You might be looking forward to the holidays with wild anticipation. But you’re almost surely dreading the potential holiday weight gain. If you’ve woken up on January first in previous years thinking, “what the heck happened”, then this post is for you. Because we’re going to take action right now that will put an end to holiday weight gain before it starts.
Temptation is everywhere right now. It can be completely overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to have a plan before full blown temptation hits. Because once you’re in the middle of the battlefield without a plan, you’re screwed. And that’s when things can spin out of control
So here are 7 things to do right this very minute that will help you take back control over holiday weight gain.
Start keeping a food diary
This can be as simple of keeping a small pad with you. Just have something to make note of what you’re eating in the day. Keep things general. Don’t worry about noting serving size or ingredients.
The goal is to become mindful about what you eat. Awareness is the first step to real change. So become aware of your eating habits. And start to take note if you’re giving in to a lot of unnecessary snacks or treats. Much of extra holiday weight gain comes from completely mindless snacking.
Eat breakfast every day
Breakfast is helpful in deterring temptation later in the day. Early day starvation can create a hormonal imbalance. And this imbalance may lead to increased hunger later in the day.
This means you’ll be much more likely to go overboard once hunger hits. And emerging research shows that this reaction might be worse if you skip breakfast on some days, but not on others. So a daily breakfast habit is a great start to the holiday season.
Become more mindful of water intake
Dehydration is often confused with hunger. So you give yourself a disadvantage if you start the holiday season thirsty. Now’s the time to become more mindful of your water intake.
Take your weight in pounds. Now divide it by two. That’s the minimum amount of water you need daily. If you’re really deficient on your water intake, start slowly. Just drinking one extra glass of water a day is a great start.
Set limits for yourself
You know you’re going to indulge a little over the holidays. But this doesn’t mean you’re having a free for all. Your goal is to indulge in moderation.
So set up some guidelines now that will help you stay in control and avoid dreaded holiday weight gain. Do you have a sweet tooth? Limit yourself to 2 sweet indulgences a week. And make sure to note your 2 sweets in your food journal. It’s easier to say no today when you know you’ll have something sweet on another day.
Make sure you schedule time for rest and relaxation
The days are quite literally getting shorter this time of year. And it’s easy to feel like you don’t have time for yourself. But you must take time for rest and rejuvenation. Even if it’s just a few moments a day.
When you skimp on self-care, you’ll be tempted to compensate by self-nurturing with food. Which can lead to a binge. Just do something simple like close your eyes for 60 seconds and focus on breathing in and out. Every little moment of rejuvenation counts.
Start carrying healthy snacks –
You never know when temptation will pop up next. Maybe someone will bring cupcakes to the office. Or send a gift basket to your home. Or you’ll see amazing holiday samples at the market.
It will be so much harder to resist if you’re legitimately hungry. So make sure you’re always prepared with healthy snacks. Think a handful of nuts, a baggie of veggies, or one of the healthier brands of protein bars.
Learn to let go of perfection
You can’t have an all or nothing attitude. Because you’ll inevitably slip. And that’s when things can spiral out of control.
So tell yourself now that you don’t expect perfection. That you’ll forgive yourself when you fall And promise yourself to aspire to do your best. But that you’ll pick yourself up and keep moving forward when you don’t.
7 things to do now to avoid holiday weight gain
This year, you’ll have no regret come January first. So take these action steps right now. And transform your holiday season into one that keeps you in control!
I’m totally on board with when to say when, as it pertains to eating. I tend to overdo it, because everything is so good!
The worst part about living far from family is not seeing them around the holidays and missing out on all the food. On the other hand I never make the bad treats for myself so I can easily avoid this scenario! But I still keep a food journal!
I find it so hard to say no during the holidays. It’s the one time of the year that I just splurge! I do tend to drink a lot more water though. Balance, lol.
I really need this! I have an issue with this every year! I need to try your suggestions.
There’s so much food this Holidays but that doesn’t mean you need to eat all of them. Setting limits is definitely something I do. I think these are all wonderful suggestions on how to control that weight gain!
It’s so hard to be disciplined with food during the holidays.. so much temptation! I like your advice, I’m big in never skipping breakfast! It’s so important!
I’ve been losing weight like crazy and I’m pregnant so its my goal this holiday season to gain a little bit more… Now that I can finally eat again! These are great tips though for all those looking to stay on track!
Such great tips! I agree about not skimping on the self care. It always gets me into trouble.
Holiday weight gain is a real struggle here. I have been doing pretty good on upping my water and having better portion sizes though.
I am glad you are making me think about this now. You are right that it is good to have a plan. I like your idea of setting limits for myself on my indulgences instead of a free for all.
Great tips, especially about eating breakfast. I know so many people will skip breakfast during the holidays because they know they will be having treats. By eating breakfast and drinking more water, you will be less likely to over indulge.
These tips are so good! I think it’s important to remember that it’s about all the little decisions we make every day to choose something healthy or unhealthy. Also, filling yourself with healthy things before you become ravenous and lower your standards.
Good holiday tips, Erica. I’ve been trying to eat breakfast within an hour of getting up–because of your posts. I generally am not hungry, so that makes it hard to eat first thing–but I’m getting better.
Try a smoothie. You can just sip it slowly. And it might not feel like eating!
These are such great tips, and I for sure need them…I’m always looking like a turkey by the end of the season