In my last blog I laid out the structure for using the window of September to Thanksgiving most effectively. Today, the case for why sitting this one out isn’t actually a neutral choice.
The Number Everyone Underestimates
The most cited research on holiday weight gain found the average person gains a bit under a pound between mid November and New Year’s. People already carrying extra weight tend to gain noticeably more, sometimes several pounds, not because of less willpower, but because the season hits harder when there’s already more ground to defend.
Why It Never Comes Back Off
The same research found something worse than the gain itself. Most people never lose that weight the following year. It just sits there, and the next holiday season adds a bit more on top. That’s a big part of how average adult body weight quietly creeps up over a decade.
The Real Comparison
Picture two versions of the next twelve weeks. In one, you do nothing and end up a pound or so heavier each week, most of which sticks around. In the other, you use the structure from my last blog and end up meaningfully lighter and stronger. Your clothes are fitting differently. That’s a swing of fifteen or twenty pounds depending on which path you pick starting this week.
- Decide on purpose, not by default.
- The gap between the two paths grows every week you wait.
- Small and consistent beats the pound a week of holiday creep every single time.
Michael Wilkie
Aspire Health & Fitness