I’ve seen a few posts about the amount of weight people have put on over Christmas, but before you start panicking, here’s something to remember. 1lb of fat is roughly 3,500 calories. That means, in order to put on 1lb of fat in a week, you would have to consume an extra 500 calories per day, every day of the week. Now, that’s perfectly possible around Christmas, considering how calorific food at this time of year is.
However, much of the weight gain is temporary, because we are eating more carbs (Alcohol, sugar, chocolate, pastry, bread, etc.). Also, salty foods, like crisps & nuts, bacon, etc. Eating carbs and salty foods causes you to retain water. So, at least some of that weight gain you may be seeing is just water weight. The human body is around 60% water. A small increase in that percentage can see big changes on the scales.
Now, I’m not saying you should be complacent, but until your diet and routine returns to normal in January, you may not see an accurate weight being displayed on the scales!Long story short: Don’t beat yourself up for enjoying the festivities. Weight gain is often temporary and can be removed quickly once diet and exercise returns to normal in January.
