It's coming! Holiday weight gain...!

Kait_Dee · October 2016

It's officially weight-gaining season!

• October: Thanksgiving (Can) & Halloween
• November: Thanksgiving (US) & Shopping
• December: Christmas
• January: New Years!

According to studies conducted in Japan, the US and Germany, this is the lightest weight the average person will be all year! The study also concluded that the weight gained within the next three months will take an average of five months to lose! Maybe instead of New Years resolutions, people should make Q4 resolutions ...!

I always give myself permission to indulge during the holidays, but I keep it in check with my nutritional goals... Because really, I don't bust my butt all year to give it away for some cookies and booze.

Some things I do to stay in line with my goals:

• Try not to drink too many of my calories
• Avoid tons of butter/sauce on my veggies
• Limit my bread intake (to make room for baking!)
• Dial up the low intensity cardio & heavier weights

What are your plans manage your weight during the holidays?!

Chef_Barbell · October 2016

I am going to eat all the foods and drink all the drinks. I don't gain much during the holidays.

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken · October 2016

You can control it. Sounds crazy but yeah. Just stuff your face selectively instead of constantly and you will be fine. Thankfully the caramel pudding cake I bake this time of year only makes about 8 servings. 4 of which my husband eats when my back is turned. I won't lie though, the after holiday candy clearance has always been the debil. I just have to avoid it.

rachelr1116 · October 2016

Last year I quit logging from October until January. That was a bad plan, I gained about 10 lbs. This year I'm going to keep logging and I'm going to try to get to the gym more. I'll still indulge in treats and on Thanksgiving I probably won't worry about logging everything so I can just focus on spending time with family. Christmas I will have to log because there are just too many sweets and I could go overboard really fast.

xLovelyx87 · October 2016

Well I'm gonna be on point with eating, maybe giving myself one day to enjoy with my family but of course nothing crazy cause it's true we're busting our butts to not ruined it in a month or two.
Thank you for posting, this really opens my eyes and now I'm gonna plan ahead and better during the holiday's.

jamcdonel · October 2016

My downfall is Mom's cooking, and she always makes all my favorites when I am home.

sardelsa · October 2016

Yass.. this is the best time of the year to be bulking. All the foods are belong to me

trigden1991 · October 2016

A) Eat within my calorie goal

Keep activity high

ladyreva78 · October 2016

Last year I was sick as a dog over the holiday season and could only eat minuscule portions of everything (small bit of surgery which went slightly wrong due to a 'slight' allergic reaction to one of the components of the anesthesia they used on me).

Yet I didn't feel deprived as I could try my way through all the tasty things. All I had to do was moderate my portions as quantity of food and not what I ate seemed to be the bigger problem. Often I only had a taste of something and then let it be.

I'm planning on doing the same thing again this year. Enjoy a little bit of everything and give myself the OK to go over board on those things I really really really love and leave the rest for someone else to enjoy.

Rachel0778 · October 2016

I keep tracking and continue to exercise and it helps to mitigate the indulgences. As long as I don't throw my day-to-day healthy habits out the window, the special occasion treats aren't enough to cause any major weight changes. Last year I was up a few pounds after December, but they were gone by the end of January. I enjoyed myself mindfully and it all evened out

mfurgiuele90 · October 2016

It's funny, I always stop logging and gain weight in the summer time!

I LOVE to bake but I am more of a salt lover than sweets. Holiday food and candy I can resist. I enjoy preparing the meals than indulging.

Take this girl to a amusement park, fair, sporting event, ect and I cant say no to the deep fryer.

I am so happy the Holidays are upon us. Back to getting in gear!

