For many people, December means eating more, drinking more and snacking more than usual. It is not for nothing that half of the Netherlands will be on the phone in January for the necessary damage control. But is it really the case that you immediately gain a few kilos if you let yourself go during the holidays?
We have good news for you:there is nothing wrong with eating a little more during the Christmas season. Much more important is your basic diet, the rest of the year. In addition, if you always eat reasonably healthy, you will feel the need to fully immerse yourself in the Christmas buffet.
Nutritionist and lifestyle coach Meijke van Herwijnen:'If you always pay very close attention to everything you put in your mouth, there is a good chance that you will not be able to control it during the holidays. Much bigger than if you have a healthy diet for the rest of the year, without starving, and allow yourself something tasty every now and then.'
All nice and nice, why do I weigh more after Christmas? Also good to know if the scale indicates extra kilos after a lavish Christmas dinner with alcoholic refreshments:this is – fortunately – not all new body fat. It is mainly because you retain extra fluid, because you have ingested more salt. And because there is still food to digest in your stomach and intestines. If you resume your normal, healthy diet the day after, the Christmas kilos will be gone after one or two days.
How much should you eat to gain a kilo?
You don't immediately gain weight after a night of crossing the line. To make one kilogram of body fat, you have to eat seven thousand kilocalories too much. Most people can't do that in a day. But suppose you eat five hundred kilocalories more than your body needs every day for two weeks during the Christmas holidays, then you can indeed gain a kilo of fat. On the scale, this translates into about one and a half to two kilos, because you also retain more fluid.
Holiday kilos are a lot more persistent than occasional festive kilos and you can't get rid of them with a few balance days. To burn one kilogram of stored body fat, you need to take in seven thousand kilocalories less than you use. And that is not easily fixed with a few days on a ration.
Want to know more about party pounds? In Santé you can read all about it:the sense and nonsense of detoxes, checklists and more…
