CNN - Few manage to lose Christmas bulge

The article below says that most Americans overeat during the Holidays.
Low Carb idea is that you don't count calories because you're not
hungry anymore. How true is this for people here? If you're not
counting calories now, are you planning to count calories on Xmas and
New Year? Have you been able to give up social eating?

Thanks,
Elana

================= Article from CNN ====================
(AP) -- It's just a pound or two, right? Cut a few carbs, hit the gym
and they'll be gone by February.

Keep dreaming. Though most Americans who gain weight at the holidays
add little more than a pound, the only thing that's slim in the new
year is the chance that the weight will ever go away.

Researchers have found that few people who gain a Christmas bulge
manage to lose it in the new year. Call it the slow creep of holiday
heft, and it can add up to serious weight problems over the years.

"Fifty-nine million people every year resolve to lose weight," says Amy
O'Connor, deputy editor of Prevention magazine. "I don't have any
statistics on how many lose weight because I suspect it's statistically
insignificant."

Though few studies have quantified how serious a problem seasonal gains
are, a report in the New England Journal of Medicine four years ago
indicated most Americans gain slightly more than a pound over the
winter holidays. Year after year, that adds up.

So where do we go wrong?

First, some basics. Health experts say women and older adults should
eat about 1,600 calories a day. Children and men should add 400
calories to that, while teenage boys and very active men get to eat a
total of 2,800.

Come the holidays some people treat those numbers like appetizers.

On Thanksgiving and Christmas the typical American eats about 25
percent more calories than on a normal day, says Harry Balzer, vice
president of consumer research firm NPD Group.

Christmas Eve sees a 10 percent increase, while New Year's Eve and Day
see single-digit jumps.

"On Christmas it's not only the gifts under the tree you're going to
get. You're also going to get a lot more calories," Balzer said.
"Thanksgiving too, but you'll be giving thanks for them that day."

Now factor in that on normal days the average American already overeats
by about 200 calories and a typical man could be looking at close to
3,000 calories for a holiday. That's enough food for a day-and-a-half.

But those meals alone don't do the damage; it's also everything you eat
between the big days that leaves you larger.

That's because Americans have become exceedingly good at celebrating
with copious amounts of food while simultaneously lowering the bar when
looking for excuses to celebrate.

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as any day we consider
celebratory, the typical American eats about 300 extra calories, says
Barry Popkin, head of nutrition epidemiology at the University of North
Carolina.

This is where the math gets scary. Apply those numbers to November and
December, when Thanksgiving and Christmas bookend an endless string of
parties, potlucks and other celebrations. And more than a month of
weekends.

It gets worse. Most of those extra calories come from fat and alcohol,
foods that are among the least likely to satiate and the most likely to
be overeaten.

And it isn't just how much we eat; it also is how little we do. Popkin
says that for many people, weekends and holidays are spent eating,
sitting and watching television. Sounds a lot like Thanksgiving.

Need more proof that we're overdoing it? Even Santa is getting fatter.

In 1996, the largest St. Nick outfit sold at Santasuits.com was
double-X, and sales of oversized suits accounted for just 12 percent of
business. Today, the company offers a quadruple-X, and plus-sized
outfits are a third of business.

Another change for the company -- most Santas no longer need extra
padding to fill out the suit.

"It's amazing how much larger the Santa suits keep getting," said
company spokeswoman Nanci Spano. "Nobody really needs stuffers anymore.
They're providing their own stuffing lately."

wrote in message
oups.com...
The article below says that most Americans overeat during the Holidays.
Low Carb idea is that you don't count calories because you're not
hungry anymore. How true is this for people here? If you're not
counting calories now, are you planning to count calories on Xmas and
New Year? Have you been able to give up social eating?

Thanks,
Elana

I don't count calories, but I am aware of them since I log everything into
fitday. I have never gone over 1600 calories a day. Most days it's more
like 1400. It seems just to work out that way. I stop eating when I don't
feel hungry anymore.

So far I have been to one holiday company party. It was a sit down dinner
and my meal was prime rib, green beans almandine, salad with some
vinaigrette, and a dessert bar. The prime was dry, so I had maybe half.
The beans and salad were good, so I ate those. Oh, I ignored the new
potatoes and the bread basket. For dessert, I sat and watched most everyone
else line up to the dessert bar and sit down with a plate full of 3-4
desserts. I didn't even get in line.

I was more wrapped up in conversation and people watching than I was with
food.

BUT...I did have a few rum and diet cokes. So social drinking obviously is
something I didn't give up. I didn't feel like I "gave up" dessert. I just
didn't want the resounding headache I knew that would come later.

