Why do we gain weight during the holiday?

The huge fear during Christmas is holiday weight gain. There are so many people who worry about gaining weight over the holidays. Some even slide down the worst possible path of quitting or “pausing” their weight loss or weight management programs as the holidays approaches, but what is the real issue. To understand how to navigate holiday eating you will first have to be aware of the forces in play, so, let us examine why we gain weight during the holiday.

Let us look at the average person. In some studies, it had been found that the average person will gain roughly 1 pound during the holidays. That could sound like great news unless you consider that they are adding that weight year after year, as most people do. Also the average person also gains roughly 1.5 lbs. every year so that holiday 1 pound is significant.

However, if you are reading this blog you are probably not the average person. If you are overweight or were overweight, you are very likely to gain 2 to 4 lbs. during the holiday season.

It is important to remember that the holiday season is upon us and in the midst of all the celebrations you never want to lose sight of what is most important, your wellness. It is essential that you develop lifelong habits which will build your solid healthy future. Every choice you make will either control those habits or make the habits stronger.

Damaged planning and routines

You may have several office and family occasions which will take you off your regular schedule making it difficult to stick to an eating plan every day.

Social and peer pressure

If you are going home to an organized diet friendly kitchen the chances of overdoing extra calories are slim, however during the holidays friends and family may likely invite you to spend time with them, or visit you bringing all kinds of holiday “goodies” with them. Once your group is all together and have begun encouraging you to just try this, or telling you a little of that can’t hurt you, your resolve will take a blow where it hurts.

Holiday anxieties

If you have them you know what I mean. If you don’t then skip ahead. Many of us have so many childhood and adult anxieties around and about the holidays. It has been well researched and found that for reasons ranging form additional expenses to feelings of loneliness, there are significant increases in stress levels, sadness and general anxiety for many people.  If you didn’t know before, I have to tell you that there is a definite connection between stress and overeating as well as stress and resistance to fat loss, even when eating perfectly.

Habitual emotional triggers

The holidays for many are a time to celebrate, relaxing and enjoying your own company and the company of others. This outlook most often comes bundled with the idea of, eat drink and be merry. This is a major issue as addiction is triggered by familiar circumstances, places and people. One, two or all three of these triggers come bundled with a nice, deceptive bow on top during the holidays.

Snowball effect

Sadly by design, with any addiction, a little of this or a little of that will often trigger a reaction which simply put will sound like, “Well I have already eaten so badly, I may as well enjoy myself and make up for it in the future”, only to find out the future you is nose deep in your old habits again and is now, on top of everything else, heavier than before.

You can see where the challenges are, but at all times you must remember, WELLNESS MUST NEVER TAKE A BREAK. So stay vigilant and stay on track. Never think of extra calorie days as cheat days. Include them in your plan and use management skills to ensure that you maintain your wellness lifestyle. For more ways to survive the holidays, check out 20 ways to eat healthy at Christmas.

– George Rattray, ITK Coach