How to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain (While Still Enjoying Yourself)

So, you’ve been searching the internet trying to find the best (and healthiest) way to avoid holiday weight gain.

Well my friend, you’ve definitely come to the right place.

Because I’m going to explain exactly how to minimize holiday weight gain in a way that *doesn’t* suck.

Meaning, if you follow my advice, you won’t have to skip out on all the amazing foods at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

You’ll still be able to enjoy all the holiday treats that make this time of year so special.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE

Before we get started, I need to make one quick note.

What I’m about to outline is your guide on how to minimize *fat gain* over the holiday season.

But there’s a BIG difference between weight gain and fat gain.

Because, even though you can minimize and even avoid fat gain at this time of year, the number on the scale might still spike up from time to time.

In fact, it WILL spike up from time to time. It’s just a part of being human.

But it’s not necessarily because you’re gaining fat.

It’s just some water retention, a higher carb diet, and, well, the fact that there’s going to be more food sitting in your stomach at certain times throughout the holidays.

Remember, you maintain your weight within a range. It’s never just one specific number.

Meaning, if you weigh around 150lbs, maintaining your weight DOES NOT mean seeing the scale read 150.0 every single morning.

Maintenance means seeing it fluctuate within the range of around 145-155lbs.

I can’t even begin to tell you how important this is to understand.

Because too many people, maybe even you, blow a gasket at the first sight of the scale spiking up.

It. Is. Normal.

Stop freaking out about it. Especially since it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve gained fat.

WHAT’S YOUR GOAL?

Now that scale talk is out of the way, I need you to be clear on what your goal is around this time of year.

This is overlooked all too often.

Yes, I know you want to lose weight. And I know you’ve been thinking about weight loss since Vietnam.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to lose body fat. That said, ask yourself if you want to prioritize weight loss around this time of year specifically.

And, more importantly, be honest with yourself about what’s realistic for you AND what you’re actually willing to commit to around this time of year.

It’s very much possible to focus on weight loss at other times throughout the year while being in “maintenance mode” around the holidays.

Especially if you know you have a lot going on and being in a calorie deficit simply isn’t feasible.

Remember, around the holidays MAINTENANCE IS PROGRESS.

Maintaining your weight within a range and minimizing holiday weight gain is a huge step in the right direction for many people.

Maybe you fall into that camp.

Maybe You Do Want To Lose Weight

Or you might be in a different camp.

The camp where you do want to stay in a calorie deficit throughout the holidays because you don’t have a lot going on.

Or maybe you’re just really committed to losing weight and don’t want to lose momentum.

Here’s the bottom line: Know that both goals are great in their own way.

Just be intentional about which camp you’re in.

Don’t be “half pregnant.”

Because there’s nothing worse than being in a “calorie deficit mindset” without actually being in a calorie deficit.

You don’t want to be the person intending to lose weight only to have your actions not reflect that.

What’s cool about the tips I’m about to give you is that they can be applied whether you’re in a deficit to lose weight or around maintenance to minimize holiday weight gain.

By the way, maintenance just means eating around your calorie maintenance which is the amount of calories you need to stay around the same weight.

These tips are designed to “keep your calories in check” throughout the holiday season, especially on days that aren’t major holidays.

NOT EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY

Which leads us perfectly into the first topic.

Not every day in November and December is a holiday.

Yes, I know it’s the holiday season. But there’s a big difference between Christmas Day and a random Tuesday in the month of December when there’s literally nothing special going on.

I’ve seen this happen time and time again with both in-person and online coaching clients.

There always seems to be something going on between Thanksgiving and New Years.

A family dinner here.

A work holiday party there.

And I’m not saying you can’t enjoy these kinds of events.

What I am saying is if these events happen frequently and cause you to blow way past your maintenance calories, don’t be surprised when you’ve gained some body fat by early January.

If you don’t want that to happen, I want you to implement something I call the “special occasion rule.”

The Special Occasion Rule

The special occasion rule is exactly what it sounds like.

And, by the way, this can be applied to any time of year, not just the holidays.

The special occasion rule is simple; whenever you have an event, party, dinner, etc, ask yourself if it’s legitimately a special occasion or not.

And typically it’s pretty easy to differentiate between a special occasion versus something that’s not quite as out of the ordinary.

One of the easiest ways to figure it out is to think about how often the event happens.

For example, your birthday is a special occasion because, one, it’s your birthday.

And, two, it only happens once a year.

But if we’re talking about you going out to eat with friends (particularly when it’s something you do multiple times a month), it’s not really a special occasion.

What I love about this rule is that it takes all the ambiguity out of how to approach an event.

It’s binary; either it’s a special occasion or it’s not.

