Holiday weight gain: Is it inevitable?
To be clear, few outcomes are truly “inevitable.”
Especially when we’re talking about the endless complexities of weight management.
So we’ll start with this: Few outcomes are as consistent and well-documented as the rise in body weight during the holiday season.
Studies show that the average adult in the U.S. gains one to two pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. (1)
That represents about half of their average annual weight gain.
The pattern is the same when study participants are distinctly non-average.
Take members of the National Weight Control Registry.
To join, you must have lost at least 30 pounds (13.6 kg) and kept the weight off for at least a year. Members tend to be relatively affluent and highly educated.
Their average weight gain over the holidays, according to a 2021 study? Also, one to two pounds. (2)
That’s despite the fact that 93 percent of the NWCR members who participated in that study were actively trying to either lose weight, maintain their current weight, or minimize weight gain during the holiday season.
So what does that mean for you and me… assuming that “full surrender to a six-week bacchanalia” isn’t an option?
First, you must be realistic about the unique challenges of the holiday season.
What you’re up against
Food and alcohol
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, it’s hard to go ten steps without running into a plate of cookies.
They’re the first thing you see when you walk into a grocery store. You’ll find them in every company break room. Even if you never leave your home, well-meaning neighbors may leave them on your doorstep.
And if you’re lucky enough to have a social life, you can wash them down with your favorite beverage from a fully stocked bar.
Competing demands for your time and presence
Imagine someone who’s married with school-age children.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they might be expected to attend:
Workplace parties (a double obligation if both spouses work for local employers)
Holiday meals with two families (or maybe more, if one of them has children from a previous relationship)
Pageants, plays, concerts, and/or recitals (at least one per child)
Add in religious services, fundraisers, and neighborhood gatherings.
Then consider whatever time it takes to clean, decorate, shop, prepare food, wrap gifts, and travel.
Where does exercise fit in?
How does the stress of all those obligations affect your food choices?
What about your sleep?
Your mood and energy levels?
Short answer: They’re probably all compromised, to some extent.
A detail that matters
Not everyone gains weight over the holidays.
Let’s revisit something we mentioned at the beginning: Studies consistently show that adults, on average, gain one to two pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
Those numbers are usually presented with the plus-or-minus symbol (±) or with a standard deviation.
For example, in the NWCR study, the average weight gain was 1.5 pounds (0.66 kg), with a standard deviation of 4.1 pounds (1.85 kg). (2)
That means 68 percent of the participants were within 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of the average—in either direction.
At one end of that distribution is a person who lost 2.6 pounds (1.19 kg). On the other is someone who gained 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg). (That’s the spread for about two-thirds of the participants.)
All those numbers can get confusing. However, the bottom line remains the same: Most of the 683 participants in the study gained weight, but not all of them; a substantial minority didn’t.
Takeaways
1. The more strategies you deploy, the better your odds of limiting weight gain.
Participants in the NWCR study told researchers they used a long list of strategies to keep their weight in check. (2)
You’re probably familiar with many of them—maintaining their exercise routine, monitoring portion sizes, tracking what and how much they eat, and avoiding or minimizing alcohol consumption.
The more strategies a participant used, the less weight they gained.
Two strategies, in particular, were associated with better results:
Regular self-weighing (we covered the pros and cons in a previous research review: What clients really think about the scale
Consciously selecting and avoiding foods based on which you think are worth eating and which aren’t important or special enough. (We have a complete guide on this called The Traffic Light Eating Method.)
2. Feed your body, not your stress.
“Don’t eat Christmas cookies.”
“Stay away from that pecan pie.”
“Say ‘no thanks’ to your uncle’s famous Christmas martini.”
I have heard that advice countless times over the years. And I suggest ignoring it. It can be stressful and even backfire.
That doesn’t mean you should just throw in the towel from November to January.
PN CoFounder Dr. John Berardi says: “Enjoy some real cookies this holiday season. Or some other thing you enjoy but think is ‘off limits.’ Just do it consciously. Mindfully. Joyfully. And slowly.”
In fact, instead of thinking of the holidays as either a time for miserable restriction or all-out indulgence, you could…
3. Seek the middle ground.
Enjoy the foods you love, but try to practice eating slowly and to 80 percent full, and try to savor every bite—tuning into the flavors, textures, and overall food experience.
We say “practice” because that’s exactly what it is. It’s an opportunity to grow. To learn what works and what doesn’t. And start building a skill you can lean on in the future.
What it’s not? A quest for perfection. (Nor is it a free-for-all.)
It also helps if you embrace the discomfort of doing things imperfectly. In other words, “practice” won’t always go well (sometimes you might skip it altogether)—and that’s okay.
You can still use the holidays to improve your behavior, even if it’s messy along the way.
4. Simply maintaining weight during this time is a win.
The data from this research tells us that.
Plus, learning how to maintain progress is a vital part of long-term success.
So, for folks who want to lose weight, the holidays can also be a great time to build the skills they’ll need after reaching their goal and any time when routines or schedules change. (Then weight loss progress, if desired, can continue afterward.)
Enjoy your Holidays,
Michael Beiter
Certified Personal Trainer
PN L1 Sleep, Stress Management, and Recovery coach
References
Bhutani S, Wells N, Finlayson G, Schoeller DA. Change in eating pattern as a contributor to energy intake and weight gain during the winter holiday period in obese adults. Int J Obes. 2020 Jul;44(7):1586–95.
Olson K, Coffino JA, Thomas JG, Wing RR. Strategies to manage weight during the holiday season among US adults: A descriptive study from the National Weight Control Registry. Obes Sci Pract. 2021 Apr;7(2):232–8.