8 Tips For Staying On Track During The Holidays
November 22, 2021
Updated October 31, 2024:
Each year Thanksgiving marks the start of the season of overeating, better known as “The Holidays.” This time of year brings in event after event after event that are centered around food. Statistically, the average person can gain anywhere between 5-15lbs between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.
If you’ve been wanting to start your weight loss journey, or if you’ve already successfully lost weight this year and want to keep it off, this statistic can be terrifying! But we’re here to tell you how to stay far away from joining that stat!
We’re going over why weight gain is so prominent during this time of year, and tips for helping you begin, or even maintain your weight loss goals throughout the entire season!
The Weight Gain Math
One pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. Consuming only an extra 500 calories a day over the 35 days between Thanksgiving and the New Year would add up to 17,500 excess calories! 17,500 divided by 3,500 = 5. That’s five pounds right there! And to give perspective, one slice of apple pie, or even just one cup of macaroni & cheese comes in right under the 500-calorie mark.
The alarming factor during the holidays isn’t just the weight gain- it’s that we can get so far off track that we find it difficult to get back on. The “all or nothing” dieter mentality emerges: “It’s Christmas Day. I’ll eat everything that I want today, but tomorrow I’ll be really strict.” This wouldn’t be so bad if we held true to that promise. But for so many of us, that’s rarely the case.
With all of the big meals and holiday events coming up, it’s easy for all of those festive calories to add up. But with the right preparation, moderation, and supplements designed to support healthy bodies and metabolism, you can come out of the holidays victorious!
8 Holiday Tips for Staying on Track During the Holidays
1. Plan ahead
Preparation is key to success over this busy period. Have a daily plan, think ahead, and prepare yourself with knowing what will be served at the events you attend. Identify trigger foods and think of alternatives or means to avoid them. Whether that's mentally committing yourself to stick to healthier choices only or bringing your own healthy appetizer or dish with you. Bottom line: if you go into things with a plan, it’ll help keep you focused and more likely to stay on track.
2. Set Goals
How many pounds do you want to lose by January 1st? Is your goal to maintain? Are you looking to lose a few before the New Year? Or are you really wanting to see some big changes on the scale through the holiday season? This is critical. Be honest with yourself about your goals, it’s what will help you determine how many holiday indulgences you can incorporate! There's nothing wrong with saying "I want to maintain" or "I want to come out less than 5 pounds up from where I am now". "Weight loss" and "win" are not the same thing!
3. Moderation
Adding to what we talked about above, you can still be successful without completely limiting yourself through the rest of the year. But, we need to have balance and moderation.
Let’s take Thanksgiving for instance. When you think of your typical Thanksgiving plate, what is the one food that it just would not be the holiday without? Maybe that’s your mother’s pumpkin pie, or the stuffing you’ve been making for years, or maybe it’s a glass of wine. Whatever it is, let that be what you choose to have as your one holiday classic you want to enjoy.
Try pairing it with some white meat turkey and a vegetable, and if you’re worried there won’t be a necessarily “healthy” vegetable on the table, prepare one! Throw together a salad or some roasted green beans & cherry tomatoes.
4. Drink Water
Water not only keeps you well hydrated, it helps to satisfy, keeps your hands busy and helps your body stay in balance. By drinking a nice tall glass of water before you walk into a holiday event or sit down at the dinner table, you will have the feeling of being more full making it easier to make good choices. Feeling "hungry"? Drink a glass of water first and wait 10 minutes. Still hungry? Grab a small handful of protein or vegetables!
5. Drink Your HNS
High Nutrient Supplements will be your best friend during this holiday season. They satisfy your appetite, taste great, and will help promote feelings of fullness (therby helping to keep cravings at bay). You can even mix your HNS with a fizzy soda like Sprite Zero or diet seltzers, and presto - you have a mocktail! Drinking a protein drink before being around tempting foods will help keep you feeling fuller, allowing you to be in control of your choices.
6. Keep a Food Diary
Now, more than ever, your food diary will help keep you on track. As we mentioned before, it can be easy for the calories to add up. By keeping a food diary, and by making a promise to yourself to log everything, even the bites, lick, tastes, and sips (we call these the BLT’S), you will be able to keep yourself from going overboard on the holiday indulgences. A written record of your foods will help keep you accountable.
7. Cook
That’s right, cook some of the great holiday recipes in the MRC cookbook, our website, and our pinterest page. When you are invited to a holiday gathering, offer to bring something that is on your program. This way you know that there will always be something on that table that fits into your healthy dietary regimen. Restaurant foods are convenient, but with that convenience comes the trade off of hidden fats and calories and extra sodium. Excess sodium can cause your body to retain water - give you the appearance (and feeling) of having gained weight. Yuck!
8. Get Support
If you need some additional guidance and support, see if our virtual coaching program is right for you. You'll be paired with a professional weight loss coach who understands all of the ups and downs and inbetweens of the weight loss journey. They've been in your shoes already, and they can help you navigate the holidays and your weight loss journey with less stress. Having someone on your side isn't a weakness, it's going to enhance your success!
We know that the holiday season is filled with all sorts of temptations, but with the right plan we also know that you will be able to continue working towards your goals on your journey to health while still enjoying yourself! Use these tools as your guide for surviving the holiday season and ring in the New Year as a happier and healthier YOU!