Are you scared that you will gain weight this Christmas season? Various seasonal holidays may encourage sedentary eating behaviour and consumption of calorie-rich foods. And now, nutritionists have confirmed that gaining weight during Christmas is not a myth.
Ms Jemimah Khamadi, a nutritionist at Action Against Hunger Kenya attributes eating as an integral part of family get-togethers, relaxation and merry making -- aspects that define the general spirit of Christmas. Coupled with extravagant and excessive eating and reduced physical activity, weight gain is highly possible.
Ms Eunice Nthenya of Nutrition by Nthenya says consumption of a lot of processed carbohydrates and calorie-dense foods, heavy drinking during Christmas also raises chances of weight gain, even if a person doesn’t physically get fat. This is besides taking sugary drinks and alcohol, coupled with less activity that results from people just wanting to sit.
To avoid gaining weight during this season, Ms Khamadi advises people to avoid excessive consumption of foods that naturally contain high fat content such as whole milk, avocado, fatty meat and nuts.
Modifying recipes, she says, is important to lower the calorie content. To do this, one can replace butter with mashed bananas or pumpkin puree when baking, and sweetening drinks with fruits that are freshly squeezed instead of sugar.
“Letting your guard down because you feel it’s Christmas time and you need to celebrate will make you gain weight. This includes using a lot of fat or oil during preparation of food, so that you eventually gain weight even if the food you were cooking was healthy,” says Ms Khamadi.
It is also important to get enough sleep, as people who do not get enough sleep tend to be hungrier, and therefore eat more calories, in addition to engaging in less physical activity.
Ms Nthenya advises people to cook and eat at home to allow for tracking of the amount of oil and food consumed.
Portion control and being mindful of what you eat is important, she emphasises. You do not have to eat everything that is appealing with you, she warns, while adding that using a smaller plate even at a buffet will help because it will fill up fast and deny you space for piling on more food.
“Decide on the meal you want to take prior to getting to the table. If you are visiting family, and say you have only decided on eating chicken, stick to eating that. Don’t mix it with beef, pork, mutton and other meats. I realise that most people do not take plenty of vegetables and fruits yet it is equally important,” says Ms Nthenya.
She stresses taking random walks with family, dancing and swimming if possible.
“Remember to drink your water. For every glass of alcohol you take, drink two glasses of water. Do not go for sugary desserts every time you eat. Mix or replace them with fruits, which will give you the exact amount of sugar you need in one sitting,” says the nutritionist.
“Do less of drinks. Choose to drink either fruits or alcohol on a particular day instead of taking both,” she adds.
Taking your weight every week to track it is important, she notes. This should remind you of what to do not to overindulge.
When it comes to children, both experts say controlling weight gain for children is a bad idea because children are meant to gain more calories as they grow. The only measure is to make sure they do not eat sugary and fast foods, they say.
Parents and guardians should make sure children are very active by keeping them away from the television for as long as possible.
“Let them go out to play, allow them to ride bicycles, take walks with them and most importantly, know that babies and teenagers are likely to lose weight because they are very active and have high calorie need, which is why they need to eat well,” says Ms Nthenya. The baby’s birth weight and family genes should also be considered.
“You don’t have to wait for January to make a lifestyle change,” concluded Ms Nthenya.
