6 Ways to Navigate Holiday Weight Gain

The holidays are challenging for many when it comes to staying on track with health and wellness goals, and weight gain is not uncommon between November and January. People often let loose at the end of the year and vow to “start over” in January. With that in mind, I’d love to share with you what I’ve learned from my own personal experience and what I’ve seen with my clients. 

Before I became a dietitian–and developed a healthier relationship with food and my body, I approached the holidays in two different ways, neither of which was helpful. First, I went into the holidays with a free-for-all mentality. There was no mindfulness or moderation; ultimately, I ate anything and everything just because it was there. Inevitably, I felt tired and sluggish, and my clothes fit tighter by the end of December.

Other years, I had an “all-or-nothing” mentality, which set me up for failure. I would deprive myself of the holiday foods I had once overindulged in–which would work for a bit–until it didn’t. I would skip breakfast and lunch to “save up” calories for the large dinner and dessert I knew I’d be eating later in the day. While, in theory, this sounds like a good plan, here’s what actually happened: I showed up starving for dinner, ate too fast, too much, and wound up feeling just as stuffed and uncomfortably full as I did during the years of the holiday free-for-alls.

Now, my habits around the holidays don’t look much different than any other time of year. Keep reading to learn from my mistakes and get my favorite tips for navigating the holidays so you don’t have to worry about unwanted holiday weight gain. 

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Tip #1: Be Active with Family and Friends

Activity levels can fall during the holiday season because you’re busy with other things. Make movement a part of your holiday plans to stay active during the holiday season. Instead of driving around to see Christmas lights, bundle up warmly with a coat, gloves, and a hat and go for a stroll through the neighborhood. 

If you live in a place where it snows, try sledding, snowboarding, skiing, or a snowball fight. For those in warmer climates, try playing an outdoor game, like soccer, tag, or the increasingly popular pickleball. You could even put on some holiday tunes and have a dance party. 

Tip #2: Don’t Skip Meals

When you skip meals, blood sugar drops, irritability increases, and before you know it, you reach for a whole plate of Christmas cookies before dinner. Learn from my mistakes and eat regular meals and snacks leading up to the big holiday meal. Breakfast and lunch may be a little smaller and more protein- and fiber-focused, but don’t skip them altogether.

Tip #3: Balance Meals with Protein and Fiber

While holiday foods are typically high in saturated fat and added sugar, they aren’t all nutrient-devoid. Fill your plate with protein and fiber–think turkey, ham, fish, brussels sprouts, green beans, and salad–and add smaller portions of your other favorites. If your family doesn’t tend to have vegetable dishes to choose from, bring your own side. 

Protein and fiber help to increase satiety, so you’ll feel full and satisfied with a little bit less stuffing and mashed potatoes. Protein and fiber also play an important role in blood sugar management, so if you’re concerned about holiday foods' effect on your blood sugar, filling up on fiber and protein can help. 

Tip #4: Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful eating involves paying closer attention to your food, the experience of eating, and how it makes you feel. Mindful eating can also help you learn to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. Research shows that eating attentively can help reduce caloric intake and support weight maintenance without the need for calorie counting and food tracking.^{1, 2}

Pay attention to your level of hunger before you start the meal. Notice whether you feel slightly hungry, hungry, or ravenous. Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. Check-in with yourself throughout the meal to see if you’re still enjoying the foods you’re eating. Try pausing at the start, middle, and end for a mindful bite or two and savor the food–identify a flavor or texture you particularly enjoy. 

When you’re no longer enjoying what’s on your plate, stop eating. There’s no need to be a part of the clean plate club. You’ll feel better if you honor your fullness and end the meal before you’re uncomfortably full. 

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href=holiday-stress>18 Self-Care Ideas to Ease Holiday Stress</a></a>.</div>

Tip #5: Go for a Walk After Meals

Like many tips in this article, you can incorporate this during the holidays and carry it with you into the new year. Evidence shows that a 30-minute walk after meals can increase insulin sensitivity and improve your body’s glucose response. Poor insulin sensitivity can increase the risk of unwanted weight gain, so habits that promote good metabolic health can reduce the likelihood of holiday weight gain.^{3, 4} 

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href=walking-after-eating>The Truth About Walking After Eating: 9 Benefits Explained</a></a>.</div>

Tip #6: Limit Alcohol Intake

Drinking alcohol can increase your calorie intake in a couple of ways, and excess calorie consumption is what leads to weight gain. Alcoholic beverages are often high in calories, and they may also lead to decreased inhibitions and self-control, which can cause you to eat more than you might have without the influence of alcohol. If you can, avoid alcohol altogether, but if you do partake, limit yourself to 1-2 drinks. You can also try these healthy mocktails as an alternative. 

Bottomline

The best way to stay on track during the holiday season is to treat it like any other time of the year. Continue to practice healthy habits like daily activity, prioritizing protein- and fiber-rich foods, eating mindfully, and limiting alcohol intake. Resist the all-or-nothing, black-and-white thinking and aim for balance and moderation instead. 

If you do find yourself overindulging and uncomfortably full after a meal, give yourself some grace. Treat the next day as new, and get back on track with your healthy habits. There is no need to overcompensate, burn off, or make up for what you ate the day before. 

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<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Learn More: </strong><a href=holiday-stress>18 Self-Care Ideas to Ease Holiday Stress</a>.</div>