Holiday Weight Gain

On having your cake and eating it, too!

by Kevin Valluzzi

Yes, it's that time of year: holiday weight gain! I know some of you have already succumbed to the pressure at the office parties, get-togethers with friends, etc. And I bet some of you are even planning to try and trick your body by not eating for a full day before your party. Or by doing the opposite and eating before you go so you don't eat as much when you get there (Does that ever really work?).


All of these might sound like good ideas, and even look good on paper. But they're not. Let's talk today about getting through this holiday season without gaining any weight and not feeling deprived.

Of course the holidays are going to be a time of the year when you are eating more than normal. That's fine! You should enjoy it and maybe even try out some foods that you wouldn't normally eat. But my question is why do so many of you let the holidays throw off your eating plans? You don't stop paying the bills during the holidays, do you? You don't forget to go to work during the holidays, do you? My point is this: Don't let your nutritional habits change during the holiday season.

If you are applying what I have discussed in the past about healthy, sensible eating -- 5 to 6 meals a day, whole foods, limiting sugar consumption -- then you should continue that during the holidays. Will you splurge and have a little more sugar than normal? Probably. Will you have an extra piece of that yummy lasagna? Maybe. And if you do that's fine. You are not going to gain 5 pounds from that.
But I can tell you this much. If you follow my healthy, sensible eating guidelines this holiday season, chances are you won't gain any weight. And you can still have that piece of cake and eat it too!

Kevin Valluzzi is a fitness professional and is the author of the highly successful e-book, Busy Woman Fitness.