Four Tips for Shedding Extra Holiday Weight

I'm not a doctor, just a college student with practical experience in the field of holiday weight gain. It sneaks up on us, and if we aren't careful the bad habits we form during our 1-4 week vacations during the holidays can carry over for years unless we consciously do something about it. With this in mind, I have compiled a list of things I do after the holidays to control my weight and restore order and normalcy to my routine.

1 - Keep it in the kitchen
One of the most dangerous things about the holidays for our weight is that we have tons of time to watch TV and movies. We want to relax after a long period of uninterrupted work so we lounge around our couch and passively entertain ourselves with Good Times re-runs. The problem is that when we watch more TV, we want to do stuff with our hands leading us to eat more. Suddenly, we aren't just eating in front of the TV, but eating at work and in front of our computers. When you get back into your routine try to watch out for bringing your snacks into your living room or den and only go to the kitchen when you are hungry. The inconvenience of having to get up alone should deter you from eating too much. Dyn-o-mite!

2 - Single-Serving Snacks

Its easy to ignore the health information on the back of our favorite food's packaging. Who wants to be burdened with percentages and 8-syllable organic compunds when we just want some damned potato chips? The problem with buying bags and boxes of snacks is that its much too easy to just chow down half a box without thinking about serving size. Instead, try pouring the snacks into a container like a small bowl or a tray. That way you can visualize how much you are eating from the get-go and you will feel more full. Keeping the box out will just cause us to keep eating when we get a bit more room in our stomachs.

3 - Ditch the soda

Another problem with being at home is that we suddenly have access to soft drinks during the day that cost $3.00 a 12 pack rather than $1.25 for a 20 ounce bottle. At work, you most likely only resort to the vending machine at lunch time or when you are really thirsty (if there isn't a water cooler). At home, we have more free time and we just get thirstier. The cost efficiency of drinking more soda at home leads to an extra 150 calories per 12 oz, so try giving up Cokes or limiting them to one a day to prevent the caffeine from controlling your life.

4 - Go to bed earlier

Studies do show that there is a definite link between gaining weight and not getting enough sleep. But for the same reasons why we shouldn't eat in front of the TV, its better to overcome holiday insomnia to keep our weight in check. When we are at home and staying up until 4 or 5 in the morning to catch "just one more" stand-up routine on Comedy Central, we get a craving for what Taco Bell infamously calls the "Fourth Meal." Don't be fooled, this (nor Taco Bell's disgusting albeit delicious grade-F horse meat) is not good for our bodies.

We aren't metabolizing this food because our bodies are in a state of decadent rest, and the lack of sleep will prevent us from having a chance to burn the calories off. If you have to stay up late, fill yourself up with water or do some sit-ups in front of the TV to make yourself tired and feel better about the turkey leg and cranberry sauce you had for dinner.