When most people try to lose weight, they watch one number: the scale. But not all weight loss is...
Nutrition, the Holidays, and Annual Weight Gain
By: Scottsdale Weight Loss Center
Published: September 26, 2016
Please Don’t Drink Your Calories if You’re Focused on Weight Loss
Liquid calories are fluids consumed as part of your daily diet that often go unnoticed and...
Rock Climbing: Lose Weight on the Wall
If your weight loss efforts have hit a wall, why not climb it? Rock climbing is becoming an...
Weight Watchers vs. Medical Weight Loss Programs in Scottsdale: Comparing the Results
Many residents in Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Glendale struggle with weight loss plateaus despite...
Arizona Medical Weight Loss Programs vs Online Programs: Which One Provides the Best Results?
The weight loss landscape has shifted significantly with the rise of digital health platforms....
Is Brown Rice Healthier Than White Rice?
Is brown rice better than white rice? Intuitively, one would think that brown rice is much...
The holiday bulge is now a scientific fact. Almost everyone has experienced the 5 to 10 lbs. jump that tends to happen between Halloween and the winter holidays. It starts off simple enough, with a few handfuls of candy or a quick batch of seasonal cookies, but before you know it the seasonal treats take over, becoming a kitchen staple from the start of November all the way through the New Year.
Healthy nutrition habits are important all year round, but if you want to maintain your medical weight loss goals through the holiday season, then you are going to have to double down and put extra effort into making the right food choices all winter long. Between the colder weather and the ample amount of temptation, this isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do.
Gaining a little bit of weight during this time of year is not a sign of personal weakness—it is a sign that you are human, and that you have something in common with the majority of Americans. A recent study out of Cornell University looked at the annual weight patterns of almost 2,000 study participants. The research team looked at nutrition and weight loss habits throughout all 12 months of the year. What the researchers found was rather expected, but not exactly great news. Basically, despite whatever weight loss efforts the participants reported, most people gained weight between November 1st and December 31st. The average level of weight gain during this period is approximately 0.7 percent of personal body weight. Perhaps the most discouraging piece of information revealed in this study was the finding that the average person took about five months to lose the gained holiday weight.
Holiday weight gain can put you in a negative loop of weight gain and re-stabilization, without giving you the chance to see any real results that last long thanks to the long time it takes to lose weight and the quick pace at which it can be re-gained.
The researchers did find that there are some habits that help people avoid getting pulled into this annual cycle, however. For example, the researchers found that those who weigh themselves four times a week or more are more likely to resist holiday weight gain. Working with a medical weight loss program through this challenging time of the year is another helpful tactic in avoiding potential weight gain.
You don’t have to give into the holiday bulge. Stay accountable to your weight loss goal and do your best to remain positive about your progress. If you need a little extra support this time of year, don’t hesitate to check in with your medical weight loss doctor.
Nick
Nick's Story
"I wish I would have come here first. We spend all our time reacting to the next great weight loss tip or program. It might work for a while, but does not last and we end up yo-yoing from one fad to the next – as we gain more weight." Read More
Gina
Lost 44.5 lbs
"I had no trouble adhering to the meals and they really helped catapult my progress! The classes were so beneficial to me because they helped change my thinking about how I viewed health, nutrition, and fitness.
I will always have my relationship with Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. They truly helped me change my life forever." Read More
Lauren
Lost 60 lbs
"Dr. Ziltzer and everyone who I have come in contact with at the Scottsdale Weight Loss office have been so encouraging and I look forward to seeing them each week. It is now a year and 2 months later since I started. I am down 60 lbs., which is the average amount a 9-year-old weighs, it is crazy to think I lost a whole person! I feel amazing, I hit my goal weight in November 2021 just before Thanksgiving. Nothing on my body hurts anymore..." Read More
Chuck
Lost 66 lbs
"The best thing I did was call the Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. I have a lot more energy, I'm not hungry, and it feels great.
You can take it from me that this is a program that produces results. The staff is always positive, supportive, and never judgmental.
Your visits always result in positive reinforcement, no matter if you had a good week or a bad week." Read More
Emily
Lost 101 lbs
"Here I am at the lowest I have been since high school weighing in at 155lbs. I have lost 101 lbs, BMI of 39 when I started, to 21.6, and of course at body fat % of 47.1 to 26.5%. I told myself by my 30th birthday I wanted to be confident in the way I look and I owe it all to SWLC. The entire staff is so welcoming and they are rooting for you just as much as you are rooting for yourself...." Read More
Reviews
Meet Our Team
Robert Ziltzer, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Diana Bone, FNP-C
Specializing in Obesity Medicine
Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, MFOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Kristen Ash, FNP-C, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Alicia Earley, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
