If the event is in the evening， have a healthy breakfast and satisfying lunch， with a light snack before the event to avoid overindulging later.