It’s the most gluttonous time of the year.
By Rick Rogers

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year’s and the bowl games and cookies and the beverages, the average American puts on a good 10 pounds during the holidays.

Were we all budding sumo wrestlers or offensive linemen this would hardly matter. But instead we’re a people who eat and drink first and regret later, usually around Jan. 1 when all those well-meaning resolutions come due.

No need to hector you with the obese numbers concerning U.S. obesity. Fact is we need to do a lot better at getting slimmer to drive down surging rates of Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and other weight-related ills.

The average American male now weighs 195 pounds and the average woman checks in at 165. Fully two-thirds of us are overweight. We must take a stand somewhere and the holidays are a good if uncommon place to start.

So let’s take a look at the holidays and maybe find a few places to cut corners to help keep the weight off.

First, understanding a few numbers is key.

Topping the list is 3,500. That’s the number of calories that makes up a pound of fat. It’s also the number of calories you must burn over and above what you consume to lose that pound.

The second is 2,000. That’s the ballpark number of calories someone needs to maintain their weight. Roughly speaking, consume less than 2,000 calories and you’ll lose weight. Consume more and you’ll gain.

There are, of course, variations. A physically larger person naturally needs more calories and a smaller person less. So do athletes because they expend energy in training. But for most of us the 2,000 calories-a-day rule works just fine.

Another way of thinking of this is to consider your body a bank account and calories like dollars. Deposit more dollars than you take out and your account gets fatter. Take more out than you save and your account gets flatter.

There are really only two ways to lose weight without resorting to surgery and they best work hand in hand.

One is to consume fewer calories and the second is to burn more.

The best answer is to do both. Reduce calories while exercising more. Cutting calories is the key.

Yes, but how, especially during the holidays when temptation lurks on every plate?

Start by reducing empty calories, which are calories from beverages and food that offer no or little nutritional value.

For example, a can of soda typically contains 140-150 calories and except for some carbohydrates offers next to no nutritional value whatsoever.

And limit anything fried or made from batter.

To get a better handle on other foods and drinks that also offer nothing except calories that you’ll regret later, check out the government website http://www.choosemyplate.gov.

So far as exercise goes, go for a walk — even if for five minutes — or jog.

For walking, you can determine calories burned per mile by multiplying your weight by 0.53. For instance, if you weigh 165 pounds then your total burn would be 87 each mile. If you weigh 195 pounds, you will burn a total of 103 calories.

To estimate calories burned by running, simply multiply your weight by 0.63.

Figuring out a way to do without or burn 500 calories a day equates to a four-pound weight loss in a month. I’ll drink to that.