With the holiday season in full swing, most Americans are bracing for what seems inevitable: putting on a few extra pounds.
On average, studies estimate that US adults gain about one pound of fat over the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, prompting millions to sign up for soon-to-be cancelled gym memberships come January 1.
And while 1lbs doesn’t sound like a lot, a recent survey from Talker Research found one in four Americans don’t lose the holiday weight they had gained the year before, compounding their fat gain.
Over time, these excess pounds linger and lead to significant weight gain, raising the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, among other chronic, deadly conditions.
However, a weight loss and fitness expert has revealed his top tips for avoiding gaining those extra holiday pounds.
Despite breakfast long being hailed as the most important meal of the day, saving most of your calories for the holiday party or big dinner in the evening could be key to staying within your daily limits.
And after an indulgent night of eating in December, the new January 1 gym membership likely won’t help. Instead, try getting some extra steps in the days immediately after.
Below are 10 tips for stopping holiday weight gain before it starts.
Save your calories for dinner
Weight loss experts told the Daily Mail that saving most of your calories for a holiday dinner party could keep from derailing the entire day (stock image)
It turns out, breakfast might not actually be the most important meal of the day.
Just over one in 10 Americans have tried intermittent fasting, which involves eating all of your calories within a brief window of time, typically around dinner.
One study found that following an intermittent fasting plan during the winter holiday season prevented weight gain and actually led to an average weight loss of two to six pounds.
Stephen Campolo, a fitness and weight loss expert in Florida, told the Daily Mail that keeping calories light in the evening can allow more wiggle room for indulgent eating in the evening.
Stephen Campolo, a fitness and weight loss expert in Florida, shared his holiday survival guide for avoiding weight gain
He said: ‘If I have my normal meals throughout the day and then go to, let’s say, a Christmas party at night and overeat, that’s going to probably put me significantly above my calories for the day.
‘It’s really just about eating on your terms and pushing your calories back later in the day.
‘So if you have an event coming up or a party, you could eat the foods you want without feeling guilty for really overdoing it or eating way too much.’
But don’t starve before the party
While saving the bulk of your calories for dinner can help avoid going over a calorie deficit, walking into a party ravenous can derail the whole day.
Campolo said: ‘If you show up to dinner and you’re hungry, everything on the menu is going to look good. It’s the same philosophy of don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry because you end up walking out with a bunch of other stuff.’
He suggested opting for a protein shake or bar containing about 30 grams of protein about 30 minutes before an event to promote satiety or fullness.
For something light, opt for an apple or other fruits with unsaturated fats such as almond butter.
‘Now you’re going to look at your food options a little bit differently, with more self control,’ he said.
Steer clear of festive cocktails
Campolo suggests sticking to basic drinks like a vodka soda to avoid piling on calories from mixers (stock image)
If it tastes like it belongs in a candy store, it’s not worth the calories, Campolo told the Daily Mail.
‘The biggest problem is that the mixers, the juices, the sodas, are just loaded with sugar. And that’s really where all your calories are,’ he said.
A cup of eggnog, for example, ranges between 300 and 400 calories and contains about 30 grams of sugar, around the same as three Krispy Kreme donuts. This is more than half a day’s worth of added sugar in one eggnog-based cocktail.
Campolo instead suggests keeping drinks simple with options such as a vodka soda or a light beer, which has about 100 calories per 12-ounce bottle.
He also notes that while alcohol tolerance varies, three drinks is the limit he tells his clients to stick to, as anything more may cloud their judgment and make them more susceptible to choosing higher calorie foods or drinks.
‘Three drinks is usually where most people will be okay and then they won’t cross that line and overdo it,’ he said.
Stick to one dessert
Holiday parties are full of colorful, sugary sweets made for sampling, but Campolo suggests picking only one.
He notes that even with small samples like cookies or mini tarts, piling on too many can result in hundreds of extra calories, whereas one potentially larger dessert is easier to keep track of.
He said: ‘When you have one on your plate, it’s kind of a one and done deal versus, if you’re sampling and you don’t really know how much you’re eating. You’re picking this and that before you know it, you’re at 1,000 calories versus a pie that was maybe 500 calories.
‘Get one dessert, whether it’s pumpkin pie, apple pie, whatever it is, put on your plate, eat it and then be done with it.’
Bring your own win
Chicken skewers are easy appetizers to bring to a holiday party to avoid overindulging on sweets (stock image)
It can be difficult to find a party with more appetizing healthy options than a veggie plate. So for your next potluck or party, Campolo suggests making your own to share.
