The Holiday Weight Gain Myth
“It’s the Holiday Season...Don’t forget to set your scales back 10lbs at midnight tonight!”
Key Takeaways
The average American only gains about 1 lb over the entire year, and that 1 lb tends to be gained over the holiday season.
The research definitively shows that Americans don’t end up losing that 1 extra pound that they pack on over the holidays.
If you fail to lose the weight, that mere 1 pound becomes a massive problem over the long term.
Researchers have found that it’s possible to maintain and even lose weight over the holidays with the help of a targeted behavioral intervention.
Working with an experienced professional that will tailor make a training, nutrition, and accountability plan personalized to your goals and lifestyle is the best way to prevent holiday weight gain.
Full Story
Question - How much weight does the average American gain over 1 year?
0 lbs
1lb
5 lbs
10+ lbs
Any guesses?
The Answer - a measly 1 lb!
Are you surprised? The average American only gains about 1 lb over the entire year, and that 1 lb tends to be gained over the holiday season. To be specific, we gain the most weight between the 6 week span from Thanksgiving to New Years Day.
You may be thinking “1 pound, what’s the big deal?! No cause for concern, right?
Right?
It turns out, for most Americans, that yearly 1 pound snowballs into harmful weight gain over the long term. It’s only a matter of time. If you gain 1 pound/year and fail to lose it, year after year after year, that mere 1 pound becomes a massive problem.
1lb/Year Adds Up, Big Time
1 pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories so, in theory, all you need to do to lose that extra pound is eat 500 fewer calories each day for 1 week (500 x 7 = 3500). “In theory” is the key phrase.
We know that weight loss never comes down to a simple math equation. Most people that set out to shed that 1 pound to get back to baseline before the next holiday season - despite the fact that they have 48 weeks to do so - fail.
Ruh-roh is right.
The research definitively shows that Americans don’t end up losing that 1 extra pound that they pack on over the holidays.
Over the course of 5, 10, or 30 years, that innocent fat gain of 1 lb per year can become a driving force behind metabolic issues, chronic disease, and death. We don’t want that.
The Solution
Fortunately, researchers have also found that it’s possible to maintain and even lose weight over the holidays. All it takes is a behavioral intervention. In the study, the participants that received the intervention lost .3 lbs while those in the control group gained .8lbs (2).
If you’re wondering “what the heck is a behavioral intervention and how do I get me one”, the researchers explain it as:
“encouraging participants to regularly weigh themselves and record their weight; providing specific weight-management strategies; and providing information on how much physical activity would be needed to burn off the calories consumed in typical holiday foods and drinks.”
Simple in theory, utterly complicated in practice.
The trouble is that most people have no idea how to maintain or lose weight in a sustainable way, let alone during a time of year stuffed full of stuffing, candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.
Wrap Up - Your Solution
That’s where I come in. Working with an experienced professional that will tailor make a training, nutrition, and accountability plan personalized to your goals and lifestyle is the best way to prevent holiday weight gain.
I’m not going to tell you that working with me for the months of November - January every year is the most effective way to stay healthy and lean for the rest of your life. I’m not going to say that, but all of the research points to it being a smart move.
If you’d like an expert to hold you accountable and help you improve the way your body looks and feels this holiday season, you can sign up for your free coaching call below.
