AMARILLO, TEXAS -- It's past the first of the year and by now many of you are looking at the scale and it's the numbers that are telling the truth. But how much weight is normal to gain during the holidays? We checked with a Gold's Gym trainer in Amarillo and she said five pounds is normal, anything else, and it's time to hit the gym.
"Weight gain can throw you off track to get your diet back on schedule and the longer you go without getting on track, the more you're at risk for heart disease and diabetes," said Kristen Wilbur, a trainer at Gold's Gym.
To burn off those extra calories, she said simply, exercise more. So let's say you work out for 30 minutes a day, increase it to 45 minutes. If you exercise three times a week, move it up to five times a week.
Body Mass Index, BMI, is a chart that many doctors use, "to see how much fat you have compared to lean body mass. It will give you an area of where you are with your health."
Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 or higher; obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher. The more body fat you have, depending on height and weight, etc., the more you are geared towards heart disease and diabetes.
Do you want to calculate your BMI? If so, you can click here.
As your weight increases to reach the levels referred to as "overweight" and "obese" the risks for the following conditions also increases, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Those conditions are listed below.
* Coronary heart disease
* Type 2 diabetes
* Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
* Hypertension (high blood pressure)
* Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
* Stroke
* Liver and Gallbladder disease
* Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
* Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
* Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)
Besides exercise, good nutrition plays an essential role in maintaining health. Wilbur said proteins are building blocks, they are made up of amino acids, which give your body energy.
She said get rid of refined sugar, all of it. You can substitute cooking with more whole grains and wheat flour instead of white flour. If you get a sugar craving, she suggests sugar-free Jell-O or Weight Watcher chocolate cookies.
But what about when it's cold?
It's hard to get to the gym on those days, and Wilbur said that's okay, stay home, but just make sure you're doing something. She suggests a workout DVD to keep up the plan.
