Nutritionist’s Top 8 Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
I love the holidays—the parties, the cocktails, the food, the company...
What I don’t love, however, is the inevitable extra 5 lbs around the middle and the guilt that follows.
It seems like there’s a party every other night and no matter how disciplined you may be, there will surely be a moment (or two or seven) when you make a less than optimal choice, grazing on something you shouldn’t, and eating or drinking more than you should.
Did you know that three quarters of Americans generally gain weight between Thanksgiving and Christmas? And the worst part of those extra holiday pounds is that many of us never end up taking them off, losing only about 1/2 - 3/4 pounds for each pound gained. This leads to slow, steady weight gain over time, and sadly, a large percentage of Americans’ lifetime weight gain can be attributed to the six-week holiday period each year.
So how do you counteract the negative effects of the quantity (and oftentimes the quality—let’s be honest, the majority of holiday food is far from healthy) of holiday fare without having to give up your favorite dishes and desserts or worse yet, avoid going to parties and family events altogether?
Here are my top 8 tips:
1. Don’t sweat it
Ditch the negativity, guilt, disappointment, and regret. It’s the holidays! Be in the moment, enjoy it, accept it as a temporary divergence, and move on.
If you normally abide by a healthy lifestyle, an occasional indulgence won’t wreck all your hard work. Keep in mind how healthy and energetic clean eating and portion control make you feel and get back to your normal routine as soon as possible.
Resuming your regular eating and workout habits is the fastest way to get back to your “happy place” and leave the binge behind you.
Don’t sweat it. Just move on. Beating yourself up after overindulging is not going to help. Fasting, over-exercising, or finding other ways of punishing yourself for what you may consider to have been poor choices can lead to feelings of inadequacy and lower self esteem, leading you to more self harm.
Practice self-love and compassion and remember that as long as your long-term habits are dialed in, you have nothing to worry about. Although you can’t undo a binge, you can bounce back quickly and without any lasting ill-effects as long as you get back on the program ASAP.
2. DRINK LOTS OF WATER
Fight dehydration and ward off weight gain by drinking 64 ounces of water every day. Make sure you drink a glass or more before meals to feel full more quickly, and drink plenty of water after you eat. Contrary to some myths which assert that water hinders digestion, in reality, water assists your digestive system in breaking down food so your body can absorb the nutrients. Water also softens stool to help prevent constipation.
The important part to remember is always choose water rather than sugary beverages (e.g., sodas, fruit juice, sports drinks, or iced teas) to minimize calories. Skip the diet drinks too, which have been linked with increased belly fat as you age.
Make sure to hydrate extra well throughout the week after the holidays, drinking AT LEAST two 8 ounce glasses of water four times a day. Taking a break from alcohol would also be a great idea to help detox your system.
And remember not all water is created equal. Drink the kind of high quality water celebrities and athletes drink by investing in a high quality water ionizer that makes alkaline, highly antioxidant, hydrogen-rich water (not the kind in plastic bottles that has chemicals and additives to make it alkaline). It will make a huge difference in your health and save you money in the long run!
And if and when you do decide to indulge in a few (it IS the holiday season after all!), remember that lots of holiday cocktails are often loaded with added sugar from fruit juices, soda, and/or sugary liquers. Opt for a simple glass of wine or a wine spritzer (half wine and half sparkling water). And if you prefer something a bit stronger, opt for clear liquors like vodka or white tequila mixed with some sparkling wwater and a slice or two of lime or lemon. And most importantly, remember to hydrate between cocktails. My usual ratio is one glass of water after each cocktail, with a limit of three.
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3. UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE YOUR “FAUX” HUNGER
During the 24 hours following a binge, your blood sugar will fluctuate wildly, causing false feelings of hunger and a powerful urge to consume anything sugary and carby in your path.
Don’t give in! Drink water, sip black coffee (that’s right, no creamers or sweeteners!) or green tea, get out of the house and go for a walk or hit the gym, do meaningful work, and busy yourself with anything that keeps your mind off food.
4. FAST**
Fasting is an incredibly effective way to negate any extra caloric effects from overeating as well as shield the extra water weight and bloating that accompanies a binge and/or carb-fest. Fasting before the holidays will help you be more disciplined when faced with the holiday smorgasbord of goodies. And fasting after the holidays will help you bounce back and feel like yourself quicker.
More importantly, however, extended water fasting has some incredible real and long lasting health benefits, such as:
Quick fat loss (especially dangerous belly fat) and improved body composition
Improved insulin sensitivity
Lower blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides
Autophagy and rejuvenation on a cellular level
Don’t like being hungry? Me neither! So forget the water fast. I’ve been using the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet for the past 4 years. It provides all the benefits of a 5-day water fast while you eat!
