Why You Need To Stop Worrying About Holiday Weight Gain
People worry about gaining weight while holiday. But it is good to remember that weight is not the only indicator of good health. Weight naturally fluctuates all the time and a short period of indulgent eating won’t make a drastic difference in your weight.
My advice is enjoy your holiday, relax about your food choices, and connect with your traveling buddies. This is just as good for health.
Reality weight loss shows, diet advertisements and social media before-and-afters continually bombard us with different versions of the same misguided message. Weight loss by any means (even unhealthy ones) is cause for celebration, and weight gain is something to be feared at all costs.
It is not surprising that many people are nervous about gaining weight when they go on holiday and find themselves surrounded by calorie-dense treats they wouldn’t normally have at home. The internet is flooded with tips on how to avoid holiday weight gain; and how to lose any weight gained once you get home.
In my opinion holiday weight gain isn’t really worth all the worry it’s allotted.
Here are four reasons why:
- Weight is not the only measure of good health
Weight can be a helpful measure when determining someone’s health, but it is not the only thing that matters. For example blood pressure, cholesterol and hours of sleep per night are some of the other factors to take into account when considering health.
If you do gain weight on holiday, it won’t necessarily make you less healthy. Your weight doesn’t tell the whole story of your health.
- It is normal for weight to fluctuate
Your weight is changing all the time. Weight fluctuates naturally from day to day from week to week from year to year and to trying to control that, just causes distress more than being helpful.
Your weight can fluctuate more than two kilograms in a single day because of natural functions like sweating, breathing, peeing, eating, and drinking.
Eating more carbs than usual, eating saltier foods and traveling to warmer climate, things that may happen on holiday, can make the body automatically retain extra water. This makes the number on the scale go up, even though your body mass doesn’t actually change.
- A short period of indulgent eating won’t make a huge difference
A few days of eating indulgent food won’t make a gigantic difference.
Even if you do eat extravagantly on holiday, you might find that you want to eat lighter meals once you get home. I get the best results with my client’s post a holiday as their mind-set is on fire and ready to tackle any unwanted weight.
I think the real a-ha moment for clients is when they experience this for themselves. They have had a week or more of indulgent meals, then they come home from holiday and they find themselves naturally gravitating toward foods that may balance some of those choices out. Without having to put too much thought and effort into it, they find that they naturally self-moderate.
The key to this type of self-moderation is actually listening to your body’s internal cues to decide what and how much to eat, as opposed to obeying diet rules that you’ve picked up from the outside world.
This practice is one of the core habits known as intuitive eating – a practice we promote and is the healthiest approach when seeking the perfect nutritional plan for yourself. Check out how to practice Intuitive eating. How To Practice Gentle Nutrition In Intuitive Eating- Natural Attitude)
- It is also healthy to truly enjoy your holiday
Don’t let food worries get in the way of a good time.
Sure, it could be considered “healthier” to forgo an ice cream sundae while on holiday. But worrying about your food choices may distract from the reason you’re there in the first place; to relieve stress and if you are with friends or family enjoy the company and have a memorable time. Both of those things promote your health.
It can be difficult to let go of holiday weight gain fears. One way to start is to subtly shift your thinking on the subject.
Something you can practice is to really be intentional about noticing other ways that you enjoyed yourself. Was it a nice break from work? Did you feel like you could have more flexibility with food choices and it made the experience more enjoyable? Were you more connected in conversations because you weren’t so busy worrying about weight? Did it cause less anxiety about traveling in general? Looking at overall wellbeing and not just the weight might help someone have perspective on the experience, versus feeling so stuck in that fear.
This tool does not provide medical advice, it is intended for information purposed only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the Colleen The Coach website. If you suspect you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.
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