Slow and steady wins the race with preventing holiday weight gain

Increasing your pant size may seem inevitable this winter season as so many of us seem to munch our way through the holidays. At parties and days of celebration, we often find ourselves grazing throughout the day or eating plates and plates full of mouthwatering classics. By the end of the day, pants are tight, stomachs are uncomfortable and pounds are added. Believe it or not, there is one small strategy that we dietitians recommend that does not involve changing or avoiding your favorite treats: PACING. The old saying is right, "slow and steady wins the race."

The special signals between our bodies and our brains react differently to the type of foods we eat and how fast we are eating. While we are eating, a hormone is released to our brain to let the brain know that our stomach is full and does not need more food. This alert system is not instant; therefore, it is possible to eat too much food before you even know you were satisfied. The saying, "it takes 20 minutes to know you are full" is relatively correct; however, 20 minutes is just a rough estimate. Everyone is different. The point is, the slower you eat, the easier it is for the stomach-to-brain signal system to work accurately.

The types of food can also affect how hungry or full you feel throughout that day of dining. Carbohydrates (Rolls, fruit, rice), in general, are digested in the stomach the fastest. Because of the quick time in the stomach, we are likely to feel hungry soon after we eat only carbohydrates. For example, a roll will probably keep you full for an hour.

Protein and fat, however, are digested much slowly. Protein (turkey, eggs, fish) and fat (butter, cheese) are very complicated and difficult for our stomachs to break down and digest. Therefore, protein and fat stay in our stomachs for longer, preventing our bodies from feeling hungry.

So how does this tie into our pant size during the holidays? Putting the information together, follow these small pieces of advice:

Slow it Down:

Take time to really taste and savor your food. By eating small courses like an appetizer, salad, soup, then main course, our stomach and brain have the chance to communicate and signal feelings of fullness much more efficiently. The accurate feelings of fullness will stop us from eating before we over indulge.

Combine Foods:

Since our bodies digest food at different speeds, during each course, match foods like cheese and crackers, or turkey and potatoes. These pairs provide a quickly digested food (cracker and potato) to curb hunger and a slowly digested food (cheese and turkey) to keep you full longer.

It is possible to enjoy all of the holiday food while keeping the same pant size this holiday season. Pacing yourself and eating a variety of foods will help to curb the annoying hunger, prevent the pains of overeating, and stop the unwanted holiday weight gain.

Dr. SeAnne Safaii, Ph.D., RD, is an assistant professor at the University of Idaho.