Fort Washington, U.S.A. — There are a wide range of estimates pinpointing the amount of weight Americans gain over the holidays, but one thing is for sure – you know it when you feel it. On the heels of the average American consuming more than 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day, it’s no wonder that for many “Black Friday” can feel like “Fat Friday.” Whether it’s .2 pounds or two full pounds, gaining weight at the start of the holiday season can set the stage for a fattening few weeks and ultimately lead to permanent weight gain, but the good news is “Black Friday” doesn’t have to be “Fat Friday.”

Nutrisystem, the nation’s leading provider of home delivery weight loss programs, explained why this is a key dieting juncture and issued a series of related tips to help people get back on track. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also has advice.

According to the Calorie Control Council, the average person will consume more than 2 ¼ times the amount of calories they normally would during Thanksgiving Day’s national food fest. It is not unusual for a holiday dinner alone to tally up to 3,000 calories with the fat equivalent of three sticks of butter.

Registered Dietitian and one of the research heads at Nutrisystem, Meghan Nichols, describes the day after Thanksgiving as a “critical turning point for dieters.” Nichols oversees some of the company’s counseling support available online and by phone. “This is the time a lot of people either ‘go off the wagon’ or make a quick correction and get back on track. It’s a really challenging time for anyone trying to lose weight.”

Nichols offers the following tips for achieving dieting success even if you’ve already stuffed the turkey and yourself.

Tips for Making Sure “Black Friday” Isn’t “Fat Friday”

Own Up to the Number: It can be a rough day to get on the scale, but it’s one of the most objective ways to keep yourself accountable. While a weight gain of a pound or two may seem unimportant, studies have shown that each year, people gain the most weight within the 6-week winter holiday period, and tend to hold on to that weight through the remainder of the year, with the average American adding on an extra 2 pounds every year of their adult life.

Keep Your Eye on the Prize: Just because you may have thrown caution to the wind for a day or two, doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel on your weight loss goals. Visualize success, stick to your game-plan and forge ahead. Remembering that this is a journey, not a race, is key.

Shop Till You Drop: Even if you’re not buying anything, it can be a good day to hit the mall or an outdoor outlet center and window shop while you walk. Increasing physical activity is a great way to prevent weight gain during this high-risk time. Wear comfortable shoes and throw on a pedometer if you’ve got one. Web MD’s Fit-o-Meter can help you calculate how many calories you’ll burn.

Go Low GI: From the office, to the family holiday party, tempting food may be lurking around every corner during this time. Be sure to plan ahead by preparing foods that feature ingredients that are low on the glycemic index (GI), like whole grains, fruits and nuts. Low-glycemic index eating is a proven approach to managing hunger which can help you resist overindulging. The Nutrisystem community is chock full of tips and recipes that can help you say no to that snickerdoodle.

Dont Blame it on the Cost: Needless to say, it can be a costly time of year with out-of-pocket expenses going toward holiday gifts. But Nichols cautions about using “I can’t afford it right now” as an excuse not to sign up for a proven successful weight loss program. Nutrisystem has plans starting as low as $8 a day and most Nutrisystem customers report spending the same or less on food than they did before using Nutrisystem. Plus, starting the New Year with a new wardrobe after weight loss is often a larger (and welcomed) expense.

You Can do it: The Monday after Thanksgiving, which is also known as “Cyber Monday,” is widely recognized as one of the most popular days to start a diet, only second to January 2. A 2011 study conducted by Nutrisystem determined that Nutrisystem customers lose about one pound a week on average during the “holiday season” (defined as Thanksgiving to New Year’s). “These findings suggest that meaningful weight loss is not only possible, but also common, among persons attempting to lose weight during the holiday season,” said Anthony Fabricatore, co-researcher of the study and Senior Director of Research and Development at Nutrisystem.

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For most people in the Unites States, February is when slightly warmer days begin to appear in place of fading winter. But for the best bass pros on the planet February means a hot bite, big bass and the beginning of another exciting FLW Tour season.

The Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Okeechobee presented by Evinrude will visit Clewiston, Fla., Feb. 9-12for the first tournament of its 17th season. Hosted by Roland & Mary Ann Martins Marina & Resort, the tournament will feature a full field of the world’s best bass pros and co-anglers casting for top awards up to$125,000 cash in the Pro Division and up to $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.

FLW Tour anglers haven’t competed on Lake Okeechobee since the February 2011 season opener, and National Guard pro Scott Martin is eagerly anticipating this year’s kickoff. The Clewiston resident has fished these waters for years and knows them like the back of his hand. Martin also has some tournament momentum behind him, as well. He won the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup and $600,000 in August on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark.

