Holiday weight gain is real.
People are eating out more at dinner parties and events, drinking more alcohol, and sleeping less. There are also a lot of seasonal treats, desserts, and food pushers— everywhere.
But this doesn’t mean you must be “de-railed” on your wellness journey. You can continue to lose weight and gain health while celebrating the season. You just need a game plan.
There are many desserts, treats, specialty in-season drinks, foods and other ultra-processed and hyper-palatable, sugar-containing food-stuff everywhere. Sometimes, we enjoy these foods and can decide to eat them as treats. Other times, we don’t actually like them but we haven’t yet learned to put the “breaks” on eating it because “willpower” runs out.
First, let’s acknowledge these foodstuffs are designed to make you eat more and sometimes also are served by food pushers (people who just want you to eat the food).
Second, I want you to know that you’re not a “bad person” or a “failure on your health journey” because you might eat extra pie or cookies when you didn’t intend to. One helpful tip is for people to practice restraint and not restriction. You don’t have to ban all the treats this holiday season to lose weight or improve your health. Instead, you can plan to have your favorite treat occasionally, be conscious about what you decide to eat, and move on.
Here are a few more tips:
Instead of going into events hungry to “save calories, “ go in well-nourished and well-hydrated. Plan to have adequate protein during the day and drink water. This will help you be more in conscious control of your choices.
Think & Plan. Most of the time, you can form an idea of what you will encounter at work events or holiday parties. You also know what foods you want to eat that you enjoy. Go ahead, plan to have the “treat,” or “indulgence”. Planning to eat foods you enjoy is a part of healthy living. However, also plan to find room on your plate for protein and vegetables, too.
Don’t judge or shame yourself because you want to have holiday pie. Have a reasonable amount, enjoy it, savor it, and move on.
Bonus Tip: If you think you might return for seconds of a treat, plan to have the treat on your way out so you can enjoy it without eating 2-3x the amount.
Bonus tip: Remember, the dessert you are pining isn’t the “only time this year” you’re ever going to get to have it. In the modern times, you can choose to have it later. So be mindful- pick your favorite item to eat as a treat and save the rest for another day.
Potlucks. If you’re going to an event, be the person to bring a fun, healthy, and nutritious recipe to the occasion.
Hold or limit the alcohol. Alcohol can reduce your inhibitions. While drinking alcohol, it may come with more friends—- more food, more treats and an inability to make the right choices with your actions when you’re practicing eating and living a new way you may find it difficult to follow through with your plan when consuming alcohol. It might be helpful temporarily to reduce alcohol consumption so that you’re able to stick with your meal plan.
Enjoy the event and the people. There’s so much to appreciate during the holiday season. It’s beyond food. It’s rituals, conversations, laughs, cheer, decor and fun.
Next, give yourself some grace. You may feel heavier during the holiday season, so if you do gain weight, remember that your scale is likely picking up more water weight than adipose or fat gain. That’s because more salt, sugar and starchy food intake leads to more water retention and bloat. If you notice you gained weight or did not follow your plan, take a deep breath and remember that at your next meal you will be back on track. Don’t spiral, guilt or shame yourself off track. Let’s just move forward and get back on your journey.
As always, I am supporting you in sustainable health. If you need an obesity medicine doctor on your health team, contact Dr. Shah at Weight Sense Lake Nona today.
Book an appointment with me today. Together, we can transform your health dreams into an achievable reality.
