Oh, those dreaded 3 to 4 pounds that creep up over the holidays. Extra food goes down easy with the cookies, pies and candy, doesn't it? But come January, the weight is tough to get off.
Here's a simple habit that may help: weigh yourself often. Sounds so simple, right? But a study found that twice-weekly weighs made all the difference in weight gain.
The results from the so-called Winter Weight Watch Study were published earlier this month in the medical journal BMJ. Scientists from the University of Birmingham's Institute of Applied Health Research and the School of Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom carried out the trial.
The researchers divided the 272 participants into an intervention group and a control group. Members of the intervention group were asked to record their weight at least twice a week, although preferably more often. Researchers took the first weight measurements in November and then followed up in January.
The researchers encouraged the participants in the intervention group to think about their weight and how it was changing over time. As the authors wrote, the intervention "aimed to promote restraint of energy consumption."
Also, the participants were given tips about managing weight and provided with a list of festive foods along with information on how much physical activity they would need to do to burn off the calories of each food they had consumed. For example, it would take 21 minutes of running to burn off the calories found in one slice of mincemeat pie. The control group, on the other hand, only received a leaflet about healthy living.
After adjusting the data for confounding variables, the researchers found that the individuals in the intervention group had gained less weight than those in the control group — an average of 1.1 pounds less.
Those in the intervention group also showed more restraint, managing to limit their calorie intake more than those in the control group.
The authors believe regular weigh-ins are essential. Regular weighing and recording of weight to check progress against a target (self-monitoring) has been shown to be an effective behavioral intervention within weight management programs.
The bottom line? Hop on that scale often. It will help you keep your weight under control.
Q and A
Q: Are whole-food supplements better than regular supplements?
A: There's little argument that a healthy, well-rounded diet is superior to a poor diet with dietary supplements filling in the gaps. Regardless, the supplement industry is booming, raking in over $28 million in 2010 alone. While research indicates that isolated nutrients, such as vitamin C and B12, may help prevent deficiencies like scurvy and anemia, evidence that supplements offer the same health benefits as real food is lacking. In response to our growing appreciation for the health benefits found in whole food, some supplement manufacturers are marketing whole-food supplements, derived from whole foods — examples include vegetable juice powder and pulp from carrots, beets, kale, broccoli and other fruits and vegetables. Though it may seem like these supplements provide nutrients closer to the way nature intended, there's little evidence backing up their benefits over conventional supplements. Consolidating all the benefits of plants, from vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals, into a single pill — no matter its source — is highly unlikely. And whole-food supplements are costlier than regular supplements; about 90 cents to $1 per dose versus 10 to 20 cents per dose, respectively.
Information courtesy of Environmental Nutrition.
RECIPE
Here's a great winter recipe for the crowd that's tired of turkey. It's a savory beef stew from Hy-Vee that you can make in the morning and have ready for supper.
SAVORY BEEF STEW
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
3 cups no-salt-added beef broth
1 cup water, divided
1 1/2 pounds red or Yukon gold potatoes, cut up
1 cup chopped onion
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 (1-ounce) package dried shitake mushrooms
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Fresh thyme, for garnish
Heat oil in skillet, over medium-high heat. Brown meat, drain and transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add broth, 1/4 cup water, potatoes, onion, carrots, parsnip, celery, mushrooms, tomato paste, garlic, salt, pepper and thyme. Add bay leaves. Cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours, or on high heat for 5 to 6 hours. Turn slow cooker to high heat. Combine remaining 3/4 cup water and cornstarch; stir into stew mixture. Cover and cook for another hour, or until stew is thickened. Discard bay leaves. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired. Serves 6.
Per serving: 400 calories, 29 grams protein, 39 grams carbohydrates, 15 grams fat, 75 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams fiber, 470 milligrams sodium.
Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee in Springfield, Illinois, and the media representative for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRD. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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