Your friend is dressing up for a holiday party, and you realize that your last year’s festive outfit doesn’t quite fit. Perhaps your favourite party pants don’t fit well enough for dancing, or your dress doesn’t zip properly, making it difficult to eat the apple pie and the red, green and gold Hershey’s kisses you had planned to treat yourself to.
Don’t beat up on yourself. RD, is a private practice dietitian in St. Louis. She says that weight fluctuations are normal. Daily, body weight can fluctuate due to fluid retention and hydration levels.
You may also be at risk for falling weight gain from other factors.
Celebratory events can be a big part of life. “My birthday was recently, and I celebrated it over the weekend and will celebrate with my friends tomorrow night,” says Tara Collingwood RDN. She is a sports and performance nutritionist in Orlando, Florida. I know that I’m eating more this week than usual, so I either eat a lower-calorie meal or increase my exercise daily to compensate. This allows me to indulge without feeling guilty. I am not skipping meals.
A slight increase in the scale can occur as easily as a change of season. However, it is possible to take action before it becomes too severe. Collingwood says that it is important to be aware of and correct fluctuations before they become too severe. If you notice that you’re consistently five pounds heavier after the summer, take action. Take a vacation and then come back to work in a few weeks to shed any extra weight.
Because of a busy schedule, you depended on fast food
Happy parents and children equal school musicals, classroom bake sales, soccer games, and classroom bake sales. Yawitz says, “Many of my clients with children have very little energy and time to cook due to professional obligations, back school engagements, new routines and sports practices.” The result is that the whole family tends to order takeout and fast food when their schedules are full.
Convenience foods can lead to additional weight, but they don’t have the right to. Yawitz notes that restaurant meals are more sodium-rich than home-cooked meals. This can cause temporary weight gain. Yawitz notes that eating out often can lead to weight loss. This is because restaurant meals are high in calories and serve large portions. A study published in January 2018 in the American Journal of Health Promotion showed that each meal taken from a fast food restaurant was associated with an increase of 0.8 in body weight index (BMI). There was an increase in BMI for sit-down restaurants. This is a good example of how this works. If your BMI were 24.5 and you increased it by 0.8, you would have an unhealthy BMI. You would then become an overweight BMI.
Solution
Yawitz says, “As a busy mother, I know how hard it can be to find time to cook.” “I like to make double batches, such as soups or casseroles, for less hectic nights. I make one and then schedule a reminder on my phone to reheat the other. The Instant Pot is available for purchase starting at $65, while Brava can be purchased for $1,095.
One option is to order healthy meals delivered by one of many delivery companies that deliver heat-and-eat food. Freshly allows you to choose meals that are less than 500 calories. It costs $49.99 per week for four meals. Snap Kitchen provides customized meals to suit different eating preferences (such as low carb), with varying costs depending on where you live. Fresh and Lean offers portioned meals suitable for athletes, plant-based eaters, and others. The cheapest option is the Vegan standard meal plan, which costs $8.40.
Halloween and Thanksgiving ruined your healthy-eating streak
A holiday does not last for just one day these days. You may have Thanksgiving Day, Friendsgiving, and a Work Potluck. Many other holidays take place in the fall. Collingwood says, “You have tailgating at college and pro football games and Halloween candy lying about for weeks.” Pumpkin spice lattes [PSLs] can be consumed because they are only available for a short time.
Solution
Here, you’ll need to make tough decisions. Collingwood says, “I love a PSL as much as everyone else. But the syrup isn’t sugar-free, and the calories can add on.” I make conscious choices about how often I indulge in sugary coffee beverages or eat pumpkin cakes. Knowing where your biggest temptations are will help you be more conscious and more strategic about how you eat.
Strategic eating means making indulgences count and adapting your diet throughout the day to accommodate them. Is it worth buying the cookies from the grocery store’s break room or a speciality bakery? You can choose one (either a cookie, a glass of wine, or a small piece of cake – not all three!) Reduce your portions in other areas. You can, for example, avoid fried rice and opt instead for cauliflower rice; or zucchini noodles in place of real noodles.
Another option is to choose a lighter snack such as air-popped popcorn or a few tablespoons of almonds. In a December 2014 study, Health Psychology found that healthy foods such as almonds and popcorn effectively lift bad moods as traditional comfort foods like ice cream.
Stress causes your hormones to go haywire
Jennifer McDaniel RDN, a private practitioner dietitian in St. Louis, Missouri, says that fall can increase stress because of school starting and the winter holidays approaching. Stress can have many negative effects on your body. Stress can increase ghrelin, which is your hunger hormone, and cause cravings. Also, stress can increase cortisol.” Chronic stress can cause your body to store fat in the midsection. This is called visceral fat or belly fat.
Activity levels can also be affected by stress. A majority of the research in a review published in January 2014 in Sports Medicine showed that stress could hinder efforts to become physically active.
Solution
Get help if you are stressed about cooking holiday meals. You might need to assign each guest a dish or invest in a complete Martha Stewart Thanksgiving package of sides from Williams Sonoma. The bundle costs from $160.97 up to $359.96.
A review of Sports Medicine also revealed that stress could increase your workout’s efficiency. No matter how motivated you are to exercise, moving can help your happy hormones. Zemo is a monthly subscription that lets you try different gyms in your local area.
Your outdoor workouts are less appealing because of cooler temperatures
The fall weather is wonderful. It’s crisp and cool. Collingwood says that people may be more active during the summer months if the weather is good and they’re playing outside with their kids, going to the beach or taking part in recreational sports leagues. Collingwood says that when it gets colder, people might hibernate more indoors and forgo the extra daily activity of walking or biking to work in warmer weather. You may also lose calories by taking the bus or driving to work when the weather is chilly.
Solution
It may be as easy as investing in your wardrobe. Ginger Hultin (RD), a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics based in Seattle, suggests that you buy clothes appropriate for your outdoor lifestyle and make it a priority every day to move.
Consider asking for an activity tracker such as an Apple Watch or FitBit to log your movements and help you set goals. The highly-rated Pedometer++ application is available for free. It allows you to set a daily goal for steps and tracks your activity. It’s available on the App Store as well as Google Play.
Are you planning a vacation? You might consider making your getaway an active vacation by booking a Hilton Head Health retreat. The resort provides portion-controlled meals as well as a daily schedule of classes. An all-inclusive Club Med vacation is also available. This allows you to schedule yoga, Pilates, and power walking activities. These programs are priced differently depending on whether you’re returning guest or a first-time guest. Also, the length of your stay.
Seasonal Affective Disease Changes Your Diet for The Worse
You’re not the only one feeling blue during daylight savings. Seasonal depression can also impact your weight. Yawitz says that people with seasonal affective disorders (SAD) are more likely to eat emotionally than those without the condition.
Past research has shown that people suffering from SAD are more inclined to consume carbohydrates during the seasonal depression. Yawitz says that SAD women have a stronger desire for sweet and starchy carbs, possibly due to the increase in a hormone called serotonin.
Solution
Light therapy can help you feel happier. A past study showed that adults suffering from SAD received light therapy, which reduced their depression symptoms. A Happy light therapy box or lamp can be purchased for as little as $34.95.
You can embrace mindful, intuitive eating when it comes to food. Yawitz suggests that you take the time to think about how you feel physically and mentally every time you need to eat. If you haven’t eaten in a while and don’t feel hungry, you may be feeling lonely, sad, or anxious. Talking to a friend, meditation, or even a bath can provide comfort. If it’s sunny, you can bundle up and go for a walk. The sun can increase the production of serotonin in our bodies, which is why spending some time outdoors can help boost our mood.
