The cold, dark days; the social obligations; the tempting cookies and chocolates in our faces no matter where we turn are quite extraordinary. And with so many things working against us, how do we avoid winter weight gain?

The theme with my patients and clients during the winter/holiday season is maintenance.

There is no doubt that it is extremely hard to try to lose any weight between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. BUT maintenance is possible with a little effort.The first step is to figure out why weight gain happens. From my standpoint it’s quite simple. Most comfortable, weather friendly activities such as running, triathlons, tennis, golf, walking to work, etc. get harder to do outside in winter months – especially here in NYC. Without races, court or tee times holding one accountable; people’s activity levels tend to severely diminish or even stop.

The change in weather is further complicated by the proximity to additional calories that begins around Halloween.  Many food options become available during October, November and December that simply are not available during other times of the year.

So why weight gain happens in the winter /holiday season is simple – people are moving less and eating more. But that does not mean you cannot enjoy the season and maintain your current weight and fitness levels.

Below are a few tips to maintain your weight this holiday season:

1. Replace your Summer and Spring Activities – Especially triathletes and runners – hit the weights! Nothing keeps the fat off like strength training. If you insist on remaining cardio queens throughout the winter, however, gear up and purchase long cycling pants, get booties, get an ear band.

2. If you know social obligations will prevent you from your traditional evening workout, get up early and hit the gym. There’s a reason 6am spin classes exist.

3. Avoid excessive liquid calories – You do NOT need that peppermint mocha just because Starbucks says you do. The excessive booze certainly won’t keep your pants from getting tighter. Drink less by alternating with water and consumer your liquid calories and carbs wisely.

4. At parties,  go for the veggie platter first. If you shove a handful of bell peppers, carrots and celery down your throat before anything else, believe me, not much more will fit in your stomach.

- By Sarah Currie MS RD

For those who enjoy tennis, golf, cycling and running, adding another clothing layer should suffice. Early morning joggers and cyclists, however, should also consider purchasing long fingered gloves and toe booties to layer on top of your cycling shoes.

Now is also the perfect time of year to head out to the farmer’s market and stock up on seasonal fruits and vegetables. Squash and root vegetables are abundant during the fall months and are a unique and healthy option to add to your diet.

A low calorie option to pasta is spaghetti squash. It is easily prepared in the microwave or it can be baked in the oven.  It is very tasty and provides enough fuel for you to continue the outdoor activities that you love so much.

For a green market near you check out the list by visiting:  http://www.grownyc.org/ourmarkets.

Happy fall!

The new food diagram breaks down the plate into the following: 

• 1/4 of the plate as vegetables
• 1/4 of the plate as grains
• 1/4 protein
• 1/4 fruit
• A side of dairy

While this plate adheres to the recommended balance of foods, it does not account for caloric intake. Assuming a person serves their plate exactly as recommended and adheres to proper portion sizes, most people will be consuming too many calories for one meal.

On average, there are 50 calories per cup of veggies, 80 calories per fruit serving, approx. 200 calories in grains (starches) and above 200 calories for 4 oz of lean meat ( 6 oz. is average serving size) and 90 calories minimum for the dairy side. That totals 620 calories minimum, which for many people, is on the high side for one sitting.

With my clients, I traditionally breakdown the plate as follows:

• 50% vegetables
• 25% protein
• 25% carbohydrates (grains, breads, fruits etc.)

This meal diversity allows for the right mix of proteins and nutrients needed for the body to create energy and focus without excessive caloric intake.

Despite my differences with the government’s new plan, it is tremendous that it has finally embraced the evolution of the food pyramid.

- Sarah Currie, MS RD

For most New Yorkers, life can be pretty stressful. Not many of us seem to be exempt from the work hard/play hard mantra, even while being away from the city. Simply put – vacation is an escape from our “real” life. Exercise, nutrition and sleep patterns usually get thrown out the door. But why should we throw days, months or even years worth of living a healthy lifestyle out the door? Do not get me wrong – I’m not saying to become a total prude and refuse beach cocktails or order the chicken when you really, really, really want the steak. But what I am saying is to simply find a balance.

I was able to practice this concept of balance on a recent vacation to Aruba for a dear friends’ wedding. Not only was I able to transform my trip into a self-imposed triathlon training camp with a daily self-taught open water swimming class (ok so one day I only swam 10 minutes), but I also drank beer daily, ate food pairings and even conducted a bar review of Miami Vices.

