5 Ways to Gain Weight During the Holidays

How not to avoid holiday weight gain.

Holiday weight gain may be the gift you get, but never wanted, if you do these five things. Consider this your guide to what not to do if you want to avoid holiday weight gain.

1. Forget portion control.

   Repeat after me: "All things in moderation. All things in moderation." The best and worst thing about our favorite tasty holiday treats is that they're, well... tasty. And naturally, the tastier a food is, the more you want to eat. It requires a lot of will-power, but make the vow to take just one serving of your absolute favorites and try to eat them slowly, truly savoring each bite.

   More: 10 Ways to Practice Portion Control

2. Cheat: "Just this once ... and this once... and this once...."

   Don't fool yourself into thinking the holidays are one long "just this once" occasion. It will catch up with you. Yes, a half dozen Christmas cookies do count even if eaten standing up. Sadly, those chocolate Bon Bons are going straight to your hips ... even if they were a gift from your Mom and she really wanted you to try them in front of her. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie.

   More: Holiday Party-Going Tips

3. Overdo the spirits.

   We're not talking holiday spirit here. Drinking too much alcohol not only piles on extra, empty calories, it takes away many an inhibition ... including that little voice that tells you not to make a third go-round at the dessert table. Try drinking one glass of water for each drink and it should slow you down.

   More: Holiday Weight Dos and Don'ts

4. Take it easy. Really easy.

   The mid-winter spread will most definitely creep across your mid-section if you give yourself a few weeks (or months) off exercise. But you don't have to leave the festivities to head to the gym. Simply take a brisk 30-minute walk each day to keep your metabolism pumping.

   More: How to Increase Activity and Start Exercising

5. Just give up.

   The most sure-fire way to fail at holiday weight management? Don't allow yourself a few slip-ups here and there. Tell yourself you've blown it now, so you might as well keep making bad choices. You won't want to even bother getting back on that diet if you look at things that way.

   
   Or, you could pick yourself right back up and start over again no matter what you've done over the last few weeks. Even if you make all five of these mistakes today, tomorrow is a new day. And whether tomorrow is December 26th or June 8th, any day is a great one to work toward becoming a healthier you.

Get your new year's weight loss efforts off to a great start by signing up for our free Weight Loss 101 e-Course.

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