Christmas is well and truly coming. For those of us who struggle with weight or just love food, it can be both brilliant, and destroying. We may love seeing all the delicious foods and treats on offer at the moment. Just walk down the centre aisle in Aldi and you’ll see everything from Chocolate and peanut Christmas Trees to Christmas cake, biscuits and everything in between. While we may enjoy eating it, we will NOT enjoy the number we see on the scales come January. So if you’re wondering “How can I stay on track at Christmas”, you’ve come to the right place!
How can I stay on track at Christmas
As with a lot of your weight loss journey, planning should be key. Plan for your Christmas. Plan your weekly December food shops in advance. Plan your Christmas dinner food shop ahead of time. The more organised you are, the more likely you will be to stay on track at Christmas. And remember, it’s ok to have some treats. I’m a great fan of the 80:20. You don’t have to avoid ALL the Christmas food, you just have to plan for it, so that it falls within your calories. Or if you are going to go over, pick the days you will do this so it still falls within the 80:20. This will minimize Christmas weight gain.
Is it possible to avoid Christmas weight gain? Can I lose weight at Christmas
While aiming to lose half a stone over Christmas might not be the most realistic, instead work towards maintaining your weight. It is much better to keep your weight the same, then pile on 5 pounds that you have to spend weeks working off again come January. It is much easier than you think to maintain too.
It is absolutely possible to lose weight over Christmas however, it will likely be a slower progress than normal. Many people will not see the changes they expected and give up.
How can I stay on track this Christmas? How can I maintain my weight?
- Plan
- Make shopping lists
- Don’t bulk buy
- Stay active
- Keep stress at a minimum
How can I stay active over Christmas?
Try to get in a daily walk. A daily walk is a MUST for me and many of my members will say that their day isn’t done until they get a walk in. Not only will a daily walk be good for your mind and body, it will burn some of those extra calories a way. While the thoughts of going out in the cold may put you off, wrap up warm and embrace it. You will feel GREAT afterwards!!
Keep your runners and jacket by the front door so that you have a reminder to get out there each day. While December is a busy month, people may not have the time to travel to and from the gym, but a daily walk from your front door is much more reasonable.
Focus on the benefits rather than the weather. Keep reminding yourself that this walk is for you.
And I always recommend that my members try a lunch break walk to get away from their desks.
How much weight do people normally gain over the Christmas Period?
It was always thought that 5 pounds was the average weight people put on over Christmas, but the real number may be much lower for the average person.
According to a “ New England Journal of Medicine” study, the average Christmas weight gain is just one pound. This study followed men and women of varying body sizes, and found that less than 10% of subjects gained the 5 pounds we have previously thought.
Of course, how much weight you gain depends on how long you celebrate Christmas, how much you eat and how active you are.
To avoid Christmas weight gain:
- Don’t “over celebrate”- some people just write off the entire month of December to eat and drink what they like. Why not give yourself 5 days instead.
- Don’t just eat everything you see. Remember to also focus on filling up with fruit and veggies, firstly for the nutrition and your health, but it will also prevent you from being hungry for sugar and chocolate.
Is it easy to lose Christmas weight?
This entirely depends on how much weight you gain, and how determined you are to get back on track!
For those who maintain, or only gain 1 or 2 pounds, they may quickly fall back on track once January hits.
The key to losing the Christmas weight is:
- Get tracking your food intake
- Get planning your future meals
- Get preparing for your treats
- Get active!
WeightMatters with Jenny
WeightMatters with Jenny is an online weight loss programme which aims to improve your overall mental and physical health, including a healthy weight. Although I am based in Cavan Ireland, I have members all over the country from Roscommon to Longford, Sligo to Dublin and as far down as Kerry and Cork. I have members in the UK, Spain and other parts of Europe as well as in the United States!
Because my programme is completely remote, it is open to anyone who wants to lose weight, work on weight control and receive daily support! As part of the programme, you’ll get to join my weekly live zoom meetings (there are 3 a week) and also have full access to the recipes and resources on my site. You’ll join the closed WhatsApp group and send me weekly weigh-ins. I love helping my members reach their goals and help them to become Diamond Members.
Want to see some of my members before and afters? Click here