Middle
management
No need to put stretch pants on your holiday
wish list this year. Instead, give yourself the
gift of these 15 slimming tricks.
BY MARESSA BROWN |
PHOTOS LEVI BROWN
W
e’re blaming
this one on
Santa. His
belly shakes
like a bowl full
of jelly, yet he doesn’t think twice
about scarfing cookies and milk.
And instead o f burning calories
by walking briskly from house to
house, he lounges in a sleigh while
reindeer deliver him by air. W ith
that kind of holiday example, it’s
no wonder we mortals are getting a
little plump.
Indeed, one study at Tufts
University in Boston suggests that
51 percent o f annual weight gain
occurs during the brief stretch
from Thanksgiving to New Year’s
Day. Part of the problem is that on
holidays we eat up to 900 calories
more than usual. On top o f that,
the average American attends
at least four parties
near
the
holidays— often with equally indul-
gent menus. But it really pays to
maintain weight: A study published
in
The New England Journal of
Medicine
shows that even one extra
holiday pound can hang around for
months, raising long-term obesity
risk. So we turned to 11 successful
dieters to get their secrets on
dodging the gain.
SHOOT AND SCORE
“At holiday get-togethers in years
past, I relied on food to help me
cope with social jitters. Then I
discovered something better:
my camera! Acting as party
photographer keeps my hands
occupied and gives me the courage
to mingle. I even keep a pen and
notebook in my pocket to jot down
the e-mail addresses of guests so I
can send them my photos. It works
like a charm— no fruitcake needed!”
Marilyn Santiesteban, 55
Newton, Massachusetts
L o st 4 0 p ou n d s in 20 0 8
2 3 8
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS |DECEMBER 2010 | BHG.COM