Keladelphia · October 2016

My plan this year is to get to the lowest end of my maintenance range before Thanksgiving so that I can enjoy every cookie, glass of wine, and bite of turkey as I gleefully gain up to seven pounds back over the holidays. My strategy was different when I was actively losing though.

rileysowner · October 2016

So lets look at this and see what the real issue is. Since you mention October to January 1st we will cover that whole stretch. In those 3 months there are 92 days. If we consider the days where there are special events we come to say 10 days where there are Thankgiving Meals, Halloween Parties, Christmas Parties, etc. This would include extra days since there are office Christmas parties and the like since if we only include the actual days it would only be 5 or 6 days. That means 82 days where you could eat at your calorie goal and 10 where you would or might not. Notice something, the issue is not the 5-10 days where you have special events where food abounds, it is the 82-87 days where you could eat at your calorie goal, but don't. The weight gain is not the special events, it is all the other days that mess people up.

ahoy_m8 · October 2016

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

You can control it. Sounds crazy but yeah. Just stuff your face selectively instead of constantly and you will be fine. Thankfully the caramel pudding cake I bake this time of year only makes about 8 servings. 4 of which my husband eats when my back is turned. I won't lie though, the after holiday candy clearance has always been the debil. I just have to avoid it.

^^^Love that. QFT

> open house parties - eat before I go so not ravenous after the 1st glass wine, preferably a full meal but at least a handful carrots & celery (volume foods) in the car, avoid hors d'oeuvres unless they're truly remarkable (they're usually pedestrian)
> seated dinners - eat light during the day, enjoy the meal without overstuffing, log it to the best of my ability, trim calories the following day if necessary
> wine - I normally refrain weeknights but holiday parties blow that so I stop after 2 and boost cardio with (1)easy 4 mi on my rest day & (2) doubling mileage to 8mi not more than once/week on a beautiful day so at least I can enjoy it.
> gifts - pick the one treat I like best and enjoy it, let the fam devour all others.

Lounmoun · October 2016

Same thing I do every other day of the year. I plan meals, keep logging and eating reasonable portions. I don't drink my calories. I don't go crazy over holiday food- nothing is so rare I can not have it any time I want really.
One day that is at maintenance or a little higher calorie does not make me gain weight if I go back to normal the next day. Going over my maintenance level for days or weeks would be a problem.

I've been doing this through almost 2 years and did not experience any holiday weight gain. Moderation.

Spliner1969 · October 2016

Meh, if I eat a lot, I will simply work out harder and longer. No big deal. Managed last year to gain I think 1 lb which was gone in a week. I simply busted my *kitten* leading up to and after those planned meals.

wookiepants · October 2016

I don't think I'm going to participate in the weight gain of the holiday months...#avoidatallcost #godhelpmeandthatpumpkinpie

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken · October 2016

rileysowner wrote: »

So lets look at this and see what the real issue is. Since you mention October to January 1st we will cover that whole stretch. In those 3 months there are 92 days. If we consider the days where there are special events we come to say 10 days where there are Thankgiving Meals, Halloween Parties, Christmas Parties, etc. This would include extra days since there are office Christmas parties and the like since if we only include the actual days it would only be 5 or 6 days. That means 82 days where you could eat at your calorie goal and 10 where you would or might not. Notice something, the issue is not the 5-10 days where you have special events where food abounds, it is the 82-87 days where you could eat at your calorie goal, but don't. The weight gain is not the special events, it is all the other days that mess people up.

When I worked at Target years ago, they were terrible about providing mass quantities of food. If they weren't catering from some nearby restaurant they were placing huge tubs full of chips, cookies and the like in the break room along with a lot of sugary types of drinks or a huge tub of popcorn. One fine day my pants wouldn't even button. That's when I knew at break time and lunch time I would just avoid the employee break room.

rileysowner · October 2016

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

rileysowner wrote: »

So lets look at this and see what the real issue is. Since you mention October to January 1st we will cover that whole stretch. In those 3 months there are 92 days. If we consider the days where there are special events we come to say 10 days where there are Thankgiving Meals, Halloween Parties, Christmas Parties, etc. This would include extra days since there are office Christmas parties and the like since if we only include the actual days it would only be 5 or 6 days. That means 82 days where you could eat at your calorie goal and 10 where you would or might not. Notice something, the issue is not the 5-10 days where you have special events where food abounds, it is the 82-87 days where you could eat at your calorie goal, but don't. The weight gain is not the special events, it is all the other days that mess people up.

