Who out there does not enjoy the holiday season? Okay, I do see a few hands raised out there with Mr. Scrooge being one of those hand-raisers. The decorations, gatherings, traditional foods, the presents we exchange with our loved ones…it is difficult NOT to call this “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”.
The average weight gain per person in the United States between Halloween and New Year’s: 7.4 pounds. The reasons? This starts with the post-Halloween candy left over in our pantries, then the Thanksgiving Day gatherings offering up the pies, stuffing and other carbs, followed by the Christmas celebrations with the traditional alcohol-containing drinks and high-carb traditional foods and then ends with the New Year’s gatherings.
This year will be more challenging than the last 2 years because there will be more post-pandemic social gatherings as opposed to during the Covid lockdown. And when we get around other people eating and drinking, the “herd” mentality takes over: we tend to join the rest of the people downing alcohol containing drinks and eating the desserts.
There are certain times of the year when maintaining your weight as opposed to losing weight should be considered a “victory”. The Halloween-New Year period is probably the most prominent of these times. I realize that pretty much everyone reading these entries are trying to lose weight and not happy with their current weight, but if the 7.4 pounds of gain can be avoided, once again, I consider this “success”.
Take some time NOW to bullet point out the reasons why YOU have gained weight in the past during the Halloween-New Year period. If you find that post-Halloween leftover candy is on that list, throw out the candy right now. If you point out that eggnog and alcohol-containing drinks are a culprit, purposefully eliminate or cut back on their usage. Plan NOW.
The “New Year’s Resolution” period starting January 1 becomes a much more favorable environment for losing weight. The holidays are over, the gatherings few and we all are in a much more favorable “headspace” to follow Phase 1 of the SP Plan.
So, although these next 9 weeks or so are in many ways, the most “Wonderful Time Of The Year”, they are also the “Most Difficult Time Of The Year” as this relates tom weight control. Try to set expectations more in line with NOT gaining weight as opposed to losing weight. And for those of you that continue to lose weight over the next 9 weeks, many kudos!
And the most recognizable version of “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”? No one beats Andy William’s version…enjoy!
