We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Fitness

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

How can I Maintain my Weight During the Winter Holidays?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 4,917
Share

The winter holidays can be a time of excess, both in spending and in eating. Many people find themselves staring at a scale with uncomfortable numbers on 1 January, and making resolutions to lose the 5 to 10 pounds (2.26 to 4.5 kg) of weight that excess eating has created. There are sensible ways to maintain your weight during the winter holidays so your New Year’s resolutions don’t have to include promises to lose weight. Instead, set your resolution now and commit to healthy eating and exercise patterns throughout the months of November and December.

You can help to maintain your weight by planning your menus in advance. When holiday shopping and activities get overwhelming, it’s easy to decide not to cook dinner each night and go to a fast food or restaurant instead — usually at a high calorie price. Instead, plan meals and commit to a bi-monthly shopping excursion to get what you need. Make sure your meals are calorie conscious, offer you satisfying food in appropriate portions with plenty of vegetables and fruit, and are easy to cook.

Having family meals is also important, since on average, you will consume fewer calories when eating with your family then you would if everyone eats at different times. When this isn’t always possible, consider at least preparing meals everyone can eat at different times. Crockpot stews or soups, for instance, can provide lots of vegetables and low fat meat, and the meal can be kept warm for family members on different schedules due to the holidays.

Winter tends to usher in bad weather. This means that you will have to do some extra planning to get exercise to help you maintain your weight during the winter holidays. If you don’t want to join a gym, there are a few ways to get needed exercise each day. Buy a few exercise tapes for the home that include 20-30 minutes of cardiovascular activity, like dancing, Tae Bo, or step aerobics. Alternately, if you have a treadmill or exercise bike, commit to a daily workout or at least work out every other day.

Greet every break in the weather as an opportunity to walk or jog outside, in addition to pursuing indoor aerobic activity. Don’t forget actual holidays either, since there are many activities you can do with the whole family. There’s often plenty of time on Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, or Christmas to take a family walk, for example.

On an actual holiday, don’t deprive yourself of holiday treats. Treats are great once in a while, and you shouldn't completely deny yourself that piece of pie, turkey and stuffing, cookie, or glass of eggnog. The goal is not to avoid eating on these days, but to eat sensibly and well on all the days surrounding the holidays, so that the occasional treat has less impact on your weight.

If you must attend several parties during the holidays, you may want to start deciding just how many treats you should have. When you’re out at cocktail parties every few days, then all of the food presented to you can affect whether you maintain your weight during the winter holidays. Instead of indulging at each of these parties, look for ways to fill up on healthy offerings. For instance, a vegetable platter, fairly common at cocktail parties, can be a great way to fill up on healthy foods. Just skip the dip, which is usually high in fat.

Instead of drinking cocktails or wine throughout the night, drink flat or carbonated water. You might limit yourself to one drink, and then commit to lots of water, which can help augment weight loss. Remember to limit portion size of foods, too &mash; you don’t have to clean your plate if you’ve been served a lot of food, and if you’re serving yourself, take smaller portions.

With exercise, attention to diet, and conscientiousness at holiday parties, you can maintain your weight during the winter holidays. Further, you can do so and still enjoy the occasional treat so that you don’t feel deprived on the major days. The goal is daily consistency and overall good eating and exercise patterns.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-can-i-maintain-my-weight-during-the-winter-holidays.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.