Thanksgiving, on the other hand, was a mild wash out. But that's way behind
me. I hope Christmas isn't a replay (also at my folks, there is a recurring
theme of me at my folks' and self control flying out the window. I know,
grow up.)


--
Lisa
208/162.5/145-150
High weight in 2004: 228
Low-carb since June 2004

Low carb social eating can be done, but at fewer restaurants.

Not counting calories on low carb was an idea by Atkins and others, but is
not intrinsic to low carbing. I do both low carb and calorie counting.
Calorie restriction is exceptionally unpopular.

On low carb, appetite does seem to be reduced.

On Christmas, I intend to count calories, but not limit or restrict them.

I think most of the low carbers here do not restrict calories, they rely on
the reduced appetite.

wrote in message
oups.com...
The article below says that most Americans overeat during the Holidays.
Low Carb idea is that you don't count calories because you're not
hungry anymore. How true is this for people here? If you're not
counting calories now, are you planning to count calories on Xmas and
New Year? Have you been able to give up social eating?

Thanks,
Elana

wrote in message
oups.com...
The article below says that most Americans overeat during the Holidays.
Low Carb idea is that you don't count calories because you're not
hungry anymore. How true is this for people here? If you're not
counting calories now, are you planning to count calories on Xmas and
New Year? Have you been able to give up social eating?

I need to count calories.

wrote in message
oups.com...
The article below says that most Americans overeat during the Holidays.
Low Carb idea is that you don't count calories because you're not
hungry anymore. How true is this for people here? If you're not
counting calories now, are you planning to count calories on Xmas and
New Year? Have you been able to give up social eating?

I need to count calories.

If you count calories carefully, and weigh portions on a scale, you can use
Fitday and some math to predict where your weight will be in 2 months. I
find that a powerful tool and motivator.

Good luck.

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
The article below says that most Americans overeat during the Holidays.
Low Carb idea is that you don't count calories because you're not
hungry anymore. How true is this for people here? If you're not
counting calories now, are you planning to count calories on Xmas and
New Year? Have you been able to give up social eating?

I need to count calories.

If you count calories carefully, and weigh portions on a scale, you can use
Fitday and some math to predict where your weight will be in 2 months. I
find that a powerful tool and motivator.

Good luck.

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
The article below says that most Americans overeat during the Holidays.
Low Carb idea is that you don't count calories because you're not
hungry anymore. How true is this for people here? If you're not
counting calories now, are you planning to count calories on Xmas and
New Year? Have you been able to give up social eating?

I need to count calories.

Cubit wrote:
If you count calories carefully, and weigh portions on a scale, you can use
Fitday and some math to predict where your weight will be in 2 months. I
find that a powerful tool and motivator.

Good luck.

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
groups.com...

The article below says that most Americans overeat during the Holidays.
Low Carb idea is that you don't count calories because you're not
hungry anymore. How true is this for people here? If you're not
counting calories now, are you planning to count calories on Xmas and
New Year? Have you been able to give up social eating?

I need to count calories.





I just weighted myself everyday and recorded the weight on an
Excel spread sheet. Then I created a chart and after a week or so added
a trendline. I found that after 60 or even 90 days the chart was within
a couple of days of my actual weight. Granted it wasn't perfect, but it
didn't take a lot of effort either. The thing I liked the most was you
could plot a trendline out as far as you wanted. I made a blank template
of my spreadsheet so I could track a specific time period. And "YES" I
agree it was a great motivational tool to see the furture if I stuck to
LC'ing.

Cubit wrote:
If you count calories carefully, and weigh portions on a scale, you can use
Fitday and some math to predict where your weight will be in 2 months. I
find that a powerful tool and motivator.

Good luck.

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
groups.com...

The article below says that most Americans overeat during the Holidays.
Low Carb idea is that you don't count calories because you're not
hungry anymore. How true is this for people here? If you're not
counting calories now, are you planning to count calories on Xmas and
New Year? Have you been able to give up social eating?

I need to count calories.





I just weighted myself everyday and recorded the weight on an
Excel spread sheet. Then I created a chart and after a week or so added
a trendline. I found that after 60 or even 90 days the chart was within
a couple of days of my actual weight. Granted it wasn't perfect, but it
didn't take a lot of effort either. The thing I liked the most was you
could plot a trendline out as far as you wanted. I made a blank template
of my spreadsheet so I could track a specific time period. And "YES" I
agree it was a great motivational tool to see the furture if I stuck to
LC'ing.

wrote in message
oups.com...

The article below says that most Americans overeat during the Holidays.
Low Carb idea is that you don't count calories because you're not
hungry anymore. How true is this for people here? If you're not
counting calories now, are you planning to count calories on Xmas and
New Year? Have you been able to give up social eating?

I've been really good on low-carb this week. But it's evening and I am
still hungry...

doug