ATLANTA, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Want to lose weight over the holidays - or at least maintain your weight? Don't diet; that's the recommendation from health coaches with Alere® LLC, a leader of personal health support solutions for large employers and health plans.

The average person gains about five pounds over the holidays. With obesity rates at near record levels, and new research highlighting the connection between obesity and several serious diseases, including cancer, more people are looking for recommendations that will help them to better manage their weight over the holidays.

Alere offers their clients the chance to participate in wellness programs, including weight management that offer personalized support through health coaching. These coaches, who are registered dietitians, behavioral specialists or fitness experts, have several tips based on their participants that have achieved long-term success, to help people avoid gaining weight over the holidays.

• Remember that Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa or other seasonal celebrations are just days. "People tend to get into trouble when they think of a holiday as an excuse to over-indulge," says Jackie Smoke, an Alere health coach and nutritionist. "There are always holidays - don't let that be an excuse to over-eat."
• Recognize there are lots of temptations over the holidays. Work on changing your mindset. Holidays should be a time of celebration, family and friends, not an excuse to overeat.
• Enjoy small indulgences. Restrictive diets lead to failure. Alere health coaches note that their most successful participants are those that indulge occasionally - and in small amounts - in their favorite holiday foods. Successful long-term weight loss doesn't come from diets; it comes from changing behaviors and lifestyles.
• Eat nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day of a holiday celebration. Don't try to "save" your calories so you can stuff yourself at a party. Also remember to watch alcohol intake; if you do drink, avoid high-calorie mixers.
• Make sure there are healthy dishes at the party or that you bring your own healthy options. Countless cookbooks and food shows have plenty of low-calorie good tasting holiday dining options. If you're going to a party, make sure there are healthy yet tasty and festive foods.
• Get rid of leftover food quickly. If you are hosting a holiday celebration, give it to guests or take it to the office. Successful Alere participants have found that keeping temptation out of the house can help with weight management. This is particularly important with "trigger" foods that lead to over-eating. In short, notes Smoke, "if you find pecan pie irresistible, make sure it's not around."
• Don't eat just to eat. Enjoy the social occasion but steer clear of the buffet table and the kitchen. Don't focus on the food at the party; focus more on enjoying friends and family.
• Don't starve the next day. Starving the day after a holiday event is not a solution. If you do fall off the proverbial wagon, simply return to healthy eating the next day, and don't forget to keep up your physical activity level. Think of the holidays in terms of how you do over a week and not over just a specific day.

Smoke and her colleagues also note that their participants that have achieved long-lasting success all had a good reason - or true motivator for their weight loss. "For most people, a motivator is much more than simply wanting to fit into an outfit," says Smoke. "The best motivators are those that matter to you such as a recognition that reducing your cholesterol will improve your entire life." Alere health coaches also recommend setting attainable goals - even small ones - reaching and celebrating achieving those goals and then moving on to new goals.

Alere's personal Health Coaching program is offered to large employers and health plans nationwide. In addition to weight loss, the program covers eating habits and nutrition, physical activity, tobacco cessation and stress management. Patients participating in the program enjoy unlimited 12-month access to a personal health coach. An expanded selection of communication channels include phone, email and Instant Message Chat (IM). The program is based on recognized behavior change and positive psychology principles that focus on the "whole person" - lifestyle, values and preferences - rather than just the health condition.

All Alere coaches are highly trained and include experienced nurses, registered dietitians, respiratory therapists, exercise physiologists and certified fitness instructors. They work with participants to develop behavior change plans that meet their needs and fit their unique lifestyles. The goal is to build sustained behavior change over time by helping individuals achieve small successes that inspire them to take on more challenging health issues.

About Alere

Alere (www.alere.com) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (www.invernessmedical.com) (NYSE: IMA). Alere, a Latin verb, meaning "to care for" or "to support", offers the most patient-centered health management services available from a single provider in the industry. Alere® services provide health interventions that are designed for the entire lifespan from pre-cradle (high-risk pregnancy and NICU management) to end-of-life care (complex care) as well as the continuum of health from wellness (health and productivity programs) and prevention to total health management of the individual for those having various chronic illnesses.

© 2009 Inverness Medical. All rights reserved. Alere is a trademark of the Inverness Medical group of companies.

SOURCE Alere