by Larry Magid

Most people put weight on during the holidays but I have a better idea. If you’re overweight, why not use the next 12 weeks to lose a few pounds and then try to keep your weight stable during the holiday season.  We’ll later worry about turkey, stuffing, latkes and Christmas but for now, let’s concentrate and what we can do to be in shape when the holidays do arrive.

Wouldn’t it be nice to sit down at the Thanksgiving table feeling a bit better than you do right now? Even if you do stuff yourself on November 27^th, it won’t be a big deal if you approach the holiday dinner a few pounds lighter.

The good news is that 12 weeks is enough time to make a difference. Most people can lose a pound a week without jeopardizing their health or having to go on a radical diet.

A pound equals 3,500 calories which means – to lose a pound between now and next week– you need to consume 3,500 fewer calories, burn 3,500 more calories or some combination of the two.

That’s only 500 calories a day and it’s not all that hard.  If you’re a beer drinker, you can save 148 calories by consuming one less 12 ounce beer. If you eat a typical desert such as a piece of pie and some ice cream, you might be able to cut 400 to 600 calories a day just by switching to something lighter like a piece of fruit or sugar free Jello Pudding with Cool Whip.

Do you think you’re “eating healthy” because you drink orange juice instead of sugary soda?  Orange juice is a good source of nutrients but don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s low in calories. A 12 ounce glass of Minute Maid Orange Juice has 177 calories – 31 more than an equal amount of Coca Cola Classic. Drink a 4 ounce glass or stick to water.

If you go out to restaurants you can save an enormous number of calories by cutting down on portions.  Ask for a doggie bag when you start your meal or – if you’re going out with someone else – split a meal. It can be just as satisfying, half the price and half the calories.  Ask the waiter to have the chef divide the meal. My wife and I split an incredibly opulent meal at a great restaurant when we were on vacation.  Even though the restaurant added a $10 split charge (often they’ll do it for free) it still wound up costing us only $90 instead of the $160 if we each had a whole meal. It was just as tasty, we spent just as much time dining, we had just as good a time together and we saved hundreds of calories.

Whether eating at home or at a restaurant, don’t pile up too much food on your plate but stick with serving sizes as suggested by the American Dietetic Association:

* Meat (3 ounces cooked, about the size of a deck of cards

* Fruit: about the size of a baseball

* Cheese (one ounce, about the size of four dice)

* Baked potato (small, the size of a computer mouse)

* Peanut butter (two tablespoons, the size of a golf ball)

I know it sounds compulsive, but try weighing and measuring your food for a week and looking up the calories for each portion.  You might be surprised. You’ll find calorie counters in the calculator section of www.nobellyprize.com

At meals fill your plate with the amount of food you think you should eat and don’t go back for more.  If you’re hungry, wait 20 minutes until your brain catches up with your stomach.  Eat slowly.  If you eat too fast your food will be gone very soon which is a big problem if you’re eating with people who eat at a regular pace. They’ll still be eating and you’ll be tempted to pile more food on your plate so while they’re finishing their (normal sized) meal.  I know this from experience. Even though I’ve lost and kept off a lot of weight, I still eat too fast and it remains my biggest dietary problem.

Another tip is to write down everything you eat, including portion size. Just keeping a journal is usually enough to make you conscious of what you’re eating. Avoid eating when standing or in front of the TV and don’t eat when you’re nervous, frustrated, depressed or angry.  Go for a walk instead.  .

Of course, being more physically active can also help you shed that 3,500 calories a week but don’t fool yourself. It takes a lot of exercise to burn off that many calories.  A nice 20 minute stroll after dinner is definitely better than sitting on the coach eating chips but – for a 150 pound person – a 17 minute per mile walk burns off only 96 calories. It’s a good start, but it won’t make up for an extra serving of ice cream.  If you make that a brisk walk (say a mile in 13 minutes) you increase your burn to 120 calories (the heavier you are, the more calories you burn – go to www.nobellyprize.com for fitness calculators).

In general, try to be more active. As I’ve said in past columns, take the stairs instead the elevator. Don’t drive around looking for the closest parking space, park far and walk briskly to the store – you not only burn more calories you’ll probably save time. Riding a bike instead of driving is not only good for you and the air but the time you save not having to park might make up for the slower speed of the bicycle.

Even if you take my advice, you can still pretend your Santa on December 25th. Only you’ll need some padding this time.

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