Christmas – Yes, It’s that time of year again where you’re more likely to hear the age-old cliché that we’re all “piling on the pounds” – but, exactly how many pounds are we actually talking about in real life?
The dreaded Christmas munchies
I think most of us will taken it as a given that, for those that celebrate Christmas, eating a bit more than we normally would is par for the course at this time of year. Although we’ve previously given a few handy tips to help you avoid overeating at Christmas, we appreciate that following all the advice isn’t just a simple matter of reading how to do it, you have to actually put it into action. This is, of course, is easier said than done and there’s no disputing that it takes willpower together with a generous festive sprinkling of commitment to stay on track.
Piling on the pounds… or is it kilos?
It may help you on your way to know exactly how much weight you stand to gain during December so that you can keep a closer eye on your eating habits. According to one newspaper cited in an NHS article, the average weight gain over Christmas is 2lbs, which, comes in at around 0.9kg. Hopefully, the notion that the average Joe stands to gain nearly an entire kilogram in weight will be sufficient motivation to keep things in check a little more.
Perhaps even more alarming is that the article slaps us round the face with even more bad news by telling us that not only do we put it on, we often never lose the weight afterwards. If true, this means that over a 10-year period, we’ll all be putting on an extra 20lbs, which is the equivalent of 1.4 stones, or 9kgs.
Weight Creep
Sometimes referred to as weight creep, this phenomenon slinks slowly towards us with cat-like stealth… and then pounces! This is when a button suddenly pings off a piece of clothing or you realise that, with lips pursed, you’re having to pull just a teeny bit harder to reach the same belt hole.
Steps to avoid the Christmas weight Grinch
If any of the above sounds familiar, there are plenty of steps you can take to help dodge those 2 extra pounds this Christmas. Aside from our blog mentioned earlier, you can also mull over our 10 tips to help prevent mindless eating which is particularly useful if you’re intending to relax and plonk yourself on the sofa to watch plenty of Christmas TV. If you’re the forward-thinking type, there’s also our blog to help you with any weight-related New Year Resolutions you’re planning on making once the festive dust settles.