At Goal
For the Holidays
by Terry Simpson, MD, FACS
As the holiday season approaches there are plenty of temptations, but there is one thing to remember—your body is a perfect, and I mean perfect, calorie counter. So, as plates of fudge, cookies, snacks and other holiday items abound this year, it is time to think of food in a new light.Patients who make it to goal and stay there find that there is no indiscriminate eating. You eat at specific times, not around other times. Skipping meals leads to snacking, and it is a lot easier to graze your way into obesity than to sit down at a meal and eat a specified portion. So this time of year it is important to eat two or three meals a day to fill yourself and keep satiated.
One myth in the weight loss world is that you should eat six small meals a day. This is not only dangerous, but a recipe for obesity. The other name for six small meals a day is grazing. Often the excuse is that you must eat this amount in order to get protein in. In our workbook we show how you can easily consume the protein you need in two or three meals a day without resorting to snacks or other meals.
When it comes to eating, remember that there are two basics that you should include: protein and produce. There will be plenty of items that do not fit into those categories, and if you are filled with protein and produce you will be a lot less tempted to eat them.
Remember the basics. First, nuts are not high-protein snacks—nuts are high fat snacks. A handful of nuts is about 167 calories, which means to walk off that simple snack you need to walk two miles in thirty minutes. Likewise, peanut butter is a fat, not a protein or complex carbohydrate—the majority of calories are simply fat. It is not a good snack; it is not a reason to eat a cookie; it is not something that will add to celery; it is simply fat and high calories. In fact, a tablespoon of peanut butter contains more fat than your average hamburger. Finally, protein shakes will not fill your stomach—they are not a substitute for eating, and while they may make you feel full for a bit, chances are you do not need the overload of protein. The protein your body cannot use will simply be stored as fat.
The holiday season is a time for family, for sharing; it is not a vacation from getting to your goal or maintaining your weight. So sit down with family and friends and enjoy your meals. Do not eat on the run, do not skip meals, and if you are worried that you have had too much to eat—get out and walk it off.
Terry Simpson, MD, FACS is a weight loss surgeon in Phoenix and has authored several books. For more information visit www.drsimpson.net.
Click here for the PDF version of this article from its appearance in OH Magazine
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