Tis the season. It’s that time of year when your schedule starts to get booked with holiday parties, family gatherings, road trips, and more dining out and snacking than usual.
Sound familiar?
If you’re trying to build muscle, shred fat, or transform your body, you might think it’s not even worth it to try during the holidays. Right?
Maybe you should just give up on clean eating, the occasional cheat meal, and fitting in your workouts, and give yourself the gift of gluttony for the next month or so.
Don’t do that. OK? It never ends well.
The Truth About Holiday Weight Gain
You’ve probably heard the horror stories about people packing on the pounds during the holidays and greeting the New Year with weight gain in the double-digits.
It’s possible. But most people don’t gain that much weight during the holidays. In fact, a recent study found that the average adult only gains about 1 to 5 pounds from mid-November to January 1.[1]
The real problem, is that most people gain those 1 to 5 pounds a year during the holidays, year after year. And never do anything about it.
You wake up one day and your body type looks a lot like good, old Santa Claus. And it doesn’t matter what holidays you celebrate, weight gain during the holidays is pretty much a universal problem.[2]
And that’s not what you want if you’re trying to burn fat, build muscle, or transform your body.
Maintain, Don’t Gain During the Holidays
If you’re totally committed to getting shredded during the holidays, go for it.
You just need to realize you might not want to go out with friends, make an appearance at the office party, or attend the family dinner because all the wrong foods will be on the menu:
Cookies, pie, egg nog, alcohol, desserts, chocolate, super-sized portions.
Yes. You can totally bring along your own food along during the holidays, or do your best to stick to your meal plan when you’re at a party or a restaurant.
But socially, it gets a little challenging. And I think you should enjoy the holidays. Most people do better with flexible dieting than trying to stick to a highly restricted plan.
My suggestion: Set a realistic goal during the holidays, like: maintain, don’t gain.
You’ll give yourself a little more wiggle room for some extra cheat meals and enjoy the holidays with family and friends, without tipping the scale in the wrong direction.
5 Ways to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain
If you want to protect yourself from the Battle of the Bulge during the holidays, here are some things you can do:
1. Put breakfast on your to-do list
You might be tempted to dash out the door on an empty stomach, but that could come back to haunt you like the Ghost of Christmas Future. By mid-day, you’re starving and you can’t resist the nearest drive-thru or control your appetite at the buffet table.
Try fresh fruit, whole-grain oats, or toast with peanut butter, egg whites, and black coffee.
2. Drink THIS instead of egg nog and alcohol
You’ve heard the advice a thousand times by now. Drinking water helps improve metabolism, supports digestion, aids in muscle function, controls hunger, and a long list of other benefits.
But there’s a bigger reason to drink more water during the holidays. Calories. Egg nog, alcohol, juice, soda, mixed drinks, hot chocolate, blended coffee drinks all typically contain a ton of added sugar and empty calories that can lead to weight gain. Water is calorie-free.
3. Plan ahead for the pot luck
If you know you’re attending a holiday party with a big meal and dessert, plan ahead. Find out what will be on the menu. Ask about healthier alternatives. Estimate how many calories the meal will set you back (with an app like MyFitnessPal) and see if you can adjust your diet during the rest of the week to still hit your goal.
If it’s a potluck, offer to bring a healthy dish. If it’s an impromptu holiday event, fill up on veggies and protein before heading to the dessert table.
4. Do the holiday hustle
For a lot of people, the holidays turn your already-hectic schedule into one that’s even busier. Trying to fit more cardio, on top of what you’re already doing might seem crazy.
But more cardio can be a great way to burn extra calories from that dessert or too much to eat.
Instead of focusing on fitting in more miles on the treadmill, just look for ways to be more active, like:
- Use the stairs.
- Park in no-man’s land and walk across the parking lot.
- Take a short walk break during the day, or after dinner.
- Power-walk your way through the mall.
- Do bodyweight exercises like jumping jacks or burpees during TV commercials.
Even in just 5 to 10-minute intervals, you can burn extra calories and fat to avoid gaining weight during the holidays.
5. Take a long winter’s nap
The holidays may be a crazy-busy time, with after-hours parties, late-night shopping, and entertainment. But you still need your sleep. Research shows that people who sleep an average of 7 to 8 hours a night are less likely to gain weight that those who sleep less.[3]
Do your best to organize your holiday schedule to get your Zzzs. If you can’t get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, try and fit in a nap during the day.
Be good to yourself during the holidays
You should enjoy this time with family and friends, and that often includes food. Do your best to stick to your meal plan, and do your best to maintain, don’t gain, during the holidays.
Looking for a meal plan, training program, and support to get you through the holidays?
Check out my customized 8-week and 12-week programs.
References
- Roberts, S.B., et al. (2000). Holiday weight gain: Fact or fiction? Nutrition Reviews. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11206847.
- Helander, R., et al. (2016). Weight gain over the holidays in three countries. New England Journal of Medicine. From: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1602012#t=article
- Lyytikainen, P., et al. (2011). Sleep problems and major weight gain: A follow-up study. International Journal of Obesity. From: http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v35/n1/full/ijo2010113a.html