Here’s a question for you: Is the holiday weight gain inevitable—are we destined to see a bigger number when we step on the scale after Valentines Day?


I wondered about this proverbial pattern and so did some research to see if there’s any hope to avoiding, or at least minimizing this predictable trend.

Turns out, studies suggest we can control holiday weight gain. There’s lots of positive results I can share, but I’ll keep it to what Harvard Medical School found. While there’s no one-size-fits all answer, and there’s no magic bullet to the holiday weight gain issue, Harvard did find (through working with hundreds of people) that there are 10 things we can do to increase our chances of avoiding (or at least minimizing) the gain:

1. Keep to your meal routine. Try to eat at roughly the same times each day.
2. Look for ways to eat less fat. Toast without butter but jam instead? Sautee with water rather than oil?
3. Walk off the weight. Aim for 10,000 steps each day.
4. Pack a healthy snack. Choose fresh fruit or low-calorie yogurt instead of chocolate or chips.
5. Look at the labels. Check food labels for fat and sugar content.
6. Caution with your portions. Don’t heap food on your plate, and think twice before having second helpings.
7. Up on your feet. Stand up for 10 minutes every hour.
8. Think about your drinks. Choose water or calorie-free drinks, and limit alcohol.
9. Focus on your food. Slow down, and don’t eat in front of the TV or on the go.
10. Don’t forget your 5-a-day. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

The Harvard researchers found that there were four other strategies that greatly reduced the weight-gain trend:


First of all, mark all of the holiday events you’ll be attending on your calendar so that you’ll remember to plan ahead. If the meal is not at your home, eat lighter the day of the event to balance the extra calories you may consume at the party. If the event is in the evening, have a healthy breakfast and satisfying lunch, with a light snack before the event to avoid overindulging later.

If you are the host and struggle with tasting while cooking, try chewing sugar-free gum while preparing the meal, or have a small snack before you start cooking. Serve plenty of raw vegetables and yogurt-based dips to start the event and fresh fruit to finish. After the meal, send leftovers home with friends and family (especially the desserts).


At your workplace, have a plan for those holiday lunches and office parties (which make it so difficult for even the most health-conscious employee to make smart choices). If the team is going out for a special holiday lunch, choose lower-calorie items and go light on dinner that evening. And if you can, move holiday cookies and candies to a high-traffic area to spread the goodies around.

Start new traditions that don’t revolve around food. For example, attend a holiday concert or show, or take a drive or walk to see holiday lights. Catch up with a friend over a yoga or Zumba class instead of meeting for a peppermint mocha latte.


And I’ll close with my own strategy: Have some healthy sweet treats available so when the crowd is imbibing (whether at home or at the office), you automatically have an easy choice available. (I even pack these if I’m going to someone else’s home.) With this last bit advice, I’ll share one of my all-time favorite healthy holiday sweets. I named them “No-Guilt Truffles.” The name fits; not only are they minus things that’ll contribute to a weight gain, they’re loaded with some nutrition! The holidays are at our doorstep—you might want to start perfecting these now.




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    Alice Osborne
    DVO Newsletter Contributor since 2006
    Email the author! alice@dvo.com