The holiday season brings happiness and good times to many, but they also bring challenges to almost everyone, especially with healthy eating.

The average person gains 1-2 pounds a year. Most people gain about 3-5 pounds over the holidays, then lose about half of that when the holidays are over. 

That doesn't sound like much, but 1-2 pounds a year of weight gain in ten years adds up to ten to twenty pounds, and in twenty years, that becomes twenty to forty pounds.

 This can pose a significant health risk. All from 1-2 pounds a year!

It turns out that just ten extra calories every day will increase a person's weight by a pound by the end of a year. This is why at Mount Nittany Physician Group Weight Management, we believe that small changes can significantly improve health. This holiday season, we encourage you to avoid a few extra calories over the holidays to prevent this cycle of weight gain. Try these tips:

• Choose drinks wisely. Look for calorie-free drinks, such as flavored water, tea, or seltzer. Alcoholic beverages and many fruit punches can be full of calories and short on nutrition.
• Choose lean cuts of meat, like turkey or other white meats. Consider substituting meat with fish more often as well.
• At holiday parties, fill up on vegetables, salad, and fruits and use low-calorie and fat-free salad dressings. Consider contributing a healthy dish to the festivities.
• Allow yourself to splurge within moderation. Take small portions, and eat slowly to give yourself time to digest. If you did overindulge, don't beat yourself up. Just make sure your next meal is healthy, and be sure to incorporate exercise into your routine.

You can still enjoy yourself and have a few treats, but be mindful of being balanced by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Holiday's bring extra calories in the forms of added snacks, beverages, and larger, more decadent meals.  Our team has many tips that can help you through the holiday season and to use all year long.

Weight management is part of Mount Nittany Physician Group, located at 1850 Park Ave Suite 312 in State College. The office is currently accepting adult patients 18 years and older who want to improve or maintain their weight. Patients can be referred by another provider or can self-refer.

For more information about weight management at Mount Nittany Health and to schedule an appointment, please visit mountnittany.org/weightmanagement.

Dr. Klink and the weight management team will be sharing weekly tips to help you make this a healthy holiday season.