Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Learn simple strategies to celebrate the season without packing on the pounds.

Contributor

Leah Groppo, R.D.

Mills-Peninsula Medical Center

No wonder the average American gains one to two pounds over the holidays. A traditional holiday meal — such as turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, wine and all the fixings – contains an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 calories, and 229 grams of fat per serving. That’s more calories and fat than adults should have in an entire day.

More troubling, most of us never lose that extra weight, says Leah Groppo, R.D, a nutritionist with the Cardio-Metabolic Program at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center. Over the years, accumulated holiday weight gain can lead to diabetes, heart disease, obesity and more.

Groppo says the holidays are a tough time for anyone trying to maintain a healthy weight, for a few reasons. There’s the delicious holiday food, of course. But also, “the holidays bring up lots of food traditions people associate with comfort and family. It’s really hard to stick to a healthy diet in the face of dishes made with love by mom or grandma.”

But you don’t have to skip your favorite holiday food to stay healthy. Instead, follow this advice from Groppo to celebrate the holidays without weight gain.

Throughout the Holiday Season:

Make a plan and set goals
Before all the festivities begin, take time to reflect on your specific behaviors, like how much you eat and drink at a party. Set measurable goals on how you can be healthier.

Exercise
Be as active as you can. People gain weight during the holidays because of an increase in calories and a decrease in exercise. So have some of your catch-up conversations with friends and family while you walk together.

Eat more vegetables
The more healthy vegetable dishes you eat, the less meat, gravy and dessert you’ll have room to eat.

Stock up on the right foods
Don’t tempt yourself by keeping holiday treats on display. Instead of that delicious-looking pie, put out an appetizing bowl of fresh fruit. And if you bake sweets, have the gift bags ready to load them up and give them away immediately.

Cut back on sugar now
Because it takes 21 days to change an eating habit, plan on reducing your sugar intake weeks before the holidays. That way, you’ll be satisfied with a few sweet bites during the candy crush.

At Parties:

Eat before you go
Have a healthy-but-filling snack in advance so you won’t be tempted to overindulge in the buffet line.

Survey the full spread and make smart choices
Fill half of a small plate with colorful vegetables, one quarter with protein and one quarter with starches or grains (preferably whole grains). Avoid anything fried or covered in a heavy cream sauce.

Watch out for beverages
Stick to sparkling water instead of punch or eggnog, and limit your alcohol intake, which contains empty calories and can increase your appetite.

At the Holiday Dinner Table:

Pick poultry, not ham or a roast
Turkey has fewer calories and less sodium and saturated fat than ham or red meat. To cut additional calories, skip the skin and choose white meat.

Go light on the gravy, dressings and sides
Traditional stuffing with sausage, mashed potatoes loaded with butter, and gravy (often made with cream) are full of unnecessary calories. Take small tastes, if at all.

Skip seconds
It takes up to 25 minutes for your brain to process that your stomach is full, so eat slowly.

Have a dessert plan
Pecan pie and other traditional desserts can be some of the most calorie-dense dishes at a holiday feast. If you want to have dessert, reduce the amount you eat during the main meal.