The holiday season triggers anxiety for many people. Should I restrict before the party? Skip dessert? Compensate with extra exercise? Start a diet in January?
Here's a different approach: neither extremes nor guilt. Just sensible strategies that let you enjoy celebrations while maintaining wellbeing.
The Truth About Holiday Weight
Research shows average holiday weight gain is 0.4-0.9kg (1-2lbs) - not the 5-7lbs often claimed. More importantly, it's usually not the special meals that cause issues - it's the weeks of continuous grazing, leftover biscuits, and daily treats that add up.
The Problem With Extreme Approaches
The Restriction → Binge Cycle
"I'll eat nothing before the party so I can eat whatever I want there." This backfires. Arriving starving leads to overeating, which leads to guilt, which leads to more restriction, and so on. It's a cycle that makes holidays miserable.
The Compensation Trap
"I'll do extra exercise to burn off Christmas dinner." Exercise is great, but you can't outrun significant overconsumption. And treating exercise as punishment creates an unhealthy relationship with both food and movement.
The January Diet Promise
"I'll just eat whatever now and start fresh in January." This mindset encourages weeks of abandonment, making the post-holiday adjustment much harder than necessary.
A Balanced Approach
Eat Normally Around Events
Don't skip meals to "save calories." Eat regular meals before parties. You'll make better choices when you're not ravenous.
Choose Your Indulgences
You don't have to eat everything. Pick what you genuinely love and skip what's just there. Grandma's special pudding? Yes. Generic mince pies? Maybe pass.
Keep Protein in Meals
Turkey, ham, salmon - holiday meals often have good protein. Prioritise protein and vegetables first. They'll fill you up before you overdo the carbs.
Mind the Grazing
It's not Christmas dinner causing problems - it's the constant nibbling on chocolates, cheese boards, and biscuits. Be conscious of grazing between meals.
Practical Holiday Strategies
At Gatherings
- Survey before serving - Look at all options before filling your plate
- Use a smaller plate - Simple but effective portion control
- Sit away from the buffet - Proximity increases mindless eating
- Slow down - It takes 20 minutes to feel full. Eat slowly, chat more
- Drink water between alcoholic drinks - Alcohol adds calories and lowers inhibitions around food
At Home
- Don't keep trigger foods visible - Out of sight, less temptation
- Portion out treats - Put a few chocolates in a bowl rather than eating from the tin
- Maintain some routine - Regular mealtimes prevent constant grazing
- Stay active - Not as punishment, but for energy and mood. Winter walks are festive too
The 80/20 Principle
Eat well 80% of the time, enjoy treats 20% of the time. During holidays, maybe it shifts to 70/30. That's fine. The problem is when it becomes 20/80 for weeks on end. A few special meals don't derail anything - it's sustained changes that matter.
Handling Food Pushers
"Go on, have another!" "You're not eating enough!" "It's Christmas, live a little!"
Family pressure around food is real. Strategies:
- "I'm saving room for later" - Implies you'll have more, defuses pressure
- "This is delicious, I'm just full" - Compliment then decline
- Take a small amount - Sometimes easier than explaining
- Change the subject - Redirect conversation away from your plate
After Overindulgence
You ate too much. It happens. What now?
- Don't compensate dramatically - Skipping meals or exercising excessively continues the unhealthy cycle
- Return to normal eating - Next meal, eat normally. Not restrictively, just normally
- Move your body gently - A walk helps digestion and mood without being punishment
- Let it go - One meal doesn't determine your health. Guilt serves no purpose
The Bottom Line
Holidays are for celebrating, including with food. Neither restriction nor abandonment serves you well. Enjoy special meals fully, keep some routine between events, watch the constant grazing, and don't let guilt spoil the season. Food is part of celebration - that's normal and healthy.