Holiday Weight Gain-is it normal?

Ashley Hendrickson • Dec 13, 2022

Tips for Navigating the Holidays

For many of us Thanksgiving weekend kicks off a month-long holiday season full of temptations, treats, events, drinking, and foods we may not typically indulge in.  If Thanksgiving dinner leave you with more than just the leftovers in the fridge, did you wake up on Black Friday with your pants feeling tighter? You aren’t alone!


Here are some interesting facts about how the holiday season can impact us long after the dishes are done:


The average American consumes 3,000-4,500 calories and 220 grams of fat at their Thanksgiving meal. 

  • Most people report an average weight gain of 2-4 pounds on Black Friday
  • Over-indulging over the holidays can lead to yo-yo dieting in an attempt to drop the extra pounds
  • Consuming so many extra calories can cause fatigue, brain fog, joint pain and stresses our digestive system out
  • The liver has to work overtime to process all of that sugar, detoxing our body and adjusting cholesterol levels
  • A study of 3000 participants showed that people start gaining weight around Thanksgiving, peaking at New Years…..and that weight can take 5 months or more to get rid of!


If you are feeling the pain of all of those holiday treats, don’t beat yourself up. Life is all about balance, the key is learning how to tap into the cues your body is sending you.  Here are a few tips on how to navigate the holiday season without packing on the extra pounds.



  • Keep your body moving-even if it's only a short walk move your body daily.
  • Get good sleep.
  • Stay hydrated.  All of the extra drinking, sodium, and sugars can leave us feeling puffy and dehydrated.  Did you know when you are dehydrated you can feel hungry? 
  • Eat the rainbow! Load up on colorful fruits and veggies each day.
  • Load up on protein.
  • Eat before you go to the party, so you don't fill up on highly processed, sugary foods.  Just make sure to save some room for a treat.
  • Belly breathing.  The holidays can be a stressful time for many of us, even 2-3 belly breaths when you are feeling stressed can help to calm your body down.  Stress can lead to stress eating....cookies anyone?


Wishing you a safe, fun, happy, and healthy holiday season.


-Ashley


Matcha Green Tea — Batavia, IL — Balance Wellness Centers

Eating out

21 Oct, 2022
Sharing meals with others is one of the most common ways we connect in our society, so being able to share and enjoy meals with friends and family is very important. Eating out can be a challenge when we are working to follow a meal plan or creating new behaviors. The good news is that you don't have to stop going out to eat in order to reach your goals. Here are a few tips on how you can manage to enjoy eating out and still stay on track. You may start to see a theme here. PLAN!  If you know you will be going out to eat for dinner, plan your day around that meal. The 1st step is to choose the restaurant if possible. If not, look up the menu online and decide what you are going to order before you go. My Fitness Pal has almost anything you can imagine in their database, so planning around meals out isn't too tricky. Once you have logged your meal, you know how to eat for the balance of the day. That might mean you will have to go heavy on veggies and lean protein if you treat yourself to pizza, or you need to go light on protein and fats if a big steak is in your future. But what if there is NOTHING on the menu that works? We have had a lot of experience with this due to supporting autoimmune conditions and the extremely restrictive diets we have had to follow. What has worked well for many of our clients is to eat beforehand and order a salad during the meal. This allows them to still be able to enjoy the social interaction of sharing a meal with friends. The most important part of lasting lifestyle change balances: eat the pizza (in moderation) and the veggies too!
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