Ahhh, the holiday season has arrived.
Tis’ the season for gluttony, sugar crashes, hangovers and just general overall merriment.
It’s no secret that the time between Halloween and New Year’s brings with it excess joy - as well as excess belly . But despite the common perception of excess weight gain during the holidays, it turns out that during this season adults in the U.S. gain an average of 5 lbs, if that.
So, then is holiday weight gain a hoax?
Our answer is a big, fat NOOOO!
The issue herein lies in the fact that the while adult weight gain during the holidays is not as significant as assumed – it is rarely reversed in post-holiday months and contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, higher BMI/excess weight, and other obesity-related conditions.
Not shockingly, this assumedly modest weight gain adds up over the years and prompts the age-old (no pun intended) sayings,
“You have to be young to be skinny.”
“You just can’t lose weight as you get older.”
So, then what is the solution?
Do we cancel Halloween, thanksgiving, Christmas and non-denominational U.S. winter holidays?
- NO
Should we completely rid our lives of processed sugar and alcohol?
- NO (although, there are studies that prove the benefit of this)
Our answer to this century old problem of holiday weight gain is (wait for it....)
THE PURSUIT OF BALANCE!! (You knew that was coming)
While it is important to enjoy the holiday season (and we will always encourage you to live your best life), the best measure to prevent age-related weight gain is in the promotion of weight stability during the fall/winter months.
So, to help you find the most success and joy during this holiday season (because c’mon, how much are you really enjoying being rendered immobile after 1lb of cookies or the headaches, depression and lack of focus after 10 drinks?) we are going to help you understand the effects of sugar and alcohol during the holidays in a three part article series over the next month.
Three part Holiday series:
What sugar actually does to your body.
The effects of alcohol on your body.
Sugar or alcohol – what affects your weight loss goals more?
Of course, we will also be intertwining these articles with a link to our educational health and fitness podcast “The Pursuit of Balance” with owner/founder Corey Mailloux. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out – please subscribe to our Youtube page and follow us on facebook and IG! His knowledge will be your power.
And to help you kick-start the prevention of holiday weight gain (haha, sounds boring but it's only fun at Palo Alto's #1 fitness studio - we promise . Check out ourYelpreviews!), please enjoy 3 free Functional Lifestyles sessions on us!
