‘Tis the season to gain weight

Mathis Winkler

COSTA MESA -- When Peter Vash starts talking about the holidays, it’s

easy to think that the season of joy is the most depressing time of the

year.

“Frustration, disappointment, loneliness, time constraints -- these

are all emotions associated with the holidays that cause people to feel

lonely and depressed,” Vash said.

But Vash’s views don’t mean that he’s trying to become a real-life

Grinch.

As a doctor at the Costa Mesa branch of Lindora Medical Clinics, which

specialize in weight-loss programs, he’s simply trying to raise awareness

that overeating is a real danger for many people during the holidays.

“People deal with unhappiness by eating high-carbohydrate, high-fat

foods, such as baked goods and candies,” he said, sitting in his clinic’s

conference room. “Be aware of the... hunger of the mind versus the hunger

of the stomach. People should verbalize their feelings rather than eat

[them.]”

Vash and his colleagues have come up with a list of unconventional

methods to help most people get through the holidays without putting on a

lot of weight.

His first round of suggestions still sound pretty self-explanatory.

“If [people] are going to go out to a party, they should have some

form of protein, such as low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat milk or turkey,”

Vash said, adding that he follows the advice himself. “It helps them get

through the party atmosphere.”

Another tip cautions against putting that first piece of chocolate or

candy in the mouth.

“If I don’t eat the first, I won’t eat the last,” Vash said, adding

that he makes sure to stay away from chocolate-covered nuts, his own

favorites.

Cutting back on alcohol, which is loaded with empty calories, also

helps to avoid guilty feelings, Vash said. Switching to sparkling water

-- maybe with a twist of lime or lemon -- will help keep weight down.

He also has a few ideas that are a bit more draconian.

Used to applying perfume on wrists and ear lobes? Directly under the

nose is the place to go, said Vash, pointing out that it helps reduce

seductive food smells and a person’s appetite, as a result.

His advice to wear snug clothes also seems a bit on the masochistic

side.

“People are reminded that [the clothes] are tightfitting and that they

shouldn’t eat any more,” Vash said.

Does the above advice still seems manageable? Well, some might have

problems following Vash’s last weight-control measure.

If “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Miracle on 34th Street” appear on

television or the tunes of “White Christmas” and “I’ll Be Home For

Christmas” get played on radio, changing channels or stations might be a

good idea, Vash said.

“People’s expectations aren’t realized,” he said, picking “Miracle on

34th Street” as an example. “Very few people get baskets of money

delivered to their homes.”

But despite all his warnings, Vash said that sinning once over the

holidays shouldn’t be devastating.

“People don’t get fat by eating one big meal,” he said. “It’s that big

meal every day that causes them to get fat.”

Oh, and one last bit of trivia out of Vash’s survival kit for the

holidays -- “desserts” spelled backward comes out as “stressed.” As if

you haven’t already figured that out.