Baker, R.C. & Kirschenbaum, D.S. (1998).

1. Baker, R.C. & Kirschenbaum, D.S. (1998). Weight Control During the Holidays: Highly Consistent Self-monitoring as a Potentially Useful Coping Mechanism. Behavior Therapy, 17(4) 367-370.

2. Holiday Weight Change • 38 participants (32 female) • In PAR program an average of 50 weeks, average 21 pounds lost. • Examined 10 Weeks of Self-Monitoring • 3 Holiday Weeks • 3 Holiday Weeks (Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukah, and New Year’s Eve) • 7 Non-Holiday Weeks • 2 weeks before Thanksgiving, • 3 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, • 2 weeks following New Year’s Day

3. Holiday & Non-Holiday Weeks Compared Holiday Monitoring indexes vs. Non-Holiday monitoring indexes: Holiday week monitoring indexes (w3+w7+w8)/3 Non-Holiday week monitoring indexes (w1+w2+w4+w5+w6+w9+w10)/7

4. Monitoring Index Calculations • All foods eaten (at least three distinct food entries) + any food eaten + any time food was eaten + any quantity of food eaten + any grams of fat consumed - not monitoring • Range = -7 to +35

5. Mean Weekly Weight Changes for Four Quartiles of Self-Monitoring Consistency During Holiday and Non-Holiday Weeks

6. Summary • Holidays were demonstrated to be high-risk situations by producing substantial decrements in self-monitoring. • Only the highly consistent self-monitoring participants consistently lost weight over the 10 weeks of the study. • The least consistent self-monitoring group was the only group that consistently gained weight over the 10 weeks of the study.

7. Conclusions • Benefits of self-monitoring seemed to extend over the holidays, providing a buffering effect for the potentially adverse impact of the holidays • Participants gained 500% more weight during the holiday weeks compared with the non-holiday weeks. • “It may take nearly perfect self-monitoring to buffer the effects of certain high-risk situational challenges.” • “Taming the formidable biological challenges of weight control requires a remarkable degree of attention, control, and concentration, especially during the holidays.”

8. Impressions & Suggestions • Are the Weight Changes Really Significant? • What Constitutes a Holiday? • Can Self-Monitoring be used as a “Slump Buster?”

9. “Classic” Holiday Scenario • Disruption in normal routine. • Traveling or having guests • Changes in normal schedule • Higher than normal levels of socialization and entertainment • Increased food temptations