Gained Weight Over the Holidays? Here’s What to Do About It

In the weeks before New Year’s, life gets busy. There are parties, different foods, and usually a lot less time for a healthy routine. It’s completely normal for these shifts to leave you feeling out of sync with your usual wellness goals, and sometimes, that shows up as a change in weight.

“People tend to think that they will gain more weight over the holidays than they actually do, but the weight they do gain will compound over time if they don’t lose it,” says Christina Badaracco, RD, a Washington, DC–based registered dietitian.

Why Weight Gain Happens During the Holidays

Holiday weight gain isn’t all from celebrating, says Badaracco. There are biological reasons why our bodies respond differently at this time of year.

• Cold weather changes our cravings. We’re actually biologically wired to seek out energy in the winter. Like other animals, humans have an evolutionary drive to store energy when it gets cold. Recent research confirms that winter cues (like seeing snow) can trigger a subconscious preference for heartier, higher-calorie foods.

  [2]

   Since fresh produce isn’t always as available or appealing as it is in summer, either, we naturally reach for comfort foods.
• Darker days shift our internal clocks. Our circadian rhythms — the internal clocks that regulate sleep and metabolism — are sensitive to light.

  [3]

  “In winter, our sleep cycles are off,” Badaracco says. “We get less sunlight and are inside more.” These factors can affect insulin secretion, fat storage, and metabolism — all of which play a role in weight maintenance, she says. Disrupting circadian rhythms is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for metabolic changes, including obesity.

  [4]

• We naturally move less. It’s harder to get outside when it’s cold and dark. Nearly 60 percent of American adults are less active during the winter months than the summer months, according to a National Recreation and Park Association survey of 1,004 people.

  [5]

  Shorter days and colder weather mean shrinking motivation to get outside to exercise or even drive to the gym. Energy levels seem lower, too: More than one-third of Americans reported sleeping more in winter in a survey for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

  [6]

• We enjoy more seasonal drinks. Whether it’s eggnog or a champagne toast, alcohol is often central to holiday gatherings. Research suggests that people in regions with colder weather and fewer daylight hours may consume more alcohol in the winter.

  [7]

5 Ways to Reestablish Healthy Habits

“First and foremost, be kind to yourself,” says Colleen Tewksbury, PhD, MPH, RD, an assistant professor in nutrition science at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Be careful not to let weight gain affect your self-worth, willpower, or morale, Dr. Tewksbury says.

“It is completely normal to have weight fluctuations throughout the year,” Tewksbury says — including over the course of a well-enjoyed holiday season. “The key is that you’re tracking the trends and intervening early if it is a consistent trend upward over time.”

Instead of strict dieting, try these five strategies to gently reengage with the habits that support your health.

1. Go in With a Game Plan

2. Check In With Yourself

Badaracco notes that this can offer “positive reinforcement when you’re successful.” But this tool isn’t for everyone. If you have a history of disordered eating or find the scale triggers anxiety, skip it and focus on how your body feels instead.

3. Return to Your Routines

4. Buddy Up

When people are contending with weather that urges us to stay indoors and are experiencing a post-holiday slump, it can be especially helpful to create goals with others, says Badaracco. Whether you want to embark on Dry January (or extend it to February and beyond) or start hitting the gym again, a partner can keep you accountable so that you both see results.

Schedule workouts with a buddy, have walking meetings at work, or swap healthy recipes with a pal. “It makes the activity so much more enjoyable, and you look forward to it,” says Badaracco. It can be done virtually with fitness- or nutrition-tracking apps, too. Or use a notebook to keep a log to be your own accountability buddy.

5. Give Yourself Grace

The holiday season is generally defined as a six-week stretch, so don’t expect to feel back to normal overnight. “It’s more important and effective to set small, manageable goals,” Badaracco says. “Planning to go for a 15-minute walk three times a week might not seem like much, but it’s a small win that can propel you forward. Then you can gradually increase the goal.”

The Takeaway

• The holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve is a key period of weight change for many people.
• Weight changes could be due to more indulgent foods, less movement, more alcohol than usual, and an out-of-whack circadian rhythm.
• You can find your balance again by establishing new healthy habits, checking in with yourself, and enlisting a friend for support.

Additional reporting by Moira Lawler.