Mindful Eating for Weight Loss: 5 Tips to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain
Are you afraid of gaining weight this holiday season? When preventing holiday weight gain, it’s beneficial to prioritize mindful eating for weight loss.
While the holidays are a time for celebrations and delicious food, for those on a weight loss journey, it can be a challenging time. You don’t want to set yourself back by gaining the weight you worked hard all year to lose.
The good news is you can prevent holiday weight gain in plenty of ways by being intentional and mindful of your eating habits.
Keep reading to learn the top reasons people gain weight over the holidays and five practical tips for using mindful eating to stay on track with your health goals.
If you haven’t already, check out my full blog post on how to stop snacking at night next!
Reasons for Holiday Weight Gain
Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, it’s normal to feel intimidated by the holidays if you’re trying to lose weight.
There are actually many reasons why someone may gain weight over the holidays, and the food you eat is only part of the story.
Knowing why you’re more likely to gain a few pounds over the holidays can help you pinpoint the source of your issues and how to resolve them.
Common reasons for holiday weight gain include:
- Increase in stress levels that cause emotional eating
- More likely to indulge in sweets and comfort foods high in fat and sodium
- Drinking more alcohol (which adds up fast in calories)
- Disruption in sleep cycles because of events and late nights
- Less physical activity and more time indoors because of the weather
These are only a few typical reasons someone may gain weight between November-January.
Even if weight loss isn’t your primary focus, you can still do plenty to maintain your weight and avoid excess weight gain.
Using Mindful Eating for Weight Loss
Mindful eating is a powerful tool that can assist with weight loss. You may be wondering, what is mindful eating?
Mindful eating is an eating approach that focuses on using your sense of awareness and physical sensations while eating.
It involves embracing mindfulness tactics such as being present, slowing down, and reflecting on your physical feelings. Further, mindful eating teaches you to appreciate your current moment and what is happening around you.
People who practice mindful eating tend to eat less, select healthier foods, and savor their meals more.
While the main goal of mindful eating isn’t necessarily weight loss, research supports that mindful eating can promote sustainable weight loss. And with relatively low side effects, it’s an excellent intervention to incorporate if you want to lose weight and live an overall healthier life.
5 Practical Tips on How to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain
You can easily incorporate mindful eating for weight loss into your holiday routine to prevent unwanted weight gain.
Here are five practical tips to help you get started with mindful eating during the holidays.
#1 Pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues
Your hunger and fullness cues are your body’s way of telling you when you’re hungry and when you’re full. It sounds easy enough, but it’s common to have a disconnect between your cues and your actions while eating.
Paying attention to your hunger and fullness cues at holiday gatherings looks like:
- Check-in with yourself before eating or going back for seconds. Reflect on if you’re actually hungry or eating for other reasons.
- If you get hungry before meals, have a small snack of fresh fruit and vegetables. Listening to your hunger cues is essential so you don’t overeat later on.
While eating more than usual during big meals such as Thanksgiving and Christmas is normal, you still don’t want to overdo it. Instead, bring to-go containers with you to pack up the rest of your meal and finish it off later. Then you don’t miss out on any delicious food!
#2 Slow down while you eat
Another essential component of mindful eating for weight loss is slowing down while you eat. It takes time for your food to travel down your esophagus and into your stomach, where it can register how full you are.
Eating too fast makes it hard for your fullness cues to catch up. Then, before you know it, you’re eating way past fullness, and the extra calories can add up quickly.
To help you slow down, set your fork down between bites and thoroughly chew your food before swallowing.
#3 Don’t skip breakfast
I frequently hear my nutrition coaching clients mention how they skip breakfast on days they have big celebrations. But this can do more harm than good!
Not eating breakfast to “save” on calories leaves your body feeling starving and ravenous by the time you reach your main meal. When this happens, you’re more likely to eat past fullness because your body is trying to compensate for the lack of calories earlier.
Instead, eat a balanced breakfast in the morning with lean protein and high-fiber carbs to keep you satisfied until your big meal. You’d be surprised how much less you end up eating. Saving on these calories can help prevent holiday weight gain.
#4 Prioritize self-care to reduce stress eating
The holiday season can be a stressful time. With stress comes the temptation to eat out of comfort when you’re upset.
Stress eating is a harmful habit that can cause overeating and weight gain. If you notice that your stress levels are ramping up over the next few weeks, ensure you prioritize self-care.
Self-care ideas during the holidays:
- Workout or engage in some sort of physical activity the morning of big events
- Try 5 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing or a guided meditation
- Take a hot bath or shower
- Go for a walk in nature before or after meals
#5 Practice gratitude before meals
Gratitude is a simple act of mindfulness that can help you center yourself before eating. Holiday meals are a great time to express your gratitude for the food you’re eating.
When you sit down to eat alone or with others, reflect on what it took to bring you this amazing meal. Either think in your head or say aloud how grateful you are.
A brief act of mindfulness such as this helps calm your body and prepare it to eat, activating your “rest and digest” state.
Mindful Eating for Weight Loss: The Takeaway
Above everything, the holidays are for relaxation, celebration, and time with your loved ones.
It’s absolutely possible with the right tools to stay on track with your weight loss goals and enjoy yourself.
If you’re looking for extra support and guidance throughout this season, working with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist like myself can help! Don’t wait until the New Year rolls around to begin working towards your goals.
Schedule a call with me to learn more about my one-on-one nutrition coaching services. Together, we can come up with a personalized plan to help you shed those stubborn pounds.
Here’s what one of my clients has to say…
“The number one hesitation for me was debating whether the money I would pay would be worth getting coaching and counseling. But after working with John for 3 months, I can say it’s worth every penny.”
— Dom
Don’t hesitate to begin your journey- book a call today while spots are available.
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