In the United States holiday weight gain usually starts around Halloween and ends after New Year’s Day. In that time it is not uncommon for a person to see a 7-12 lb. weight gain. Which of course leads a person to make the famous “New Year’s Resolution” to lose weight…..what a vicious cycle we go through each year!!!
Why not try a new approach this year? Let’s try to turn over a new leaf this season and just maintain the following basic clean eating habits in order to alleviate holiday weight gain!

Weight Training/Cardio –
As the time constraints of the holidays start to stretch you to the limit – Do not blow off your workouts!!! When the stress gets high a very good coping mechanism is to take an hour and forget about the outside world while you concentrate on your weight training/cardio routine.
With the major demands on your time during the holiday season it is also important to get the biggest results without taking tons of time. Our main goal is to increase your metabolism, so it is important to continue your weight training routines, but decrease your rest times to increase the intensity. By pairing this with high intensity cardio your metabolism will be going at full throttle to help burn any extra calories you may be consuming.
Logging Your Food –
Keeping a food diary is an essential part of any healthy weight loss program, but during the holiday season, keeping a log of what you eat and drink can also be a great weight maintenance tool. By utilizing this tool during your day it is possible to keep track of how many calories you are bringing in moment by moment. Remember, writing it down makes you stay aware of what is crossing your lips!
Eat Frequently & Control Your Portions –
Eating every 3 hours is a huge part of the clean eating lifestyle, but unfortunately during times of stress or when life gets hectic this is the first habit to go out the window. This habit of eating frequently is very useful in helping you make good food choices because you will never make a decision based on hunger. Eating more frequently will also help you control your portions, which will be absolutely necessary if you don’t want to gain the dreaded holiday 10 lbs. This is especially important when considering all the unhealthy dessert/sweet options available. Use the thumb rule when eating desserts….a piece the size of your thumb will satisfy your craving without sabotaging your calorie count. With so many tempting, unhealthy choices available during the holidays, you will need to do whatever you can to make good decisions.
So why don’t we try a new approach this holiday season? Instead of repeating the same insane cycles year after year, let’s try to maintain the same good habits that