CHabstain

My appetite seems to have missed out on my body's most recent news headline:

Fuel Demands Plummet in Wake of Marathon Completion 

Now that my weekly running mileage has dropped from 45 to zero, I must take a hard look at my fueling strategy. During those high-mileage weeks, I refrained from all-out splurging, but I did allow certain indulgences. Without all the calorie-torching mileage, however, I am destined to pack on about 2 pounds per week unless I make some dietary adjustments. If only my appetite were as logical as my marathon training program.

This comes as no surprise. Every fall, I carefully tiptoe from October to December in the hope of avoiding the caloric sandbags from Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas parties, and Christmas Eve. I have a number of strategies to help me accomplish this task, considering my strong sense of discipline yet seemingly utter lack of self-control: daily weigh-ins (with graphs!), food journaling, checking online resources for nutritional information of various restaurant entrees, etc. I accept that I'll never be as lean as elite runners, and my current (hard-fought) weight is finally in range for my height. I know it sounds obsessive, but an additional 10 pounds can slow my next 5K by more than a minute.

None of the above strategies is as fun as the CHUB plan, as I call it. You will not read this in any book. It is not a diet (I don't 'diet'). It is not grounded in much medical fact. No dietician will endorse this plan. But for me, it is easy to remember, and not difficult to follow. Most experts tell you never to cut out an entire food group (good advice). In this plan, however, I simply avoid the following CH- items till CHristmas (It has a nice ring to it when you sing it Beastie-Boys style: "No. CHUB. Till Christmas!"):

1. No CHips. Loyal friends could wax philosophical of my fondness for tortilla chips. I find them irresistible: once I start, I am virtually unable to quit. The nutritional value of a tortilla chip is minuscule (so "slim to none, that Slim left town"). The "no CHips" mantra also applies to French fries (think Brit). Recently I've also had to boycott Stacy's Pita Chips, so tastily irresistible that I find an 8-serving bag lasts only 3-4 days.

2. No CHocolate. This one would seem to speak for itself, but all chocolate is not equal. I permit a 4-8 oz. glass of chocolate milk for recovery after a run. (A 2006 study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that chocolate milk is as good as or better than Gatorade for replacing glucose in fatigued muscles.) I also respect the high-antioxidant health benefits of dark (>70% cacao) bittersweet chocolate, so a small square once daily is OK. Bioflavonoids never tasted so delicious.

3. No CHai. Not a coffee-drinker, I've found a chai tea latte to be a comforting coffee-substitute, which allows me to join the hot beverage and coffeehouse culture. There are a number of health benefits to brewed chai, which is a spiced black tea, with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and various other spices. It is the added sweetener and milk/cream that turn an innocuous cup of tea into a 350-calorie splurge. Brewed chai? Yes. Chai latte from the Jax or Starbucks drive-through? Not till Christmas. (This is admittedly the toughest in my list. Fall is made for harvest flavors, right?)

4. Nothing off the CHildren's plates. How many times have I polished off 200 extra calories just to avoid scraping it into the disposal? At a restaurant, I may diligently order a healthy entree, but then devour the remaining fries or bacon that my kids leave behind. (This should be a year-round rule, right?)

5. Nothing with a CHaracter. If the food item needs a mascot, it probably isn't inherently good for you (think Tony the Tiger, Keebler Elf).

Following a careful plan of CHabstention, I can allow other holiday indulgences and not feel cheated. Meanwhile, I can sensibly indulge in my CHub list the entire rest of the calendar year.

Do you have any tricks to help prevent weight gain through the holidays?

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