5 Secrets for Winter Weight Loss

Many of our favorite holiday memories are related to food. Whether friends and family gather around the table for a sumptuous feast or enjoy a plate of cookies by the light of a crackling fire, there’s no doubt that food and the holidays just go together. Unfortunately, that often means the holidays and weight gain go together, too. Here are a couple of holiday-weight-gain facts, according to some experts:

• The average holiday weight gain is 1–5 pounds
• The holidays are responsible for about 75% of annual weight gain

If you’ve gained a few pounds over the holidays, despite your best efforts to keep them off, don’t despair! With a little dedication, you can lose it right away and start a new year with a new you. Here are some tips.

Effective Winter Weight-Loss Strategies

1. Start early. Although it’s tempting to rationalize and say, “I’ll just start after Valentine’s Day,” that approach is basically kicking the weight-loss can down the road. One of the best practices for summer weight loss is starting early in the year, and the same rule applies for winter pound-shedding. Start early—yes, in January!—and it’ll pay off come spring.
2. Set a goal. It’s more difficult to stick to a weight-loss plan when you don’t have a specific goal in mind. When you do set a goal, start small. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, losing five pounds doesn’t seem like a lot. But if your goal is to lose five pounds, you can achieve it and then set another subsequent goal with greater confidence that you’ll make it.
3. Make use of technology. Fitness trackers have become popular holiday gifts for a couple of reasons. First, just about everyone is trying to get in shape after the holidays. Second, they actually help. Keeping track of what you eat and how many calories you burn is a very effective strategy for weight loss any time of the year. If you didn’t get one in your stocking this year, go out and get one.)
4. Get others involved. Starting a weight-loss program with a group is a good way to ensure you’ll stick with it. It also helps make the whole process more fun. Whether you walk or jog with friends, join a healthy cooking class or track your fitness on social media, receiving encouragement from others will help you accomplish your weight-loss goals.
5. No crash dieting, please. You don’t like what you see in the mirror and you want the extra weight gone now: POOF! Well, since you probably didn’t get a magic wand under the tree to make that happen, you may be tempted to make drastic cuts to your food intake instead. Although you may see some success short-term, it’s an unhealthy and potentially dangerous strategy. When it comes to lasting weight loss, slow and steady wins the race.

The holidays wouldn’t be the same without the foods we know and love, but that doesn’t have to mean we have to pay for it all winter long and beyond. Taking a home DNA test to determine your ideal body weight is a good place to start your fitness journey now and throughout the year. Contact HomeDNA for more information or to order your test kit today.

Do you have other suggestions for winter weight loss? Feel free to leave a comment and tell us what works for you!