The holidays change our routines in ways that can be both pleasurable and stressful. There may be family gatherings, photos, travel, time off work, holiday meals, and more time spent with people we may not see every day. For many people, this can bring up pressure to “stay on track,” avoid comments about weight, or look a certain way around family, friends, or people they have not seen in a while.
But when it comes to weight management, the holidays are no different than any other time of year: if our focus is on our appearance, we’re setting ourselves up for frustration.
Your health is much bigger than how your body looks in a holiday photo, at a family gathering, or at the dinner table. A healthier approach is to think about weight management as part of your long-term well-being, not as a short-term attempt to look different for an event, outfit, or season.
This matters because weight is often talked about in ways that are laser-focused on appearance and “being good.” People may hear messages about “earning” holiday meals, “burning off” dessert, or needing to “fix” their body before the New Year. These messages can increase guilt and shame, and they usually do not support lasting health.
Weight management is not about being perfect. It’s about supporting your body in ways that are realistic.
Health-focused goals could include improving your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, sleep, energy, mobility, mood, or even overall quality of life. For some people, weight management may also be part of treating obesity as a chronic disease. Treatment may involve nutrition changes, physical activity, behavioral support, medication, or surgery, depending on the person.
This mindset is very different from trying to change your body just to meet an appearance-based standard. The holidays can actually be a helpful time to practice this because they are often centered around family, connection, tradition, and fun activities. Food is part of that for many people – and so is rest, time away from work, being with people you care about, and taking a break from your usual routine.
A health-focused approach doesn’t mean ignoring your goals. It means making choices that support your health, while still allowing you to participate in your life. For example, you might enjoy a big holiday dinner without skipping lunch to “save calories.” You might choose the foods you actually want, eat slowly, and stop when you feel full. You might take a walk with family after dinner, not because you need to “undo” what you ate, but because movement can feel good and support digestion, blood sugar, mood, and stress.
You might also decide that sleep, hydration, taking your medication as prescribed, or managing stress are part of your health plan during the holidays. These choices matter a great deal for long-term health.
It also helps to notice the way you talk to yourself. There is a difference between saying, “I was bad because I ate dessert,” and saying, “Enjoying dessert was part of the celebration, and that choice doesn’t have to change the rest of my day.” The first statement will make us feel guilty. The other keeps the focus on the bigger picture.
The goal is not to turn every holiday gathering into a health project, and it’s also not to pretend that weight-related health concerns don’t matter. The goal is to move away from looks-based pressure, and move toward choices that support your body (and your life) over time. None of these choices need to be perfect to be useful.
Long-term health is built through patterns, not one holiday meal or one week out of routine. Enjoying your life, spending time with loved ones, and caring for your health don’t have to be mutually-exclusive.
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Diet and exercise alone aren’t enough to help many people reach a healthier weight. Medical treatments are needed to address the biological changes happening in our bodies that can drive weight regain. To find a physician near you who specializes in weight management, click here.
This article was sponsored by Novo Nordisk Canada. All content is created independently by My Weight – What To Know with no influence from Novo Nordisk.