Remember, it doesn’t even have to be an extended fast. A skipped meal or a compressed eating window (a.k.a., intermittent fasting) will also benefit you and take off a few pounds and feel better.
* * Please note that fasting may not be the right option for people with certain illnesses and/or metabolic issues. Always check with your doctor before restricting your calories on any diet or fast.
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5. GO KETO
Reducing carbs for a few days before and after your caloric splurge will do you good.
Overeating carbohydrates can lead to poor blood sugar control, brain fog, water retention, depression and of course, weight gain.
Free radicals have a field day within the first few hours after sugar increases oxidative stress on the body, and research suggests that there’s an impairment in the function of immunity-related phagocytes for at least five hours after intake of simple sugars. This means that a hefty dose of sugar can compromise your immune system for more than 24 hours! No wonder so many people come down with a cold around the holidays.
If you didn’t skimp on carbs before feasting, don’t fret. Just don’t forget to do it on the back end. Reduce carbohydrates to about 20-30% of your regular diet for at least one week. This will help reduce water retention and bloat, re-balance blood sugar, and take off most (if not all of the weight you put on during the holiday).
You can use a handy device like LUMEN to hack your metabolism and determine whether you are burning fat or carbs at any given time. LUMEN won’t just measure the carbon dioxide in your breath to help you figure out when you are in fat burning mode, but it will help you get there by creating a customized diet and macro plan just for you. If you can’t afford to work with a nutritionist like me, LUMEN is your next best thing!
6. EAT LOTS OF GREEN VEGGIES
Greens such as kale, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and cabbage contain phytonutrients that act like natural diuretics. They can help improve your kidneys’ ability to transport toxins into the urine. The fiber in green veggies is also useful in helping clear the digestive tract.
Green veggies also provide powerful antioxidants that aid in the recovery of liver cells, and God knows we need all the healthy liver cells we can get over the holidays!
Add greens to your meals or incorporate a green smoothie into your day (e.g., add kale, spinach and/or wheatgrass to your protein shake for a deliciously detoxifying smoothie).
7. STIMULATE YOUR METABOLISM
Incorporate chili peppers and green tea into your daily diet.
Chili peppers contain a metabolism boosting compound called capsaicin, which has been shown to increase metabolic rate and reduce appetite. Add hot sauce or hot peppers to your meals for a little extra boost.
Green tea is another great metabolism booster. It provides epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). an antioxidant that helps detox the body. EGCG is also known to block a major enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine, the body’s fat burning hormone. This can increase metabolic rate and thermogenesis, so you’ll be able to burn fat while you’re in and out of the gym.
8. HIIT IT HARDER
Research shows that as little as 30 minutes of exercise can reduce your junk food cravings, so needless to say, movement should be high on your priority list during the holidays. This may take some pre-planning, so put it into your calendar or find a friend (or health coach) to assist with accountability.
And after the holiday, one of the most important steps is to get back to your regular workout schedule as soon as you can.
Missing workouts may make you feel a little sluggish, but it’s nothing one cardio session can’t help. Cardio not only burns calories, but it also helps rid the body of water and toxins via sweat.
Coming back to the gym after the holidays, dial up your cardio workout by performing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions with higher intensity.
Your glycogen stores will be full from all those carbs you consumed, so you’'ll have tons of energy for exercise. Use that to your advantage and get in longer and more intense sessions. Get out to a field or track and do some wind sprints. Hop in the weight room and lift like a maniac. Jump into a vigorous game of pick-up basketball. In fact, do anything to get your heart rate up and your body moving.
Remember 3500 calories equals one pound of fat, so try to burn at least 500 calories per cardio workout session!
BOTTOM LINE: No one is perfect, so don’t expect that you will be either (nor SHOULD you be).
If you indulge all the time, it’s not really “indulging.” I would call that consistently poor decision-making and a lack of commitment to your health, and urge you to reevaluate your lifestyle before it’s too late.
However, if you make good decisions the majority of the time, you can afford the occasional hiccup. Instead of beating yourself up, savor the moment and get back to your normal routine as soon as possible.
Being healthy and fit isn’t about what you eat from meal to meal. It’s about how you live your life in whole. Once you understand how and practice living healthy every day—eating whole, nutrient-dense food, exercising regularly, meditating, and keeping you body and home toxin free—you will be able to handle a some indulgences here and there without sacrificing your health and physique.
Happy Holidays!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Victoria Gregory is an Integrative Nutritionist, Life Coach, and founder of NEWTRITION NEWYOU. Her focus—whether with private clients, readers of her blog, or her followers on social media— is whole body wellness, incorporating whole-food nutrition, supplementation, exercise, toxin-free living, and mindset coaching. Victoria’s personal mission is to help make the world a healthier place, one person at a time, and she has helped thousands of people find joy and self-love through better eating habits and mindfulness. Learn more about Victoria.
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