“The fishing has been phenomenal since the day we left (last year),” said Martin, who owns five top-10 finishes and one victory on Lake Okeechobee. “The fishing got better. And it stayed better all throughout the spring and the summer time, and it never slowed down, and now we’re back into the springtime again and the fish are just bigger. There seems to be more of them and more 30-pound bags weighed in at local events right now than I’ve ever seen. The potential for having some of the records fall is very likely.

“I’m in shorts and a T-shirt as we speak,” Martin added. “The water temperatures have been very consistent. We haven’t had a big cold front at all, so these fish are really going to start spawning and really be active this week.”

Martin said he expects the tournament to focus on spawning bass and flipping baits, however, he added that anglers will be presented with opportunities to use a variety of techniques and baits. When asked about the Alabama rig, the hot-topic controversial bait system that took the tournament world by storm at last year’s Lake Guntersville Tour event, Martin offered his opinion with no hesitation.

“I don’t think the Alabama rig will be a factor,” Martin said.

As the reigning Forrest Wood Cup champion, one might think that he has a target on his back and every angler in the field will be looking to dethrone him, but Martin doesn’t think that’s the case.

“This is Lake Okeechobee,” Martin said. “There’s so many good places to fish right now on this lake and so many different ways to catch them that I’m going to really have to put my thinking cap on and buckle down and find the winning pattern and the winning fish. There’s going to be lots of guys catch them.

“Tournaments are tournaments,” Martin added. “These guys aren’t focusing on beating me. Fishing is fishing. You’ve got to beat the fish. That’s what it always boils down to. I don’t think I have a target on my back to say the least. Everybody’s going to be going against the fish. The guys who fish against the fish are the guys that are going to do well. The guys that fish to try to beat some other angler … that’s the wrong attitude.”

In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. This year’s Cup will be in Duluth/Gainesville, Ga., Aug. 9-12 on Lake Lanier and anglers could win as much as $500,000 – the sport’s biggest award. Anglers are also vying for the prestigious 2012 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s title that will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors.

Anglers will take off from Roland & Mary Ann Martins Marina & Resort located at 109 Central Ave. in Clewiston at 7:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday morning and from the Clewiston Boat Basin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday morning. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at Roland & Mary Ann Martins Marina & Resort located beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at the Walmart located at 1005 West Sugarland Hwy. in Clewiston beginning at 4 p.m.

Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the Walmart on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.

As part of the FLW Tour’s community outreach initiative, select FLW Tour anglers will be speaking to third-grade students at Eastside Elementary School located at 201 West Arroyo Ave. in Clewiston from 9-10 a.m. Feb. 8. The anglers’ wrapped boats and tow vehicles also will be on display at the school.

Coverage of the Lake Okeechobee tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs March 18 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. “FLW” is hosted by Jason Harper and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

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Though the unemployment rate continues to hover at 9 percent, there was an increase in Black Friday sales this year. According to the National Retail Federation, 226 million shoppers visited stores, both virtually and in reality this Black Friday weekend. The National Retail Federation provides an analysis of the retail industry.

According to the website, “the world’s largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad.” In the National Retail Federation evaluation, Black Friday weekend included Thursday, Friday, Saturday and expected Sunday spending.

This year’s numbers saw an increase after 2010 saw only 212 million shoppers. The expected budget of shoppers this year was $398.62, an increase from last year’s $365.34, according to the report. Cyber Monday also saw a jump in sales. The Washington Post reported that researchers at IBM Benchmark saw preliminary numbers that showed a 15 percent increase in sales since last year.

The shopping industry is also changing. 7.37 percent of purchases were made on a mobile device, according to Benchmark’s research. This is a 5.12 increase since last year which saw only 2.25 percent of shopping was done on a mobile device. Marketers will now begin to market to its clients and their mobile devices.

The Washington Post reported that Benchmark evaluated its businesses and realized that 80 percent of companies offered some sort of discount, or bargain on Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday. Google Think Insights is a new company that launched mid-November. It is a “one-stop shop for consumer trends, marketing insights and industry research,” according to its website.

The site is primarily geared to businesses who want to increase their marketability among clients and potential business partners. Insights conducts research and analyzes its data. The site then uses these numbers to offer advice to companies in need of tweaking marketing to improve sales.

Buyers will turn to primarily social networking and coupon sites for bargains going into the holiday season, according to Insights research. 74 percent of online purchases will be made on a tablet, while 54 percent will made on a smartphone. Insights expects shoppers to do use their technological devices to complete research regarding their purchases. 55 percent will use the GPS capabilities in their phones, while 47 percent will use the devices to price check different items.

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