Everyday Systems

I have been reading "Mindless Eating" this week and came across the example of Evolutionary Biology. The basic gist is that the human genome is programmed to pack in the calories during the autumn because the "starving" months of March and April were ahead.

No-S folks: Do you notice it harder to lose/maintain during the fall/early winter months than in the spring and summer?

I don't know that I find it harder to lose or maintain (and if so, blamed it on Christmas), but I crave much heartier, more calorie dense foods during the fall and winter. Light things that held a lot of appeal during the spring and summer hold no appeal now.

Whether it's biology or holidays (or both), I think it is clear that the holidays are not an optimal time for losing weight.

My advice has been:

1) adjust your expectations. You're probably not going to lose a whole lot from Halloween to New Years. Be happy if you maintain.

2) Keep an even greater (if that's possible) focus on behavior and literal compliance with the rules. If your N-days are green, and your S-days limited to actual legitimate holidays, you're going to do just fine. Think of the habitcal as a kind of advent calendar -- every morning you get a little reward of the consciousness of virtue

What I would avoid at all costs is the temptation to be excessively virtuous to compensate for your metabolism or holiday feasting. That's dangerous diet hubris and bound to fail. Simple ordinary moderation is hard enough during the holidays.

More in this podcast episode:

http://www.everydaysystems.com/podcast/ ... .php?id=15

Reinhard