The frantic holiday season is upon us and studies show that most people gain weight more rapidly between Halloween and New Year’s Day than any other time of the year. Some blame the parties with all the extra food and drink, while others point to the super frenzied pace and the increased stress levels. The truth is we kind of lose our minds during the holidays. I think the end of summer (at least here in sunny Los Angeles where I live ) is part of this as well. Many people get a bit depressed in the winter due to time and weather changes. The time change also affects us as activities like after dinner walks, swimming and beach volleyball no longer fit so easily in our schedules. Even going to the gym or a Zumba class after work seems harder for me when it’s dark outside. Add this to the holiday activities and end of year goals and we are pretty much looking at a 5 to 15-pound weight gain for the average American in these last 3 months of the year. This doesn’t have to happen though. I put together a handful of my strategies to beat the holiday weight gain. You may even lose a few pounds if you want to.
1. Manage your stress by incorporating yoga and meditation into your everyday routine. Many of us stress eat or eat mindlessly, and both methods help to reduce stress. Studies show that increased stress raises cortisol in the body and increased cortisol causes weight gain, especially around the middle area. The next time you are stressed try some yoga poses and or some meditation and see how that works. It helps if you already have a practice, but you must start somewhere. Try YouTube for easy methods for both.
2. Schedule your exercise just like you would your job or other important activity and try not to cancel it for anything that is not an emergency. This time of year it’s important to take care of your health by being consistent with physical activity. Exercise is also a stress reliever especially if you do exercise you love as I recommend to all of my patients.
3. Focus on protein with each meal and snack. If you are at home, a restaurant or at a holiday function try to find protein first and give yourself and a good sized portion of 4 to 8 ounces depending on your size, weight and activity level. By doing this you are alleviating hunger, keeping blood sugar stable and helping yourself to not overeat the carbohydrates that are so prevalent this time of year.
4. Eat at least a cup of veggies with each meal. This gives you complex carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants and it helps you to quell hunger and feel satiated faster. Feeling full will help you eat less of the sweets and junk food being passed around. I personally try to eat 2 cups of vegetables per meal.
5. Plan ahead! Meal prepping is one of the best ways to lose weight easily and efficiently. It works all year long but more so during the frantic holiday season. If you have your meals ready to take to work or eat when you get home it’s much easier to pass on the party foods and last minute fast food stops while shopping for gifts. A huge trick that many of my celebrity clients love is to EAT BEFORE THE EVENT!! Chances are party food will not be the high protein, high veggie, high healthy fat, and low sugar and hydrogenated fat variety that we should all be eating. Try to plan a meal that you enjoy and that fits into your food plan for about an hour before your event. This way you can have a few bites of a carefully selected appetizer or raw veggies and enjoy the company. If you really want to try the cake or some amazing looking dessert just have a few bites since you are not starving this will be easier. I doubt you will regret not eating the party food. Especially when you are dropping weight while most people are gaining.
6. Alcohol is all sugar! Try choosing lower sugar drinks and diluting your drinks with water or sparkling water. Don’t drink soda or juices as they are empty calories and you don’t even get a buzz so why bother? A Pellegrino with a twist is my favorite and no one will know it’s sans ETOH. This can easily save you 500 calories in one event.
These strategies will help to avoid the ubiquitous New Year’s ritual of THE DIET that most never stick to. Instead of waking up New Year’s Day with remorse and self-loathing when you can’t fit into your clothes, how about scheduling a relaxing New Year’s massage, facial or another gift for yourself for not gaining weight during the holidays? Knowing I have this reward to look forward to really motivates me to bypass the mindless eating that goes on at holiday parties. Who knows, You may even lose weight if you stick to these strategies.
Let me know how these worked for you, or if you have any other strategies to share!
Juli Keene, BSc, CN Licensed Clinical Nutritionist October 2017