Am I Going To Put Weight On Over The Festive Season?

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You might be pre-empting a blip in your routine during festivities where you’ll be distracted by social events, over indulging in Christmas treats and your physical activity for the week will be wrestling with the wrapping paper. Studies show that the festive period is the most common time to gain weight and weight gained over this period was the hardest to lose. This creates a cycle that is hard to break out of leading to yearly accumulation of weight and metabolic slowdown. When January is the busiest time of year to start getting into shape, setting the tone for yourself starts now if you want to create a big impact.

Is There Really a Link Between the Festive Season and Weight Gain?

Be honest before you’ve even got to December you are planning on letting healthy habits slip. From late November through to January accumulates for 7 weeks where your excuse is Christmas is around the corner so you can impulsively treat yourself to whatever is on offer. This only increases the closer you get to the big day as you’ve been invited to multiple social gatherings with naughty food and excessive drinking and the disruption in routine has you filling your time with anything but physical activity. Studies have shown that people underestimate how many calories are in the food they are consuming and overestimate how many calories they should be consuming a day. Ultimately the lack of knowledge, control and build of bad habits is what increases the festive weight gain and sets back the January fitness goals.

Self Management Strategies to Stay Balanced

No one wants to feel like they can’t enjoy themselves on Christmas and no one is expecting you to skip the yule log or baileys hot chocolate on Christmas day. But maintaining some routine and frequent movement around the holiday are practical goals. Studies show that self management is the most effective tool for staying balanced over the festive season, regular weigh-ins or mybvi scans are key for staying motivated and on top of body health. Practical tips to incorporate between festivities: portion awareness, staying active realistically, managing alcohol intake and maintaining routine. 

Final Thoughts: Enjoying the Festive Season Without the Pressure

Weight gain is influenced by repeated patterns, not just a few days of indulgence. As long as you approach your self management with balance and not perfection, you should be able to keep up with the realistic goals to stay fit over Christmas. We encourage you to enjoy your celebrations with family and friends whilst caring for your wellbeing. Christmas is just a season, your health is for life. 

If you are at risk of obesity please contact your registered dietitian, nutritionists or other health providers for advice on preventing weight gain during this critical period. 

References:

BBC News. (2019, December 10). ‘Weigh-ins help prevent piling on pounds at Christmas’. BBC Health. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46481137

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Díaz-Zavala, R. G., Castro-Cantú, M. F., Valencia, M. E., Álvarez-Hernández, G., Haby, M. M., & Esparza-Romero, J. (2017). Effect of the Holiday Season on Weight Gain: A Narrative Review. Journal of Obesity, 2017, Article 2085136. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/2085136

Guerrero-Magaña, D. E., Urquijo-Ruiz, L. G., Ruelas-Yanes, A. L., Martínez-Contreras, T. de J., Díaz-Zavala, R. G., Candia-Plata, M. del C., … Haby, M. M. (2025). Interventions for the prevention of weight gain during festive and holiday periods in children and adults: A systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 26(1), e13836. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13836

Ramirez-Jimenez, M., Morales-Palomo, F., Ortega, J. F., Moreno-Cabañas, A., Guio de Prada, V., Alvarez-Jimenez, L., & Mora-Rodriguez, R. (2020). Effects of Exercise Training during Christmas on Body Weight and Cardiometabolic Health in Overweight Individuals. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(13), 4732. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134732