5 Things That Could Derail Your Weight Loss Journey During the Holidays

October officially marks the beginning of the holiday season. For those of us on a wellness journey, this time can be filled with stress, worries, or concerns about navigating the increase in temptations, elaborate meals, and traditions centered around food.

Some of us are highly conscious of these challenges. Others carry anxiety that lurks quietly in the background, unspoken and unaddressed. And for good reason.

The Holiday Weight Gain Reality

According to research published in the Journal of Obesity, the average weight gain during the holiday season is one to two pounds. That might not sound like much, but here's where it becomes problematic: when that extra pound or two sticks around after the holidays and repeats year after year.

This ritual weight increase can create beliefs about your ability to control yourself around food during this time. These beliefs become stronger with each passing year, making the holidays feel increasingly challenging.

Your Holiday Experience Matters

Take a moment to consider how you truly feel about the holidays. Is it mostly joy? A mixture of joy and stress? Or a time of sadness and the desire to just get through it?

For some, the holidays bring three months of anticipation, family connection, and happy memories. For others, this season can be painful, lonely, and emotionally stressful due to difficult family dynamics, lack of close connections, or seasonal depression.

Whatever your experience, the added layer of how we interact with food and our bodies complicates things even more, especially if you're trying to adopt new, healthier habits that haven't become solid yet.

When habits are new or fragile, the holidays can either test their strength or throw you completely off track, creating doubts about your ability to maintain them. Because of the lengthy holiday season, this becomes a genuine challenge for anyone on a weight loss journey.

Five Holiday Derailers to Watch For

FOMO and the Scarcity Mindset Around Food

Fear of missing out creates a sense of scarcity around holiday foods. You might feel like certain dishes are once a year treats that you must eat now or miss your chance forever. Scarcity leads to urgency, which then leads to overindulgence.

In his book Sabbath, Wayne Muller offers an interesting perspective. He writes that abundance mindset is actually a response to fear of scarcity. Afraid of not having enough, we reach for more than we need. He suggests that belief in abundance is still a belief rooted in scarcity.

The true antidote to scarcity isn't abundance, but sufficiency - the belief that what you have is enough.

This concept resonates deeply because it's more neutral and believable. You can generate a mindset of sufficiency, whereas your mind might not fully believe an abundance mindset you're trying to create.

Believing You Can't Control Yourself Around Food

It's easy to convince yourself that you simply don't have control when faced with tempting holiday foods. But remember, this is just a belief, not a fact. It's a narrative you've practiced, and like any story, it can be rewritten.

Instead of focusing on lack of control, focus on moments where you've successfully made mindful choices. Those moments prove your capability exists, even if it doesn't feel consistent yet.

Thinking Your Health Can Take a Holiday Too

Many people fall into the trap of assuming that because it's the holiday season, their health goals can take a back seat. We do this not just during holidays, but also on weekends and vacations.

But your body is still keeping score, even during celebrations. The key is aiming for balance rather than swinging between deprivation and extremes.

Lack of Balance Amplified by Holiday Stress

If you're already struggling to find balance in everyday life, the added stress of holidays can derail you completely. More commitments, longer to-do lists, and less time for self-care create the perfect storm.

This season, focus on what fills you up. Whether it's exercise, mindfulness practices, or simply making time for rest, create a plan to prioritize these essentials during the holidays.

Emotional Overload and Emotional Eating

The holiday season often brings emotional intensity that can lead to emotional eating. Whether it's the stress and overwhelm or difficult family dynamics, these heightened emotions can drive us to use food as a coping mechanism.

Emotional eating happens when we use food to soothe feelings rather than satisfy hunger. We're eating our emotions - stress, sadness, loneliness, or even boredom.

Building Emotional Resilience for the Holidays

The key to preventing emotional eating is developing emotional resilience - the ability to understand and manage your emotions so they don't control your actions around food.

Daniel Goleman, a pioneer in emotional intelligence research, breaks this down into five key components that are incredibly relevant when dealing with food and emotional triggers:

Self-Awareness

Recognizing your emotions as they happen is the first step. Are you feeling anxious about a family event? Is loneliness triggering your desire to snack? Self-awareness allows you to pause and question your reactions before automatically reaching for food.

Self-Regulation

Once you're aware of what you're feeling, the next step is managing those emotions. Instead of reaching for comfort food, consider other coping mechanisms like journaling, deep breathing, or going for a walk.

Motivation

Staying committed to your long-term health goals when emotions run high requires intrinsic motivation. Finding your deeper why - your true reason for wanting to stay healthy - can keep you grounded when emotional storms hit.

Empathy

Holiday stress often comes from being around others who are also stressed or emotionally charged. By practicing empathy, you can navigate these situations without absorbing their emotions and turning to food for relief.

Social Skills

Emotional intelligence includes building healthier social interactions. Many holiday events involve family members you may have strained relationships with or simply don't get along with. Instead of just "getting through" these interactions, strengthen your relationship skills to take back your power so you don't delegate your emotions to the people around you and default to overeating to feel better.

Developing emotional intelligence is like building any muscle - it takes practice. By recognizing and managing your emotions before they lead to emotional eating, you can approach the holidays in a more mindful, empowered way.

Your Action Plan

The solution lies in finding the root of each issue and working from there. If you have a scarcity mindset, work on creating a sufficient mindset. Remember that beliefs about health are just thoughts you've repeated until you believe they're facts. Any belief can be changed.

Lack of balance will continue unless you address it now, before the holidays are in full swing. Make a plan for how you'll create balance during this season. What fills your cup? What non-negotiable self-care practices will you maintain?

Approaching This Season Differently

As you think about the approaching holidays, consider how you can experience them differently this year. More mindfully, with balance, and in control of your choices rather than feeling controlled by circumstances and old patterns.

You don't have to repeat past patterns just because they're familiar. This can be the year you navigate the holidays with peace, balance, and genuine enjoyment while staying aligned with your health goals.

Ready to navigate the holidays with confidence and balance? Listen to the full episode of Wellness Mastery with Jen Hoyer for more detailed strategies on maintaining your wellness journey during the most challenging season of the year.

Listen to Episode 9: 5 Things That Could Derail Your Weight Loss Journey During the Holidays