When I worked at Target years ago, they were terrible about providing mass quantities of food. If they weren't catering from some nearby restaurant they were placing huge tubs full of chips, cookies and the like in the break room along with a lot of sugary types of drinks or a huge tub of popcorn. One fine day my pants wouldn't even button. That's when I knew at break time and lunch time I would just avoid the employee break room.

What I find interesting here is that seems to be a common occurrence in many office places not just on the holidays, but all through the year. Cakes, donuts, etc in the break room brought by well meaning people who like to treat others. Even in my work, if I ate all the things people put in front of me I would have a really difficult time staying at my calorie goal. Just because it is there, doesn't mean you have to eat it. Enjoy the family time or friend time at the celebrations of these various events without obsessing over the food, and in those situations where it is just food sitting out, don't partake as there is no reason to.

laur357 · October 2016

I only have like 7 actual days over the entire season where I eat excess calories. The holidays + a few extra happy hours/parties - which I thoroughly enjoy and don't worry when my daily cals hit 2500+. Additional parties, etc. I work into my week.

I don't take leftovers home. I only eat foods I really like. I give away cookies and baked goods I make. I keep eating like I normally do, and exercise. I also don't sit near tables with cheesy dips and chips and crackers because OMG DIP.

tlflag1620 · October 2016

I do what I always do - focus on low carb, high fat options (they are abundant during holiday dinners), allow small portions of higher carb traditional holiday sides (stuffing, I'm looking at you) but only on the day of the actual holiday, skip the ordinary carby sides (I can have mashed potatoes and dinner rolls any old time), skip the sweets unless they are truly remarkable and even then only take a small amount (not hard to do when you are stuffed full of meat, butter, and veggies), drink moderately and stick with bourbon on the rocks whenever possible (dry red or white wine is a decent second choice), keep activity levels the same. I'm maintaining now, but when I was actively trying to lose, I lost 8 lbs between mid October and mid January doing just that, and was still able to enjoy lots of yummies. In maintenance I stay within my goal range thru the holidays, tho I will be at the upper end by New Years.

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken · October 2016

rileysowner wrote: »

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »

rileysowner wrote: »

So lets look at this and see what the real issue is. Since you mention October to January 1st we will cover that whole stretch. In those 3 months there are 92 days. If we consider the days where there are special events we come to say 10 days where there are Thankgiving Meals, Halloween Parties, Christmas Parties, etc. This would include extra days since there are office Christmas parties and the like since if we only include the actual days it would only be 5 or 6 days. That means 82 days where you could eat at your calorie goal and 10 where you would or might not. Notice something, the issue is not the 5-10 days where you have special events where food abounds, it is the 82-87 days where you could eat at your calorie goal, but don't. The weight gain is not the special events, it is all the other days that mess people up.

When I worked at Target years ago, they were terrible about providing mass quantities of food. If they weren't catering from some nearby restaurant they were placing huge tubs full of chips, cookies and the like in the break room along with a lot of sugary types of drinks or a huge tub of popcorn. One fine day my pants wouldn't even button. That's when I knew at break time and lunch time I would just avoid the employee break room.

What I find interesting here is that seems to be a common occurrence in many office places not just on the holidays, but all through the year. Cakes, donuts, etc in the break room brought by well meaning people who like to treat others. Even in my work, if I ate all the things people put in front of me I would have a really difficult time staying at my calorie goal. Just because it is there, doesn't mean you have to eat it. Enjoy the family time or friend time at the celebrations of these various events without obsessing over the food, and in those situations where it is just food sitting out, don't partake as there is no reason to.

THIS. 100%. And sometimes we have to do battle with those who want to guilt us into eating or pressure us in some other way. We have to be strong in the face of these situations.

FitOldMomma · October 2016

I've actually given this subject much thought. So close to my ultimate goal and don't want to have the holiday season be an excuse to get lax. So, I'll weigh in EVERY morning Oct-Dec so I know I'm staying on track. I'll indulge with SMALL portions of high calorie 'holiday' foods and treats. I will be conscious of getting enough water each day. I will also be CERTAIN to get my daily exercise.

