Nutritional Counselor: Don't Diet After the Holidays

Are you worried about gaining weight over the ? Don't be.

Deprieving yourself of the food you love is what will actually cause you to gain weight in the long run, according to Deborah Kauffman, a Cockeysville-based nutritional counselor.

"Most people don't really gain much weight [over the season]," Kauffman said. "The metabolism actually increases to accommodate the extra eating."

But if you do gain some weight, Kauffman said the best way to get rid of it is returning to a normal eating pattern, not dieting.

"95 to 98 percent of people who diet end up regaining the weight within 5 years, and one-third to two-third of those will gain even more weight," she said.

Kauffman attributes the weight gain to a permanently slowed metabolic weight, increased number of fat cells and a higher level of lipoprotein lipase, a fat storing hormone, during and up to six months after dieting.

"Everyone has different dietary needs," she said. "Cutting down to a 1,200 or 1,500 calorie diet may be less than what the body nutritionally needs. The major cause of overeating is undereating."

Instead, Kauffman suggests, splurge a little during the holidays. Eat what you like, not the low fat, low carb version of it. Your body can handle it.

For more information, check out her website.