| 2003 Dec. - Hidden Holiday Calories |
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PLAN A GOOD STRATEGY THIS FESTIVE SEASON
By JOANNE RICHARD SPECIAL TO THE TORONTO SUN ... Dec. 22, 2003 Eat, drink and ... it's scary to think how many calories and fat are consumed during the holiday season. Face it, with all the festive nibbling and gobbling already underway, the Christmas turkey won't be the only one stuffed come New Year's. Take rum and eggnog, for example -- eight ounces of this traditional festive beverage contains 318 calories and over five grams of fat. Bailey's Irish Creme packs a few hundred calories and 10 grams of fat for a two-ounce shot. And that's just the warm-up. Add handfuls of nibblies, like assorted nuts and chips, fried finger foods and decadent dips, and there's a ho-ho-whole lot of fat and calories going on. And, hey, the Christmas turkey hasn't even been sliced yet! Maybe you want to think this high-cal festive fare through before you're digging in too deep -- and the numbers on the scale start to climb. Generally, the holiday season triggers imbalance -- everything is in excess: "Many people throw caution to the wind and take part in a six-week eating frenzy," says Gloria Atkinson, group exercise director at the Ontario Racquet Club in Mississauga. "Others are so rigid they refuse to indulge at all and wind up feeling frustrated." But taking the all-healthy, all-the-time approach is a sure-path to failure: "Allow yourself some leeway and you're guaranteed to have more fun and will feel better come the new year," says Atkinson. "Eighty percent of the time do 80% of the things that are healthy for you. The other 20% let go and enjoy some of your favourite things." Dr. Sender Deutsch agrees: "Common sense and moderation are the key -- if you are going to treat yourself, go with small portion sizes or sample sizes." Deutsch, director of SHAPE Health and Wellness Centre on Davenport Rd., also advises limiting alcohol consumption to red wine (one to two glasses, maximum), decreasing your bread intake, have fruit for dessert instead of rich cakes and pies, and limit your sweets to two to three per week, or have small samples instead. According to Atkinson, stay healthy by developing a plan -- schedule time to exercise and do things for yourself in order to ward off holiday stress. Plan your strategy before you get to the party. "For example, plan to drink two of your chosen beverage -- if it's eggnog, limit yourself to one -- and enjoy five temptations of choice," she advises. "Eat a healthy dinner before you attend and avoid the fried temptations -- each buffalo wing is 160 calories and 11 grams of fat!" she says. Instead, enjoy healthful finger foods like grapes and strawberries and choose healthy appetizers, like a 1/2-ounce of smoked salmon on a multigrain cracker. Head for the turkey carving station -- 3.5 oz at 136 calories and one gram of fat. Indulge in a sliver of your favourite dessert -- hold the whipped cream! KEEP MOVING "Don't turn a mistake into a catastrophe. If you do slip and violate your own rules, revisit your goals and go for it," she adds. And be sure to keep moving: "Walking in the morning prior to breakfast and after dinner is a great way to ward off holiday weight gain," says Deutsch, who adds that weight loss is simple -- burn more calories than you take in. Anytime you increase the intensity of your workout you will burn more calories, he says, adding, "research now demonstrates that high intensity exercise burns more fat post workout than steady state exercise does during your exercise program." According to Atkinson, "there are 3,500 calories in one pound so if you consume 3,500 more calories than you burn off, you will gain the weight. A woman weighing 140 lbs. will generally require 1,300-1,400 calories per day just to maintain healthy bodily functions, a 180-lb. man needs 1,850-2,000 calories per day. So if you need to lose weight, you need to ensure you have a healthy calorie deficit." So check out how many minutes it would take a 150 lb. person to burn off these typical festive favourites. Basically, if you weigh more, you'll burn more calories; if you weigh less, you'll burn less. All levels of exercise shown are of moderate intensity. THINK BEFORE YOU EAT ... BURN IT OFF IN HOW MANY MINUTES?
FOOD AND DRINK CALORIES COMPILED FROM:
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