With Thanksgiving just weeks away, the holiday weight gain season is upon us.
If you are looking to get some help with weight management, Metropolitan Methodist Weight Loss Center offers various services to help patients get through this time of year.
“The holiday weight gain typically starts the last week of November, and it goes through about the first two weeks of January,” said Analicia Mireles, a bariatric registered dietician for Methodist Healthcare. “Over six to seven weeks, we see a weight gain of one to two pounds, and throughout the year, that’s about 50% the general population gains.”
The Metropolitan Methodist Weight Loss Center offers virtual cooking classes and weight loss seminars for the community to learn about weight management and healthy living, and healthy eating habits for the holidays.
“If you’re looking for resources, one of the ones we use most commonly here at the clinic is the virtual YMCA portal the San Antonio YMCA (is) offering, and it’s free, which includes on-demand workout videos you can access.”
To make some healthier food choices for the holidays, here are seven swaps to consider to save extra calories.
- Swap 1 tablespoon of butter for 1 tablespoon of pumpkin.
- Swap 1 cup of butter for ¼ cup Greek yogurt and ½ cup butter.
- Swap honey for the same amount of yacon syrup.
- Swap vegetable oil for the same amount of pumpkin.
- Swap sour cream and heavy cream for the same amount of Greek yogurt.
- Use monk fruit, stevia, or Truvia as sugar replacements.
- Add ground flax seeds or chia seeds to your favorite baked goods to increase the fiber content.
The Methodist Weight Loss Centers provides bariatric services to help people determine if they are candidates for surgical options for weight loss.
To learn more about Methodist Healthcare’s free virtual cooking classes on Facebook, click here.