‘If it’s a house party where everyone’s bringing desserts, there are a lot of healthy options to bring,’ he said.
Skewers with lean meats and seafood such as chicken or salmon can pack over 50 grams of protein per serving, promoting fullness before the dessert course even starts.
Campolo also suggests pairing skewers with Greek yogurt-based dips, which have between 15 and 20 grams of protein per cup and can easily be customized with fresh herbs and spices.
A shrimp cocktail is also only about 100 calories per serving and contains around 10 to 14 grams of protein.
Get moving immediately
Walking right after a meal stimulates muscle contractions in the stomach and intestines, speeding up digestion (stock image)
It’s easy to indulge during the holidays and put off working out until the New Year. But getting moving within minutes of finishing a meal could be the key to avoiding weight gain.
Campolo told the Daily Mail: ‘What it does when you go out for a walk after eating is it really helps with digestion, big time.’
Walking right after a meal stimulates muscle contractions in the stomach and intestines, which helps food move more quickly through the digestive system and boosts metabolism. This prevents excess calories from being stored as fat.
A recent study from the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) also found a five-minute walk about an hour after a meal helped lower glucose (blood sugar) levels and reduce spikes.
When blood sugar is consistently high, the excess is stored in the body as fat, leading to weight gain.
If it’s too cold to get outside, Campolo recommends taking a walk around the house or up and down stairs. ‘Movement is really the key,’ he said. ‘Walking around the house, doing chores, playing with the kids, any type of movement is always going to be a much more better option than sitting down.’
Weigh in every day… but only in the morning
Campolo suggests weighing in every morning before eating or drinking to get the most accurate measurement (stock image)
In the days following your annual holiday party, regular weigh-ins can help keep track of potential pounds gained and lost.
However, Campolo urges doing this first thing in the morning before eating, drinking, exercising or using the bathroom to get the most accurate baseline.
He said: ‘When you’re on an empty stomach, that’s when your weight is more accurate.
‘If I weigh myself at nighttime, my weight could be up five to seven pounds just because of all the food and the fluid that I’ve consumed during the day.’
One recent review found that weighing oneself every day was associated with greater levels of weight loss and fewer psychological consequences such as anxiety or depression than being weighed less frequently.
Take a three-day reset
Similar to the post-meal walk, hitting the gym right after an indulgent day of eating could lead to more weight loss than waiting until the New Year.
However, starting simple is key. Campolo recommends walking around 10,000 steps, increasing protein intake and getting at least eight hours of sleep for that three-day reset period.
‘A lot of people feel guilty because they ate more calories than they normally eat, so now they want to do extreme things to try to get back on track,’ he said.
He added: ‘What happens is you’re creating a lot more cravings and you’re going to end up just falling off track again. I’m very big on having people do this reset where they just get back on track and they’re not doing anything extreme.’
However, recent studies suggest it doesn’t even take 10,000 steps per day to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and obesity.
One study published last year found that women who did 8,000 to 8,500 steps per day reduced their risk of heart disease by 40 percent, compared to those who did around 3,000 daily steps.
Give away your holiday desserts
While cookies are a tried and true gift, Campolo suggests avoiding keeping too many in the house to reduce cravings (stock image)
While cookies and other sweet treats are easy gifts at this time of year, avoid keeping too many in the house for long periods of time, Campolo suggests.
‘Saying no one time is a lot easier than bringing these snacks home and having to say no every day,’ he said. ‘It’s out of sight, out of mind.’
‘Don’t make it harder for yourself by having it at home. Your best option is always going to be just to not even bring it home with you.’
To make a healthier holiday cookie, Campolo suggests using as few ingredients as possible and swapping sugar or artificial flavorings for protein powder or whole fruits such as bananas.
Document the journey
A picture is worth 1,000 words, and it might just be worth a few pounds too.
Starting the day after a holiday, Campolo urges his clients to take a photo of themselves in the mirror to use as a baseline and then taking new pictures every two weeks after.
‘It really just keeps people accountable and allows them to see their progress right in front of their face,’ he told the Daily Mail.
He noted these regular pictures can also serve as motivation.
One recent study from researchers in Spain, looked at people who took their measurements each week and photographed their progress, along with keeping a detailed food diary.
The team said at the time of the publication that seeing their results in real-time may have been part of the reason that nine in 10 participants completed the weight loss program.
Researcher Mercedes Rizo Baeza of Universidad de Alicante said at the time: ‘After all, it is very gratifying to literally see yourself get slimmer over time.’
