Indulging and gaining weight over the holiday season is kind of like going into debt. It’s wonderful to experience the immediate gratification that many high-fat, high-sugar, carb-dense holiday foods have to offer, but the pleasure doesn’t last very long. And then it can take months for some people to recover physically from the weight gain and other negative effects of unhealthy eating and drinking. Wouldn’t it be nice to just avoid the holiday weight gain in the first place, without sacrificing your fun?
According to this recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, chronic holiday weight gain, and slow recovery time, are a reality for most Americans and people all around the world. But you don’t have to be a part of the statistics. Even though it is so close to Christmas, and you may feel like any hope for managing your weight is lost, there is a lot you can do between now and January 1st to give your body a healthy, helping hand.
Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain
- Burn Calories Daily. All you need is about 30 minutes of brisk activity to keep that metabolism pumping. If you already have a daily workout, great! Keep it on the calendar. If not, just try to get anything in that will burn some calories. Or do things in addition to your dailyexercise routine. You can plan activities like walks, hikes, bicycle rides, and dances with family and friends. The extra calorie burning can really help control your weight – and you’ll enjoy some wonderful times together. In the very least, jump some rope in your living room, walk to the store instead of driving, take public transportation to holiday parties, use the stairs instead of the elevator, and park a few blocks from the restaurant instead of using the valet parking. You can fit activity into your day if you give it some thought and make a plan.
- Don’t Starve Yourself Before a Holiday Meal. We’ve often heard reports from clients that they deliberately eat very little on the day or two leading up to a big holiday meal. People do this in hopes of “saving up calories.” But unfortunately, this practice is more likely to backfire and cause overeating. It also leaves the individual more vulnerable to developing disordered eating, and can be harmful to metabolic health and vitality. For a better strategy, in the days leading up to the traditional feast or party, simply keep your body satisfied with nutrient dense foods like fresh vegetables, lean protein, and whole fresh fruit. If you want to feel a little fuller, add some healthy fat and complex carbs like legumes or whole grains. Take a sane, functionally supportive approach so that your body feels nourished and supported when you get to the party. In this way, you’ll be far more likely to make better choices and enjoy all the delicious foods of the celebration in healthy moderation.
- Eat Plenty of Lean Protein. Protein has a natural satisfying effect that gets triggered in your digestive system. So, prioritizing a good portion of lean protein at most meals will keep your body more satisfied throughout the day, especially on days when you know you’ll be heading to a holiday celebration. And, when you are at the party, try to find the best source of the leanest protein possible, and be sure and grab some, along with some vegetables.
- Enjoy the Party, Slowly and Mindfully. We have a set of strategies that our clients use for eating at celebrations:
1) Eat what you want and don’t deprive yourself
2) Take reasonable portions
3) Eat slowly and mindfully, enjoy every bite, pace yourself to the slowest eater at the table, engage in the discussion at the table.
4) Eat to 80% full, then wait 15 minutes before getting up to have seconds.
5) Enjoy the F**K out of the meal!
In other words, trying to restrict or stick to a strict diet during a holiday celebration never seems to end well for anyone. Enjoy yourself, and use these strategies to avoid overeating or bingeing. You’ll love how empowered you feel afterwards! - Re-gift Unwanted Treats. Does the holiday season feel like an onslaught of sugar and refined carbohydrates disguised as gifts? I say re-gift those suckers like a hot potato! Imagine how many gifts you can automatically create by ditching that feeling of obligation to eat every little holiday treat given to you. Take them to parties as an offering, use them up at potlucks, give them to the mail man, take them to your local bank branch. But whatever you do, stop thinking you have to eat it all. There is no rule that says you are obligated to eat a box of cookies, just because someone gave it to you. If you do decide to enjoy an edible treat, make sure you remember that it is part of your energy intake for the day, and be mindful of how it fits into your overall energy balance. Being able to enjoy while also stay aware of the cause and effect of what you eat (in a sane way) can be very empowering and can yield great results.
- Switch out the Alcohol for Kombucha. Most people like to show up to a celebration with a bottle of something. In most cases the something is usually an alcoholic spirit, wine, or champagne. You can still do this and also sneakily provide yourself with a healthy, weight management supporting alternative to alcohol. Pick up a few bottles of Kombucha on your way to the party. Some stores even have well packaged larger bottles. Tie a bow around it, bring an extra bottle for yourself, and you just created an alcohol-free, healthy digestion-supporting treat to keep your champagne flute full all evening.
- Keep Your Home Environment Supportive. During the holiday season, you will encounter plenty of unhealthy, rich, caloric dense, and nutritionally insufficient foods without having to try. So, make your home a supportive, nutritionally wealthy, healing safe haven. If you have clean, whole, minimally processed foods available for your regular meals, the stuff you eat at parties and on the go will have a lower overall impact on your weight and your health. Leave the weight gain fuel to Starbucks and party hosts, and stock your home with the healthy foods that you enjoy and that you know support your goals.
- Eat a Christmas Tree. Actually, don’t eat a Christmas tree literally, but do fill your holiday buffet plate with all the colors of a Christmas tree. Your main color should be deep green, and leafy, followed by golds and yellows of pumpkin, tubers, and squash, reds of bell peppers and pomegranates, and purple and blues from cabbage, blueberries, and other dark colored fruits. If you fill your plate with mostly vibrant, colorful fruits and vegetables, you are putting your body on the fast track of positive, healthy weight supporting momentum. Remember, spinach actually has more protein per calorie than meat. In fact, it is almost scientifically impossible to “overeat” salads and fresh vegetables. It is that nutrient rich, low calorie food that is going to help keep you from becoming a holiday weight gain statistic. So load up on the good stuff and make your plate into a Christmas tree.
- Re-set Your Body Early in 2022. It is a reality that avoiding weight gain during the holidays can be very difficult for most people. It’s probably likely that despite your best effort, you may gain some unwanted pounds during the holiday season. Last year, I gained about 10 pounds of pure fat! Yep, even the “experts” experience fluctuating body composition. It’s a part of being human and it’s just math and science, played out by our physiological existence! Rather than beat yourself up and obligate yourself to a doomed New Years resolution or gym commitment, make a plan to give yourself a simple, effective, meaningful healthy reset. I offer a many great solutions at the beginning of the year to help you reboot from the holidays. Give me a shout to learn more! You can schedule a free consultation here!
Enjoy your healthy, happy holiday and leave a comment to tell me how it went for you! I can’t wait to hear from you.
