4 ways to stay on track and avoid holiday weight gain

Joanna Kriehn, MS, RDN, CDCES - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES)

Despite a season filled with calorie-rich meals, sugary treats, and a mindset of indulgence, holiday weight gain is not inevitable when you approach festivities with our top 4 tips. These reasonable and workable ideas will help you feel good and fit into your jeans come January.

1. Keep moving to minimize holiday weight gain

The holidays are a busy time! Competing interests, such as holiday parties, end-of-year deadlines, and family gatherings, mean less workout time. If you must miss your regularly scheduled workout session, get ahead of holiday weight gain by creatively adding more movement into your day.

If you work remotely, take an extra few laps around your house or complex, or get creative and block your schedule to ensure you don’t miss a mid-day exercise snack.
Catch up with a friend by going for a walk or attending a yoga class together rather than meeting over a meal.
Exit public transportation or modify your ride-hailing routines to allow for more steps.
Consider asking Santa for an early holiday gift, such as a walking pad or a premium subscription to your favorite digital wellness platform.

2. Create accountability to stop holiday weight gain

Don’t wait till the start of the new year to take responsibility for your weight and health. While weight-loss accountability looks different for everyone, these tips have helped others manage this challenging time of year.

Check in regularly. Whether it is trying on that particular pair of jeans, taking measurements, snapping photos, or getting on the scale, an intentional check-in provides important information.

This approach is very different than sliding into the trap of denial and excusing your indulgences by reciting, “It’s the holidays!” Such thinking can feel liberating at first, but it typically results in surprise and frustration when January rolls around, and your pants are incredibly tight!

Utilize a modern diet and activity tracker to help you make informed decisions. Nutrition trackers have evolved–Meal AI scan, perfectly timed notifications, and built-in health coaching (available 24/7) make tracking easier than ever. Want to really get serious about staying on top of your health and avoiding holiday weight gain? Don’t just sign up for a tracking app to find it sits on your mobile device “collecting dust.” Instead, commit to using it for the entire month of December.

3. Don't arrive hungry to a party or gathering

Avoid holiday weight gain by planning ahead for holiday parties and festive meals. Instead of arriving at a special event on an empty stomach, eat something light before going. For example, an apple with peanut butter, hummus with veggies, or a small turkey slider can take the edge off your hunger and help prevent overeating. Once you’ve arrived at the gathering, slowly sip sparkling water to top off your hydration before reaching for that cocktail.

4. Avoid holiday weight gain and still bake homemade gifts

Do your holiday traditions involve baking? Modify those high-calorie, homemade treats by reducing sugar or experimenting with sugar alternatives. These ideas will help control calories and sugar content. Chances are, your friends and family are also working hard to manage their weight and will appreciate the steps you’ve taken to create healthier desserts.

Your clothes and the scale indicate overdoing it. Now what?

If you've overindulged and gained some weight over the holidays, take a deep breath. It is not the end of the world! Managing weight over the long haul includes its ups and downs from time to time. Occasionally, you fall off track, and the scale creeps up. In that case, the best thing you can do at this point is not stress about it, especially if you tend to use food and drinks to manage stress. So instead, take a moment to cut yourself some slack, and then decide on two things you can do immediately to get back on track.

These resources will help you get back on track and create weight-loss accountability right now.

While food and drink are traditionally highlights of the holiday season, they are only one piece of this rich and festive time of year. The holidays allow us to slow down and enjoy time with family and friends, to show gratitude to those in our lives, honor those who are no longer with us, and appreciate this fleeting season.

Wishing you a healthy and peaceful holiday season!