Weight Management During the Holidays

Portageville, Mo. - It is that time of year again! Parties, big family meals, and other holiday get-togethers provide opportunities to over-indulge. Studies have linked mid-November through December with an average weight gain of 1 to 3.5 pounds. This may not sound like too much, but the key is whether or not you are reversing the upward trend after the holidays. Accumulation of even small amounts of weight can lead to “creeping obesity” over the years.

"I want you to enjoy the holidays, complete with your traditional food favorites and splurging here and there. If you want to be able to partake in holiday treats and not gain weight, there is a simple behavioral modification technique that may help: weighing yourself every morning," said Sam Anderson, County Engagement Specialist in Nutrition and Health, University of Missouri Extension.

Regular self-weighing has been shown to help people lose weight. The National Weight Control Registry, which tracks people who have successfully lost and kept the weight off, identifies it as a particularly effective strategy for maintaining weight loss over time.

In the first study to evaluate self-weighing specifically over the holiday period, researchers at the University of Georgia, assigned 111 adults (of all body weights) to either a daily self-weighing group or a control group (no weighing), beginning the week before Thanksgiving and ending New Year’s Day, with a 14-week follow-up.

The control group gained 6 to 7 pounds, on average, over the holidays. This was more than previous studies have found. Though they lost much of that over the next 14 weeks (especially the men), their end weight was still nearly an average of 2 pounds higher, than at the start. In contrast, the self-weighing group had small (and expected) fluctuations in weight during the holiday season, but they had no overall weight change from baseline to the end of the holidays or at follow-up.

The researchers note that it’s not that daily self-weighing completely protects against holiday weight gain. However, it prompts individuals to compensate for increases in weight. According to the social cognitive theory of self-regulation, getting immediate feedback, in this case, of weight fluctuations, can motivate future behavior (to eat less that day).

There were some limitations to the study. Because participants had to be accountable and were aware that their scale readings were being seen by researchers, it is not known if the outcome would be the same in real life. So, if you decide to try this tactic over the holidays, it may be a good idea not only to keep track of your daily results but also to share them with someone. It’s not known, either, if less-frequent weighing, for instance, every other day or even weekly, would be as effective.

“I encourage you to identify creative ways to combat the extra pounds you may see on the scale during the holiday season this year. Chances are you will have to visit many stores in the coming days, whether you are shopping for gifts or groceries. I challenge you to find a parking spot in the back of the lot. Use the time you will walk before entering the store to think of all of the things that bring you joy during this time of year. It will give you a great opportunity for a physical and mental boost,” said Anderson.

Tip for Preventing Holiday Weight Gain: Weigh Yourself Every Morning. (2019, November 25). Retrieved from https://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/diet-weight-loss/article/scaling-down-holidays.