Holiday Weight Gain

Many of you fear holiday weight gain! It’s that time of the yearly cycle again. The holiday season begins with Halloween treating, cycles through Thanksgiving and Christmas, and ends with New Years! Forget Happy New Years, because for most of you, there is no happy to be seen!

You have stepped on the scale and seen your weight gain! Oh my! It’s on to the latest, greatest, "Diet phase" of your existence, at that point. Swimsuit season is right around the corner! Does this scenario seem familiar to you? Yep! So stop the cycle, and practice these lifestyle solutions!

5 Tips to Understanding Holiday Weight Gain

• Understand the Mindless Margin: This is the margin or zone, in which you either slightly overeat, or slightly under eat, without being aware of it. Many of you slightly over eat during the holiday season. Portion distortion may be to blame, eating too many treats, a sweetened daily coffee diet bomb, to name a few! Keep a food journal for a few days to see what is going on! Use great portion control tips!

• Understand your holiday mindset or thoughts! You know the lack of thinking associated with food or just food thinking mistakes. For some reason, many of you disconnect your thinking in November and December. If food is there, it is meant to be eaten! End of story and more pounds! Develop a meal plan strategy! Strategy trumps willpower! You know that extra treats are everywhere, so clean up your meals and snacks. Make them healthy choices at this time of year. This will allow you to add in a few treats without fear of holiday weight gain!

• Understand weight gain and calories! It is easy to gain 10 pounds over the holidays. If you increase your calories by just 500 calories per day, which is around 3 cookies, or a piece of pie, you can easily gain 10 pounds. There are around 3,500 calories in a pound of weight gain. Who can resist those treats that your coworkers bring in daily? A pound of weight gain per week is certain and no big deal, but an overall ten pound weight addition in early January is shocking! Don’t fear your scale, but weigh weekly. If you see your weight creeping up, make changes.

• Understand food deprivation: Deprivation will lead to binging! Many people deprive themselves of treats. Then when no one is looking, a weak moment strikes, stress gets high, or emotional eating takes over, they grab their treat and binge. Plan in a 200 calorie daily treat during this time, if you love treats! This is an allowable splurge that you can plan in to your daily eating plan!

• Understand stress! Stress and weight gain go hand in hand. The holidays are stressful. Take steps to minimize your stress. Change your thinking of gifts, a perfectly decorated house or meal, and just simplify the season. Plan in a massage, fix simple easy meals, delegate duties to other people, and stop doing it all.

Healthy diet habits during the holiday season are essential! The holidays do not need to be fearful! By understanding your holiday weight gain, you can develop lifestyle changes that work!

Looking forward to a "Happy" New Year this year!