by The holiday season is here, bringing with it countless celebrations, delicious treats, and cherished moments with friends, family, and even a few strangers. But amidst all the joy, how can you manage to stick to your health goals, avoid gaining weight, and even work toward reducing stubborn belly fat?
Media sources often report that the average person gains 3-7 pounds during the holiday season. Research also suggests that those who are already overweight may experience even more significant weight gain, averaging an increase of 8 pounds. What’s worse? Many people never fully lose the weight they gain during the holidays, and over time, this can lead to compounding weight gain that becomes increasingly difficult to shed.
But let’s focus on you. How does your body respond to the festivities? Do you notice a few extra pounds creeping on during this time of year? And does that stubborn belly fat seem even harder to manage when the new year rolls around?
Here’s the good news: You can enjoy holiday parties, gatherings, and even those tempting treats without derailing your progress. It’s entirely possible to celebrate, indulge mindfully, and still work toward your goals to reduce stubborn belly fat. With the right strategies, you can strike a balance between enjoying the season and maintaining your health.
Let me know if you’d like me to expand on strategies for navigating holiday treats while staying on track!
The Challenge with Holiday Weight Gain
In the US, the holiday season is looooong. It essentially begins in October with Halloween (even earlier for some religious groups), where, if you take your kids to the right neighborhood, you fill your home with enough candy to last a decade.
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a season filled with indulgent meals, sweet treats, and calorie-packed celebrations. On average, your daily caloric intake should range between 1,800-2,400 calories, depending on your height and weight. However, the average Thanksgiving meal alone clocks in at a staggering 3,000 calories—and that’s not counting the appetizers, snacks, or beverages, which can easily add another 1,500 calories. In just one sitting, you could double your recommended daily calorie intake.
Thanksgiving dinner is often loaded with fats and sugars that can make it even harder to reduce stubborn belly fat. And Thanksgiving is just the beginning.
What follows is a whirlwind of holiday parties, luncheons, office gatherings, family feasts, and holiday baking events. With so many opportunities to overindulge, it’s no surprise that maintaining weight—or better yet, losing weight—can feel like an impossible task.
Winter holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or others typically bring their own feasts, averaging 3,000+ calories per meal. Add in holiday cocktails, cookies, and candies, and it’s easy to see how those extra pounds sneak up on you.
But here’s the thing: It’s no wonder people gain weight during the holidays with all the tempting treats and festive foods. Many assume there’s no way to get through the season without overindulging and packing on extra weight.
The truth is, you can enjoy holiday meals and still work toward your goal to reduce stubborn belly fat. Let’s focus on how you can maintain balance, keep those extra pounds off, and even lose a few while celebrating guilt-free.
How to Enjoy Your Holiday Festivities and Still Lose Weight
The good news is that it IS possible to enjoy all those fun holiday events without being cursed to buy larger clothes in the new year. You just need to plan ahead and be smart about how you enjoy your parties and festivities – and how you take care of your body in between all the events.
1. DON’T Skip Meals on Party Days:
People often think it wise to skip meals before parties and feasts to make up for the large meal that is coming. Unfortunately, this leaves you feeling hungrier and increases the likelihood that you will overeat. Instead, eat healthy, well balanced meals so that your body feels satisfied. This helps you eat smaller portions during the meal or party. Green smoothies are a great pre-party meal option as they are high in fiber and nutrients, and leave you feeling full and satisfied.
2. Use Portion Control:
You know that there is going to be a ton of delicious food at the event. It’s also likely to be very rich and not so healthy. Holiday parties often have a limited selection of healthy choices, but the food that is available is super yummy! You don’t need to deprive yourself from sampling these tasty treats. Go ahead and have some homemade pie or try some of that decadent cheese dip. Enjoy it! Just practice some portion control. Have a small piece of pie or cake. Instead of hovering over the h’orderves and randomly grazing throughout the event, make a little plate for yourself with the treats that you want so you are conscious about how much you are consuming. Try a few bites of the foods you enjoy, rather than a full serving of each. Savor them as you eat so you actually enjoy them. This also helps reduce excess.
3. Green Smoothie Meal Replacements:
With all the holiday excess, help your body rebalance itself by eating healthier foods between the festivities. Eat several servings of fruits and veggies daily to help your body clear out the overabundance of fats, sugars, processed foods and empty calories you are taking in during the festivities. Green Smoothies are a great way to get your daily servings of fruits and veggies, and help keep you feeling full. Replace at least one meal a day with a green smoothie to counteract the effects of your holiday festivities.
Mother Of 2 Loses Over 70 Lbs During The Holidays By Drinking Green Smoothies
4. Move Your Body:
Don’t let your exercise routine fall to the wayside over the holidays. Give your body a chance to work off some of the excess by at least keeping your regular routine. If you have a lot of events and opportunities to over indulge, you might want to add in some extra time to help your body cope.
5. Do A Quick DETOX Between Festivities:
Build in a few detox days in between festivities to help your body clear out the excess. Properly made green smoothies make tasty and easy detox drinks that are great for cleansing the body of excess without leaving you feeling deprived of flavor. During the holiday season, detoxing the day or two after the party goes a long way to helping your body reset. Once the festivities slow down in the new year, it is a great time to do a longer detox to clear your body and reset your diet to a healthier one.
This is my favorite 3-Day Detox programs that’s PERFECT for the holidays.
Enjoy the Holidays While You Reduce Stubborn Belly Fat
The holiday season doesn’t have to mean extra pounds, guilt, or frustration. By incorporating simple strategies like eating balanced meals before events, practicing portion control, staying active, and balancing indulgences with nutrient-rich options like green smoothies, you can enjoy all the festivities guilt-free.
Even better, these mindful habits can help you work toward your goal to reduce stubborn belly fat, ensuring that you start the new year feeling confident and in control. With a little planning and intentional choices, you can celebrate the holidays while prioritizing your health and well-being.
Take charge this season, enjoy every moment, and prove that holiday fun and weight loss can go hand in hand!
The #1 Easiest Way To Stop Holiday Weight Gain Dead In It’s Tracks:
Why wait until New Years to start losing weight? By that time you will have put on even MORE weight and have a much taller mountain to climb. I’m all about easy, and that is especially true when it comes to losing weight and getting healthy.
Watch the Free Presentation below and Let me show you a super simple way to keep the weight off over the holidays AND even lose weight while you’re at it!