Reminding myself of what holidays are truly about helps as well : spending time with family and friends and making memories.

RoxieDawn · October 2016

Best time to bulk... I have a planned bulk starting mid November till after the first of year.. Not gonna go crazy though.

kgirlhart · October 2016

My plan is to eat at my calorie goal as often as possible and to get as much activity in as I can. I was eating at a deficit last year and I had a couple of days where I went over and I allowed myself treats and managed to lose 23 pounds from the first of October through the middle of January. If I could stick to a deficit last year I see no reason why I won't be able to stick to my maintenance calorie goal this year.

Kait_Dee · October 2016

Love it! Great tips, insights and ideas.. I hope this discussion helps the folks who might not have their weight managed it consistency as well ingrained in their lifestyle yet.

I really appreciate this community and how willing folks are to share and inspire others..!

SLLRunner · October 2016

All year around I work to stay within my calorie goals, and this does include treats whether it's the holidays or not. I have control over whether I gain weight or not by how much I eat.

However, I love the fact that I can have all foods in moderation.

JessicaB523 · October 2016

Holidays wouldn't be so bad for me except when people decide everything has to be made gluten free for me. Then I feel guilty and like I have to try everything, even if I don't want it, because people went through the effort just for me. Then I inevitably get sick because not everyone actually knows what gluten is or how to look for it in ingredients or how to lower the risk of cross-contamination.

Not this year though. Being seen as rude is better than being sick.

25lbsorbust · October 2016

Surprisingly my holidays aren't too bad? My roommates and I are cooking Thanksgiving together, and all three of us are trying to watch our weight. Halloween I can generally avoid the candy, or only have a piece or 2 a day. The real challenge comes at Christmas..

But in order to deal with that,I'm sending myself a care package with my typical foods here. What you buy in Austin, Texas isn't what you can buy in the suburbs of Connecticut, so I figure the cost to ship some of my favs might keep me eating healthy and prevent against a milanos-and-pretzels binge week

williams969 · October 2016

sardelsa wrote: »

Yass.. this is the best time of the year to be bulking. All the foods are belong to me

Agreed! Since 2014, I've used these months for a purposeful bulking season. I typically gain 5-7lbs total over the holidays, then shed it in Jan/Feb. Because of this, I'm at the same weight as Oct 2014, but with 5lbs more LBM.

Even if I did not track the muscle gains, I'm still content to accept that I'm going to indulge (moderately, not daily) and gain a few pounds. To me, that's a manageable 5lbs.

jdhcm2006 · October 2016

I was just listening to a video by a woman who does PT for a living, and she says that she makes her clients make lists of things that would hinder their goals for this time of year, so things like holiday food, kids are back in school so time is more limited, sickness, depression due to lack of sun, etc. She tells them to make a plan to help combat those issues before it happens so that when it does happen you already know what to do. I thought it was a great idea.

For me:

Fatigue: October - April is the busiest time of the year for my job. So I need to make a point of making sure I'm getting enough rest.

Sickness: try to get rest to avoid it as much as possible, take the appropriate medicine if I do get sick, and get plenty of rest if I do get sick. Keep vitamin c drops around at all times!

Winter blues: there's something about it being dark at 5pm that makes me want to hibernate, lol. I can only think that rest will help, and making sure that I'm treating my workouts like appointments that if I miss them, I'll get fired and have no way to pay my bills.

Yummy holiday food: just try to ramp up the workouts, indulge on the actual holidays, and then get back to normal the next day. Keep my tracking tight.

I really do just try to make up new reasons for why I can't let myself gain weight. One that made my friends laugh at me is because my nephew is due in December, and I said "well I can't let my nephew meet me looking all extra chubby. What will he tell the other babies in the nursery?" So I have to stay in shape to avoid being laughed at by those newborns, lol.

It's coming! Holiday weight gain...!

Replies

Categories