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Celebrating the extra pounds away published December 16, 1987 in The Thunderbolt If you're worried about gaining weight over the Christmas holidays, your troubles are at an end. You can eat all you want and not gain an ounce. You may even lose those extra pounds you gained over Thanksgiving. Sound good? It may sound familiar to those of you who read magazines. Every month the publishers seem to come up with a new diet. Either it's "Get in Shape for Summer Swim Suits," "Give Dad His Favorite Present--A New Body," or "Ski Your Fat Away." You can be sure there is one just for you, and if that one doesn't work, try again. After all, what do you have to lose? Just some weight. "Don't be a Scrooge," says Family Circle, a leading women's magazine. They have a wonderful new remedy for the "holiday bloats." Just drink six to eight glasses of water a day and cut down on your sodium. For the more serious dieter, Family Circle suggest boiled chicken or ground veal meatloaf when you're on the run, without those maughty calorie fiends--mayonaise, butter and cheese--of course! Ladies Home Journal contains a myriad of ideas to help while you're calorie counting so you can "have that second helping during the week of Christmas and New Years." Instead of chips and dip, they suggest veggies and yogurt, 140 claories less. Or how about trading your favorite freshly baked gooey chocolate chip cookies for the ever popular graham cracker? You can save 65 big calories! Journal also has some calorie burning holiday activities. One hour of sledding could burn 160 calories more than than an hour spent watching the snow fall. Instead of taking a pre party bath, go on a cleaning spree and burn 150 calories! "New" meal ideas are especially striking. How does a half cup nonfat yogurt mized with a quarter cup fresh fruit and a small bran muffin for brekafast sound? Sure beats the traditional leftover pie. For lunch you could choose between poached fish, lentil soup, spinach salad, or pureed cauliflower. All are under 200 calories! Some of the best ideas for dieting, however, have been suggested by students. "I wear my tightest pants on Christmas," said one girl. "That way I don't eat as much." "I just don't go grocery shopping during the holidays. That way I'm not tempted to go through the candy aisle and gorge," stated another. "Diets make you fat," explained Candice Clark. "But I like them anyway. Holidays are the best time to get fat, so they must be the best time to diet, too." If you can't bear the thought of giving up any holiday goodies, exercise is a fun and easy alternative. If you don't go for Jane Fonda, try jogging. For every mile you run, you burn 100 calories. Swimming is even better--400 calories per mile. But don't let the cold, sleet, hail or wind stop you. The more you exercise, the less you'll feel anything. In the 60's it was considered attractive to be "well-rounded." People weren't any less happy than they are now. So why is it so popular not to eat anything? You can eat right and not gain weight without dieting. But if you want to be really cool, say you're on a diet at least once a day. Even if you never lose any weight, you'll feel better about yourself. Return to home page

Celebrating the extra pounds away

published December 16, 1987 in The Thunderbolt

If you're worried about gaining weight over the Christmas holidays, your troubles are at an end. You can eat all you want and not gain an ounce. You may even lose those extra pounds you gained over Thanksgiving. Sound good?

It may sound familiar to those of you who read magazines. Every month the publishers seem to come up with a new diet. Either it's "Get in Shape for Summer Swim Suits," "Give Dad His Favorite Present--A New Body," or "Ski Your Fat Away." You can be sure there is one just for you, and if that one doesn't work, try again. After all, what do you have to lose? Just some weight.

"Don't be a Scrooge," says Family Circle, a leading women's magazine. They have a wonderful new remedy for the "holiday bloats." Just drink six to eight glasses of water a day and cut down on your sodium.

For the more serious dieter, Family Circle suggest boiled chicken or ground veal meatloaf when you're on the run, without those maughty calorie fiends--mayonaise, butter and cheese--of course!

Ladies Home Journal contains a myriad of ideas to help while you're calorie counting so you can "have that second helping during the week of Christmas and New Years." Instead of chips and dip, they suggest veggies and yogurt, 140 claories less. Or how about trading your favorite freshly baked gooey chocolate chip cookies for the ever popular graham cracker? You can save 65 big calories!

Journal also has some calorie burning holiday activities. One hour of sledding could burn 160 calories more than than an hour spent watching the snow fall. Instead of taking a pre party bath, go on a cleaning spree and burn 150 calories!

"New" meal ideas are especially striking. How does a half cup nonfat yogurt mized with a quarter cup fresh fruit and a small bran muffin for brekafast sound? Sure beats the traditional leftover pie. For lunch you could choose between poached fish, lentil soup, spinach salad, or pureed cauliflower. All are under 200 calories!

Some of the best ideas for dieting, however, have been suggested by students. "I wear my tightest pants on Christmas," said one girl. "That way I don't eat as much."

"I just don't go grocery shopping during the holidays. That way I'm not tempted to go through the candy aisle and gorge," stated another.

"Diets make you fat," explained Candice Clark. "But I like them anyway. Holidays are the best time to get fat, so they must be the best time to diet, too."

If you can't bear the thought of giving up any holiday goodies, exercise is a fun and easy alternative. If you don't go for Jane Fonda, try jogging. For every mile you run, you burn 100 calories. Swimming is even better--400 calories per mile. But don't let the cold, sleet, hail or wind stop you. The more you exercise, the less you'll feel anything.

In the 60's it was considered attractive to be "well-rounded." People weren't any less happy than they are now. So why is it so popular not to eat anything? You can eat right and not gain weight without dieting. But if you want to be really cool, say you're on a diet at least once a day. Even if you never lose any weight, you'll feel better about yourself.

Return to home page