21 TIPS TO MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT DURING THE HOLIDAYS
The holiday season is filled with cocktail parties, celebrations, dinner parties, and more. It’s a time of great joy, and also great food!
Despite the joyous nature of the season, most people gain at least some weight over the holiday season. Research has shown that most adults gain weight during the holidays, even those seeking to lose weight (1).
To avoid holiday weight gain this year, these 21 strategies can help you navigate family and friend gatherings, holiday parties, and the colder weather.
1. PRACTICE MINDFUL EATING TO AVOID HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN
Did you know: Mindful eating is defined as “paying attention to our food, on purpose, moment by moment, without judgment (2).”
During the holiday season, incorporating this practice can be a helpful way to avoid holiday weight gain. When you eat, pay attention to how your body feels before, during, and after eating. Eat slowly and stop when you are full. Be intentional with your food choices and try not to judge yourself for them.
2. WATCH YOUR PORTION SIZES
Holiday weight gain is often caused by excess portion sizes. And who can blame us? Holiday parties are filled with delicious treats, our favorite savory dishes, and cultural norms that encourage having seconds.
However, a better option for avoiding the average holiday weight gain is to enjoy your foods, drinks, and treats in moderation. Choose smaller portions of foods that are higher in calories.
3. INCORPORATE PROTEIN CHOICES
While holiday gatherings often have loads of carb-laden side dishes and sweet treats, seek out proteins—protein options will help you feel full quicker than foods that are high in refined carbohydrates like breads and sweets. If you’re paying attention to your hunger cues, this feeling of satiety will allow you to stop eating sooner and will help prevent holiday weight gain. Having a protein shake before you head out to a holiday gathering can help too!
4. FILL UP ON VEGGIES
Vegetables are low in carbohydrates and high in fiber. This means that you can eat a lot of vegetables and feel full without taking in a lot of calories. If you’re thinking about how to prevent and how to lose holiday weight gain, incorporating vegetables in your meals and snacks is a great weight hack.
At holiday gatherings, seek out the vegetable tray from the appetizer bar or fill half your dinner plate with non-starchy vegetable sides like salad, Brussels sprouts, and green beans. On days when you’re not celebrating with friends and family, choose meals that have lots of vegetables in them to consume fewer calories.
5. SPLIT DESSERT TO HELP PREVENT HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN
To help prevent the average holiday weight gain, enjoy the dessert but split your portion with someone else! You’ll still enjoy the taste of the treat without consuming all the calories of the entire portion.
Did you know: Research has shown that small portions of desserts have actually been found to be more satisfying than large portions? (3) In some studies, the first bite of dessert was found to be the most satisfying but by the end, the dessert tasted bland.
6. EAT BALANCED MEALS BEFORE YOUR EVENT
While many people believe they should “save” up their calories before a big holiday event, this thinking is actually counterproductive and may result in holiday weight gain.
When you skip meals, you may end up feeling so hungry and famished that you actually end up eating so much more at the holiday gathering than if you had balanced meals throughout the day.
7. BRING A SNACK THAT FITS INTO YOUR DIET PLAN
If you’re following a certain diet or are hoping to avoid having to learn how to lose holiday weight gain, there’s nothing wrong with bringing your own snack to a holiday event.
If you’d rather not eat what is offered to avoid excess calories or certain ingredients, pack a snack or meal replacement like a protein bar or ready-to-drink shake to enjoy instead.
8. BRING A HEALTHY DISH TO HOLIDAY GATHERINGS
If you’re going to a holiday party, consider bringing a healthy dish! Offer to bring a vegetable tray, salad, or roasted vegetable side dish. This allows you to ensure that at least one item served is full of nutrients that are low in calories and high in fiber. You can help prevent the average holiday weight gain for yourself and others by bringing a dish like this!
9. SKIP APPETIZERS (OR DESSERTS!) AT YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY
Between appetizers, the main meal, and desserts there is usually enough food at holiday parties to feed someone the equivalent of a few meals. To avoid excess calories, choose which parts of the meal you like the best and skip the others.
10. CHOOSE LOW-CALORIE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
If you’re celebrating with alcohol, don’t forget that these drinks can be full of calories that add up quickly and contribute to average holiday weight gain.
To help prevent holiday weight gain, opt for low-calorie, low-sugar, and low-carbohydrate beverages. Choose dry wines and hard alcohol instead of beer or sweet wines. If choosing hard alcohol, be mindful of your mixers! Avoid soda and experiment with sugar-free sparkling waters or seltzers, or a squeeze of fruit juice.
11. TRY NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
At holiday events, consider abstaining from alcoholic beverages to avoid the additional calories you take in from alcoholic beverages.