Did you know that an 11.27 ounce can of Balashi Beer goes quite well with the chicken salad at the Radisson Hotel beach front restaurant? But the bar neglects to top its Miami Vices with a dark rum floater, which is, in my opinion, the best part of the frozen concoction. (We never did figure out the reason behind the 11.27ounce can.) My point is – if you create manageable guidelines, anyone can stick to a balanced health regimen while still enjoying yourself and not return home feeling the need to detox on the latest fad juice cleanse.

With that being  said, my friends and I came up with our top 5 vacation guidelines that hopefully will help you stay balanced while on your next vacation.

1. Be active every day, even if it’s just a walk on the beach or a quick swim

2. Sleep enough, whether you go to bed at a reasonable hour or nap during the day if you had a late night

3. Allow yourself one frozen drink per day. You might drink more alcohol than this, but watch your calories, these bad boys can easily cost you 400 each.

4. Eat 3 square meals. Make one light so you can enjoy dinner and/or dessert. No snacking

5. Drink plenty of water

Vacation season round two is upon us so if you blew it this Spring you have another chance this Summer to practice balance!

This entry was written by Physical Equilibrium Registered Dietitian Sarah Currie.

This year, Physical Equilibrium is pleased to announce that our Registered Dietitian, Sarah Currie, has been selected to serve on the panel of health experts. Her shift takes place this Thursday from 9am-12pm.

“This entire week of the diet hotline gives free access to legitimate health information from top NYC practitioners,” said Currie. “Many people either don’t have time (or don’t make time) to seek sound guidance so it’s a great chance to educate the general public. I’m looking forward to dispelling nutrition myths!!!!”

According to the Daily News, nearly 3 in 5 New Yorkers are overweight or obese. This hotline allows citizens suffering from weight issues of any magnitude to get free advice that can help lead to a healthier lifestyle.

The hotline will remain open until Friday, January 14^th at 5pm. Visit the Daily News web site for more information or call 212-210-2044 to speak with a health specialist today.

A bit ironic – Americans already pay taxes to help subsidize the production of corn; the same corn that produces the high-fructose corn syrup found in soda.  Now, with the proposed soda tax, American’s will be taxed for consuming an item in which they are paying  taxes  to help develop.  Christopher Bonanos, author of the article, writes: “In short: We pay federal taxes to make that can of Mountain Dew cheaper than it should be, encouraging us to buy it. Then we are scolded by public-health authorities for doing so. Then New York proposes another tax, to discourage us from buying it. This is nuts.”

No matter where you fall on this issue, most believe a lot needs to be done before soda can be taxed in a fair manner. Bonanos concludes with a tip for us New Yorkers – “drink seltzer, like a good New Yorker. No salt, no sugar, no subsidy.”

According to its Web site, the mission of Multisport World “is to create events for the multisport athlete that are high in quality and deliver an all around valuable experience.” And this years conference is truly representative of the organizations mission, as seminars include swimming technique, mental preparation tips and speed training. The organization holds numerous conferences and expos across the country throughout the year and is a primary sponsor of running and bicycling races.  A full list of seminars, sponsors and clinics for this Saturday’s event is available by clicking here.  We hope to see many friendly Phys Eq faces there!

Event Details:

Multisport World Conference & Expo
Saturday, April 18th; 8am-4pm
Location: West 75th Street Jewish Community Center.
Admission to expo and seminars is free; registration is required for participation in clinics

Physical Equilibrium registered dietitian Sarah Currie recently authored an article for the Web site Livestrong.com entitled A Meal Plan for Triathletes.  Livestrong.com is a blog dedicated to being “the  most valued online source of inspiring, relevant and useful health-related information.”

In the article, Sarah states that, “Whether you are preparing for a sprint, Olympic, half ironman (70.3 miles), or ironman distance triathlon, your nutrition plan should take as high a priority as your training plan.”  Additionally, Sarah provides readers with an easy way to calculate how many calories an athlete should consume daily while training.  For all of Sarah’s triathlon training nutritional tips, click here to read the full article.

Jack Rabbit will also be enlisting members for its New Years Resolution program, a fitness program its staff will help track and target.  Sarah will be on-site from 630pm-8pm at the Union Square location, but the event is taking place at both the UES and Park Slope stores as well.

Visit www.jackrabbitsports.com for more information.

GETfit, which is sponsored by FITTERWITH, is defined by its organizers as a “new event series that brings together people seeking fitness guidance with fitness professionals qualified to give it.”

The expo takes place on Sunday January, 10 from 11am-7pm and is located at the Adidas sports performance store on Broadway & Houston in SOHO.  It’s completely free to the public although registration is required. Preregistration is available here.

Hope to see lots of Phys Eq pros there!