The Holiday Weight Gain Myth (And What Really Happens)

Let's talk about the holidays. Every year, sometime around November, we start hearing:

“Ugh, I'm going to gain so much weight during the holidays.”

But here's the thing...the holidays themselves aren't what make us gain weight. It's what happens to our habits during the holidays.

One Thanksgiving dinner isn't going to undo months of progress. Neither is enjoying your favorite Christmas cookie, going to a holiday party, or having a big meal with your family. The problem usually starts when one indulgent meal turns into an entire season of thinking, “I'll get back on track in January.”

Think about what can happen when the holidays get busy. We move a little less. We drink a little less water. We indulge more. Our normal routines get pushed aside, and suddenly those healthy habits we've worked so hard to build aren't happening as often. None of those things seem like a huge deal on their own. But when they continue for several weeks, they can start to add up. And here's the good news:

you don't have to choose between enjoying the holidays and taking care of yourself.

You can absolutely enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. You can have the Christmas cookie. You can go to the holiday party and eat the foods you love. You don't need to feel guilty about any of it.

The goal is simply to keep some of your normal habits in place, too.

Keep drinking your water. Keep moving when you can. Continue making nutritious choices most of the time. Keep your appointments. And if you have a day where everything goes completely off the rails? Don't wait until Monday. Just get back to your routine at the next meal or the next day.

That's what consistency really looks like.

It's not about doing everything perfectly. It's about what you do most of the time and how quickly you're willing to get back to it when life throws you off.

So enjoy the holidays. Make the memories. Eat the cookie. Have the dinner. You don't have to put your life on hold just because you're working toward a goal. Just don't let a few special days turn into four months of saying, “I'll start again in January.”

Because imagine how different January could feel if you walked into 2027 knowing you never completely abandoned yourself. You enjoyed the season and continued taking care of yourself.

That's the kind of consistency we're talking about.

One meal doesn't make or break your progress. Your habits over time do. So don't wait until January. Keep showing up now.

If you're ready for a little extra accountability and support through the holiday season, we'd love to have you in the Fall Reset Club.