The last weekend in November is the advent of the holiday season, meaning we’re now fully in the swing of get togethers brimming with tempting indulgences. While these treats can feel oh-so-good in the moment, they often leave many of us grappling with inner turmoil as the season dances on.
And for good reason! A 2017 meta-analysis found that between late November and January, adults typically gain between one and two pounds, but that weight can stick around for the rest of the year. Repeat this pattern annually and over a decade, it could mean an extra 10 to 20 pounds!
But here’s the thing: it’s not the occasional indulgent meal that’s the real issue. Our bodies are surprisingly good at managing the occasional calorie splurge.
What it can’t do is burn the excessive calorie intake created when days of overeating are linked together like a string of Christmas lights.
And for many, the delicious meals with friends and family may be just the tip of the iceberg. What can be even more impactful is the emotional fallout caused by those meals. For example, guilt over “going off track” can trigger an avalanche of emotion that ironically, leads to more overeating.
Sound familiar?
It can happen for a multitude of reasons. But two key drivers include:
1. The Over-Compensation Stage: You feel so bad about overeating, that you decide to “make up for it” by eating the bare minimum over the next few days. Unfortunately, this restrictive approach often backfires, setting up a cycle of restrict, overeat, restrict, overeat—and leaving you feeling miserable.
2. The All-or-Nothing Mindset: You feel so bad about overeating that you believe your diet is "ruined", so you might as well really go for it. In this mindset, you decide to throw caution to the wind and eat all the things you’ve been avoiding for weeks or months. This perfectionist approach leads to a cascade of overeating that spirals out of control.
Regardless of the driver, holiday eating can shift from being punctuated by a few indulgent meals to a run-on sentence of uncontrollable overeating that carries into the new year.
This is not what you want! So how do you head into the holiday season without setting yourself up to feel guilty about enjoying a few good meals and treats?
Follow these five principles and do it differently this year:
1. Plan ahead
Give yourself permission to enjoy holiday eating, but do it with thought. Not every get-together or meal needs to be an “occasion” to wildly indulge.
Get strategic and pull out your calendar. Consider the events you have committed to and which ones you’d like to enjoy without overthinking food or drink. Then identify the routine events where you can stick to the basics. Maybe Christmas Eve and Christmas day are where you lean into your favourite meals and treats, while a Christmas lunch with a client or your annual work party are opportunities to eat like you would on any other day.
2. Be a mathematician
With holiday eating, the scale is going to fluctuate wildly. If you’re fixated on it as a measure of your success, the holidays will feel like an unrelenting emotional rollercoaster.
When you step on the scale, let math be your guide. It takes about 3500 calories to gain one pound of fat. To put that in perspective, a 946mL container of Häagan Dazs ice cream clocks in around 1800 calories. Gaining one pound of fat overnight would mean overeating the equivalent of the calories found in TWO of those containers. Did that happen?
What’s more likely causing the fluctuation is water retention and extra food in your digestive system. Holiday dishes are typically high in sodium and carbohydrates. Sodium makes your body hold extra water, while carbohydrates do the same. Add alcohol, which also triggers fluid retention, and the scale will certainly reflect temporary gains. Thinking like a mathematician can prevent emotional demoralization and help you stay on track.
3. Maintain systems
Indulgent meals are a reality over the holidays, but they don’t mean you have to abandon your routines. Stick to your movement goals, eat regular meals between heavier ones, and focus on what you can control.
For example, if you’re traveling and away from your gym or regular fitness class, commit to different movement—take walks, do bodyweight exercises, or get out in the snow. Even if it’s not your usual workout routine, consistent movement will help maintain balance and a healthy mindset.
4. Reframe success
If you’re on a weight loss journey, the holiday season can make you want to throw it all out the window. Weight loss is incredibly hard for those few weeks, but reframing what success means can be helpful. Aim to simply maintain your current status until the end of the year. Know that there will be blips on the scale as I noted above, but if you come out of the holiday season in the same state you went in, you’ve done a great job!
5. Let it go
Regardless of what happens, self-compassion is your best tool. Cut yourself some slack, forgive yourself if you don’t stick to your plan, and above all else, move on. Guilt, shame, and regret will do nothing but fuel more eating.
The holiday season is meant to be joyful, and food is a big part of that celebration. By planning ahead, staying grounded in your routines, and giving yourself grace, you can enjoy the holidays without letting overeating derail your goals. Remember, it’s not about perfection—it’s about making mindful choices that align with both your short-term enjoyment and long-term health. Embrace the season, savour the moments, and step into the new year feeling proud of the balance you’ve achieved.
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