Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain: 14 Tips for Success

Thanks to all the parties, social gatherings, and good food, it can become all too easy to pack on the extra weight during the holidays.

This is perhaps part of the reason why January is one of the busiest months for gyms- so many people are trying to shave off the pounds they put on and of course increase their overall health. But, gaining weight during the holidays doesn’t have to be a given.

You can enjoy delicious holiday meals and the company of friends and family all while maintaining a healthy weight. Read this guide to learn how to avoid holiday weight gain.

1. Don’t Arrive at Dinners and Events Hungry

Holiday parties tend to be our downfall when it comes to gaining weight during the winter months.

While you should definitely enjoy the food at the holiday parties, there are strategies you can implement to prevent yourself from going overboard.

First, make sure you don’t show up to a holiday party completely starving. If you’re feeling ravenous, you’ll be much more likely to gorge on unhealthy foods. Instead, have a small, healthy snack before the party, so you’re not tempted to eat everything in sight.

2. Eat Off of a Smaller Plate

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the options and feel like we should grab a big plate and have some of EVERYTHING.

Instead, we recommend eating off of a smaller plate. The smaller plate will encourage you instead to choose a few things that look good and enjoy more reasonable portions. If you’re hungry after, you can always go back for more!

3. Don’t Stack Up

Stack of macarons

Additionally, keeping it single story will help you to maintain more reasonable portions overall. As we mentioned, you can always go back for more food if you’re still hungry.

When people have a plate full of or heaping with food, they’re likely to eat everything on the plate regardless of whether they feel full already. The simple act of not stacking will help you avoid overeating.

4. Be aware of calories as you’re taste testing

Often, it’s the taste testing before the meal that causes us to overindulge. A nibble of a cookie here and a bite of cheesecake may not be much on their own individually, but they can add up quickly without us even realizing it.

We recommend only taste testing in very small portions. If you find yourself hungry when cooking, fix yourself a small snack to keep your calories and portions in check.

5. Limit Liquid Calories

A coffee dessert full of liquid calories

For many people, gaining holiday weight comes from excessive drinking, not excessive eating. While throwing back a few drinks may not seem like it’d pack on the pounds, alcoholic beverages have more calories than many people realize.

A five-ounce glass of wine has 125 calories, and a can of beer has about 150 calories. Additionally, many classic cocktails are 100-200 calories, depending on how they’re made.

Also, non-alcoholic beverages like eggnog, hot chocolate, and flavored lattes can pack a lot of calories, so limit your intake of these as well. If you’re ordering a holiday beverage out, we recommend taking a look at the calorie count beforehand to decide if it’s truly worth it!

6. Don’t overdo dessert

Pies, cakes, cookies, cobblers and all other manner of sweets and treats are everywhere around the holidays and they’re often a bit of a culprit for those extra pounds we pack on. The multiple options at holiday parties make it tempting to try everything. Instead, we recommend limiting yourself to one dessert.

If there are a couple of desserts that look too good to pass up, see if someone wants to share and swap with you.

7. Bring a healthy option

Are you worried that there won’t be a healthy option at the party? Don’t be afraid to be the person who brings the salad or the vegetable tray!

Trust us - others will thank you for this!

8. Focus on Fruits and Vegetables

Holiday dinner antipasto

Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of healthy fiber that helps you feel full while also being lower in calories.

Ideally, you want to load up about half of your plate with vegetables or fruit. In addition to veggies, aim to have one healthy source of carbs and one healthy source of protein on your plate. For example, you could serve yourself up a portion of sweet potatoes and a portion of turkey breast.

9. Find an Accountability Buddy

It’s much easier to stick to your holiday health goals when you have someone holding you accountable. Find someone else who is looking to avoid holiday weight gain or has health goals to hit, and check in with each other throughout the season.

If you want, you can set responsibilities that you each must meet. For example, you can set a goal to exercise three times per week or only have three alcoholic beverages per week.

10. Control Your Stress Around the Holidays

Holiday shopping, family gatherings, and busy schedules can cause many of us to feel more stressed out during the holiday season. If possible, we should do what we can to keep this stress in check. Excessive stress can cause your body to release the hormone cortisol which has been linked to weight gain. On top of weight gain, excessive stress contributes to many other negative health effects.

To control stress, we recommend daily exercise, practicing meditation, practicing yoga, or taking a hot bath. Also, remember to get some time to yourself during the holidays so you can unwind.

[READ: 20 Simple Ways to Destress]

11. Snack Smart

Many people try to make up for overindulging during holiday parties by not eating all day long leading up to the big events. However, starving yourself all day and then going big at dinner seldom works out according to plan.

Instead, try to have lighter meals or smart snacks to make sure you’re not starving headed into dinner. That way you won’t be as tempted to overeat. Our absolute favorites are roasted chickpeas and hummus with red peppers.

[READ: Heart Healthy Snacks for a Better Life]

12. Get Adequate Sleep

woman waking up and getting out of bed

Work, holiday shopping, and social and family obligations often make it hard to get enough sleep and we often push ourselves a little too hard to prove we can do it all. As with stress, research published by the Mayo Clinic suggests an association between decreased sleep and negative changes in metabolism.

“In adults, sleeping four hours a night, compared with 10 hours a night, appears to increase hunger and appetite — in particular for calorie-dense foods high in carbohydrates. Observational studies also suggest a link between sleep restriction and obesity. Other studies have found similar patterns in children and adolescents.”

Try getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night even if it means needing to say no to one or two things over the holidays.

13. Keep Moving

With the weather getting colder, many people choose to engage in sedentary activities, such as sitting on the couch and watching TV. It’s also tempting to have a snack or two while watching TV, scrolling social media etc. This often leads to a couple of extra pounds over the course of the holiday season.

Keep in mind, there are plenty of fun winter activities that can also keep you moving such as ice skating, cross-country skiing, or sledding. If you’re not up for braving the cold, you could enroll in a group yoga class, tour a museum, or visit a winter light display. Not all holiday activities involve sitting around and eating.

[Related: Exercise and the Brain]

14. Weigh Yourself Regularly

Regularly weighing yourself can also help you keep your weight in control. If you notice the scale creeping up, you can switch to healthier habits or head into situations more mindfully before it’s too late.

However, we don’t recommend weighing yourself after a big, indulgent meal, as this will just discourage you! Instead, weigh yourself in the morning before you eat.

Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain: Conclusion

As you can see, there are many simple things you can do to avoid holiday weight gain. Some will take a bit of effort throughout the season, while others are easier tips for the day of holiday parties and events. You might not be able to do everything on this list at once, but you can still take what works for you as a starting point. Have any tips we didn't think of? Let us know below!

This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have immediate concerns about your health, please seek the help of your physician.