If it is a special occasion, enjoy yourself without restriction and then get right back on track the next day (the ability to get right back on track is what separates people who successfully lose weight from people who don’t).

If it’s not a special occasion, recognize that keeping your calories in check that day will be an important part of mitigating holiday weight gain.

The Calendar Is Your Friend

This is one of my favorite methods for planning out (ahead of time) which days involve special occasions versus which ones are just normal days.

Since this article is about minimizing holiday weight gain, let’s use the month of December as an example.

There are 31 days in the month of December.

And, to consistently lose body fat or even just maintain your weight within a range, you want to be consistent around 80-90% of the time. The more serious you are about your goals, the closer you want to be to that 90%.

If we do some basic math, to be 80-90% consistent in the month of December, you’ll need to be on track with your calories anywhere between about 25-28 days out of the month (25/31 = ~80% and 28/31 = ~90%).

So, here’s what I recommend doing.

Right before December starts, print out a calendar of the month.

And, on the calendar, mark an “X” on 3-6 days where you know you’re going to go over your calories.

By accounting for these days ahead of time, you won’t be caught off guard when you end up eating more those days.

You’re literally accounting for it before the month even starts.

All while knowing that, as long as you’re consistent all the other days, you won’t experience much holiday weight gain.

It’s the perfect balance between staying on track while still giving yourself some flexibility so you can enjoy the holiday season with friends and family.

By the way, you can implement this strategy any month out of the year.

It’s a GREAT tool to have in your tool box to consistently stay on track while still enjoying life.

LOSE THE ALL OR NOTHING MINDSET

When it comes to minimizing holiday weight gain, this is a big one.

Too often I see people “throw in the towel” on other meals just because one meal is going to be off track.

Most holiday parties happen in the evening.

Whether it’s a family dinner or a holiday party for work, it’s likely something that’s taking place around dinner time.

So, here’s what I want you to do in those situations.

I want you to CRUSH your nutrition the rest of the day by having a breakfast and lunch you’re proud of.

Important note: Notice how I DID NOT say “crush your nutrition by not eating earlier in the day so you can save calories for the event.”

That’s a surefire way to develop a terrible relationship with food.

Remember, weight loss (and weight maintenance) is not about eating the least amount of food possible.

It’s actually about eating the most amount of food possible while still staying within your calories.

And that’s exactly where my tip comes into play.

How To Handle Breakfast and Lunch

I recommend having a filling breakfast and lunch that are high in protein and fiber.

This accomplishes a few things:

• It allows you to get plenty of protein and fiber in for the day even if your dinner isn’t high in either of those things
• It allows you to fill up earlier in the day so you don’t go into the event at night feeling famished
• It makes you feel proud about the decisions you’re making earlier in the day. And feeling good about your decisions is such an underrated aspect of improving your health. Plus, when you make good decisions earlier in the day, you’re more likely to keep that momentum going as the day goes on.

Here’s an example of what a high protein/high fiber breakfast and lunch might look like:

• Breakfast
  • 1.5 serving of nonfat Greek Yogurt
  • berries
  • 1 slice of high fiber toast (I love Dave’s Killer Bread) with 1/2 serving peanut butter OR 1/4 – 1/2 an avocado

• Lunch
  • A salad kit (without all the high calorie toppings)
  • 4-6oz shredded chicken
  • cut up veggies
  • low calorie dressing (I love fat free or low fat Italian dressing)

MINIMIZE LIQUID CALORIES

Keeping liquid calories to a minimum is one of my best tips for mitigating holiday weight gain.

Yes, I’m talking about alcohol (sorry).

Now, I’m not saying you can’t drink at all.

I know this is a time of year where many people drink more than they usually do.

What I am saying is that it’s hard to have your cake and eat it too; if you’re going to enjoy a lot of delicious food around this time of year, you’re going to have to be mindful of liquid calories.

Because, if you’re anything like me, you’d MUCH rather eat your calories than drink them.

And, if you are going to drink, I recommend sticking to lower calorie options like:

• a glass of wine (~130 calories)
• tequila with soda water (~110 calories)
• a hard seltzer (~100 calories)

By the way, I wrote an entire article on how to lose weight while drinking alcohol, so if you want to learn more about that, click here to read it.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

There ya have it!

My thoughts on how to avoid holiday weight gain while still enjoying yourself.

I hope you got value from it, and just as a friendly reminder, if you want to have all the guesswork taken out of your fitness journey so you can lose weight, get more defined, and become healthier in the New Year, you can apply to my 1:1 online coaching program right here.

Other than that, I hope you have an amazing holiday season with friends and family and we’ll chat soon!

– Coach Dylan