how to enjoy holidays while on a diet

Holidays are coming up, and I know this could be a stressful time when you’re trying to lose weight so today, let’s talk about it.

A couple of things to acknowledge first.

In the very short term (next couple of days or week) after a holiday, the number on the scale is gonna be slightly higher than usual. It’s not pure fat gain, some might be. Most of it is actually water weight cos the foods you’d be eating on holiday would be very different than your everyday foods and likely holds more water than usual (more salty, more carbs etc.)

It’s not something to worry about, it’s not something you have to deal with. You just gotta acknowledge that it’s what’s going to happen and not panic.

It’s normal.

It’s like your finances after a holiday. You’re gonna expect your wallet to be slightly thinner than usual, and that’s super normal. Doesn’t mean you’re broke or messed something up, it’s what’s a holiday naturally does.

So what do you do about that temporary weight gain after a holiday? 

Nothing. 

There’s nothing to do about it except get back on track to your regular routine. Being back on your regular routine consistently over the next couple of days/weeks will naturally bring your weight back down to where it was before the holidays and continue your journey of inching towards your weight goals.

What makes you gain weight after a holiday is when you carry your holiday habits back into your regular life and keep that up consistently. Play hard, work hard. That’s what gets you to your goals. If you play hard, but work not so hard then that’s kinda where progress will stall.

Let’s flip the scenario around.

Let’s say you’re not on a diet. Whole year you’re just living your life eating whatever you want regularly. For whatever reason you decide the next 2 weeks you’re gonna go on all ‘clean’ diet and halving all your portions. You do it for 2 weeks then stop and go back to your regular routine. Will you have lost some weight immediately after the 2 weeks?

Yeah, quite likely.

Will you maintain that lost weight now that you’re back to regular routine? Likely not.

Everything you lost in those 2 weeks will disappear after you’re back on regular life.

Exactly the same goes for a holiday. Whatever weight you gained in the days or weeks of holiday will disappear after you get back to your regular diet.

When it’s the holidays, it’s really not the time to think about diet. Celebrate when it’s time to celebrate. Losing weight isn’t about imprisoning yourself until the scale shows a certain number. Losing weight is a lifestyle change, and you can definitely enjoy life with whatever kind of lifestyle you’re living.

It is impossible to lose your progress if you eventually get back on track.

I really hope to remind you of that, cos a huge part of losing weight is in your mindset. You have a much greater chance to succeed when there’s less stress and anxiety. And the way to lessen stress and anxiety is to know what to expect, and how to deal with it.

It’s easy to mess up and little and feel sorry for yourself and say “who cares, what’s the point” and give up completely.

It’s hard to mess up and say, “y’know what? I totally messed that up. My bad, I’m not gonna make that same mistake twice, let’s try again.”

That’s what gets you to your goals. The not giving up. The trying again.

If you really wanted to have some kind of rules to go by during the holiday as a safety net, then I’d say go with this one rule:

Stop when you’re full.

When you genuinely feel full, stop eating. A lot of times you get into trouble is cos you’re already full but still decide to take another bite, have another dessert, or continue towards another meal when you just finished your last meal 2hrs ago.

There’s no need to limit the kinds of foods you’re eating during the holidays. I mean it’s likely a time when food is abundant, especially foods you don’t eat on an everyday basis, so definitely go ahead and enjoy them. Just don’t over-stuff yourself constantly.

That’s really it.

There’s no special secret to dealing with holidays and celebrations. Holidays and celebrations is the time to take a break, enjoy times with your loved ones. Worry about getting back on track when the holidays are over. Holidays aren’t forever. Seeing loved ones isn’t an everyday thing. Don’t miss life experiences for a mere number on the scale.

By the time I write to you next it’ll be after Xmas, so if you celebrate it I wanna wish you an early very very happy Xmas to you and your loved ones. If you don’t celebrate I still wish you have the best days ever! 

Learn to celebrate!

When you unlock that, it’ll feel like a cheat code. The weight loss journey gets a whole lot easier.

—Po