Bring your own non-alcoholic beverage to drink instead of something with alcohol. Try flavored sparkling water or ask the host to make your drinks “virgin” to help prevent holiday weight gain.
12. INCORPORATE DAILY MOVEMENT TO PREVENT HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN
Another approach to avoiding holiday weight gain is to increase your activity. Movement burns calories, which helps prevent packing on extra pounds.
Find an activity you enjoy and move your body every day. Walking, dancing, stretching, yoga, lifting weights, etc. are all good ways to get movement in during the holiday season.
13. TAKE A WALK AFTER EATING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Include your family and friends in your quest for daily movement! Ask your friends and family if they want to join you for a stroll after a big meal. The walk will benefit everyone!
14. DON’T KEEP OR TAKE HOME LEFTOVERS
If the host at your holiday party offers you food to take home, politely decline so you are not tempted to eat the high-calorie foods again.
Alternatively, if you are the party host, offer the leftovers to your guests so you won’t have the high-calories meals to eat the next day.
15. ALLOW YOURSELF TO ENJOY YOUR MEALS AND DRINKS
Eating during the holiday season can foster guilt in many people due to consuming higher-calorie items during this time of year. People are worried they will have to learn how to lose holiday weight if they enjoy richer foods.
Unfortunately, this guilt creates stress and is not conducive to avoiding holiday weight gain. Instead of being consumed with guilt and shame during holiday events, allow yourself to enjoy the occasion using the tips discussed here, knowing you will get back to eating for your health the next time you eat.
16. PRIORITIZE A GOOD NIGHT’S REST
Did you know: The amount that we sleep get actually influences the food choices we make the next day. Studies show insufficient sleep is associated with food cravings and weight gain (4).
During the holiday season, be intentional with getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night to help prevent holiday weight gain. A good night’s rest can help you feel less hungry and tempted to over-indulge at holiday events.
17. REDUCE STRESS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
While the holiday season is joyful for many, it can also be stressful at times. Cortisol is a hormone that is released during periods of stress that has been linked with consuming more calories (5). Not to mention, eating is often a coping mechanism some people use to manage their stress.
Be intentional about reducing your stress to avoid taking in extra calories to prevent gaining the average holiday weight gain.
18. TALK WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT YOUR HEALTH GOALS
Holiday gathering meals are often full of family recipes passed down from generation to generation. These traditions aren’t always the healthiest though and you may not want to eat as much of your mom’s mashed potatoes as you would in years prior.
Talk to your friends and family about your health goals to let them know why you might behave differently this year than in other holiday seasons.
19. PRACTICE SAYING NO
When someone offers you a high-calorie treat or drink that you’re not interested in having, come up with phrases to decline beforehand. A simple “no thank you” or “I’m okay for right now” will help you turn down foods that might lead to holiday weight gain.
Practice saying these “no” phrases before you go to a holiday party so you will feel comfortable when you’re there.
20. PLAN AHEAD
To help prevent holiday weight gain, plan ahead for what might happen at the holiday gathering you’re going to. Visualize how you will handle the social event and what choices you will make once you see the spread of food and drinks.
21. KEEP YOUR PRIORITIES IN MIND
Remember why you are gathering with friends and family this holiday season – to spend quality time with them! The food may be present as part of the celebration, but it does not have to be your main focus.
The holiday season is a wonderful time to spend with friends and family, but it doesn’t have to completely derail your health goals. Use these tips to navigate this holiday season and avoid holiday weight gain.
References
1. Diaz-Zavala, Rolando G., et al. “Effect of holiday season weight gain: A narrative review”. Journal of Obesity. vol. 2017 (2017): 2085136. Doi:10.1155/2017/2085136
2. Nelson, Joseph B. “Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat.” Diabetes spectrum : a publication of the American Diabetes Association vol. 30,3 (2017): 171-174. doi:10.2337/ds17-0015
3. Cornil, Yann, and Pierre Chandon. “Pleasure as an ally of healthy eating? Contrasting visceral and Epicurean eating pleasure and their association with portion size preferences and wellbeing.” Appetite vol. 104 (2016): 52-9. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2015.08.045
4. Markwald, Rachel R et al. “Impact of insufficient sleep on total daily energy expenditure, food intake, and weight gain.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America vol. 110,14 (2013): 5695-700. doi:10.1073/pnas.1216951110
5. Epel, E et al. “Stress may add bite to appetite in women: a laboratory study of stress-induced cortisol and eating behavior.” Psychoneuroendocrinology vol. 26,1 (2001): 37-49. doi:10.1016/s0306-4530(00)00035-4
