Getting the Family Back into Shape
Is your family beach-ready? With weather warming, it's time to get back into shape.
If you’re like most of us, the cold weather months have left you with an extra pound or two that you’d be better off without. “During the winter, with all the parties, extra food and less physical activity, it’s very common to gain weight,” says Beverley Waithe, a nutritionist and certified diabetes educator at the Thyroid and Diabetes Center at Saint Peter’s University Hospital.
It’s a health concern, not just a matter of vanity, Waithe explains. And the concern isn’t limited to grown-ups. Says Susan R. Brill, M.D., a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital: “I think kids, especially adolescents, are even more susceptible than adults. Their holiday celebrations tend to feature more fattening candy, desserts and soda, and their exercise opportunities are more limited by cold weather.”
The smart move is to get your family on a weight-control regimen now. But take it slowly. “Don’t try to lose 100 pounds all at once,” says Carol Schindler, another nutritionist and certified diabetes educator at the Thyroid and Diabetes Center. “Set a realistic goal of 1 to 2 pounds a week, and you’re more likely to shed weight and keep it off.”
There is no mystery as to how to accomplish this: Eat fewer calories and exercise more. But these experts have a couple of tricks to help you succeed. “The first thing I advise is, eat three meals a day,” says Schindler. “Skipping meals catches up with you. Eating three meals helps you space out calories and control intake. At breakfast, include lean proteins such as eggs or egg whites, peanut butter or peanuts and soy nuts to help you feel full.”
Schindler also suggests two other lifestyle changes to help lose weight. “First, drink lots of water,” she says. “Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger, so go for the water bottle, not the snack. Second, get enough sleep. When you’re tired, you have less discipline. Also, sleep deprivation increases stress hormones, which can intensify blood sugar fluctuations and make you eat more.” To cut down on portion sizes when you eat out, observe the one-third rule, says Waithe. “Eat one-third of what’s on your plate and take the rest home,” she says. “Many restaurant portions are way too big and loaded with fat and salt.”
Help your kids regain control, Dr. Brill suggests, by establishing and consistently enforcing a regular meal schedule—including breakfast every day— and limiting snacks. “It’s good to give up sugary soda any time of the year, but especially now,” she says. And that means you too, not just your children. “When I ask kids why it’s hard to stop drinking soda, they often say, ‘My parents still buy it.’ That’s not helping your kids.”
Finally, these experts say, keep things simple. “Don’t overload your family with what seems a complex agenda of tasks— eating more of this, less of that, cutting down TV time, exercising more,” advises the doctor. “It will overwhelm them. Instead, set reasonable, achievable goals for them— and for you. Go for a family walk or bike ride, for example. If it doesn’t involve eating, it’s a good thing.”
