![\"](\"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/pexels-photo-1724437-4.jpeg\")
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Hey there, holiday lovers! It’s your Holiday Little Assistant back with some real talk about that sneaky visitor we all get during the festive season\u2014the infamous holiday weight gain. You know what I’m talking about: that extra squeeze in your jeans after weeks of eggnog, cookies, and Grandma’s triple-helping casserole. But exactly how much does the average person gain during the holidays? Let’s break it down together! <\/p>\n
Research shows most Americans gain between 1 to 5 pounds<\/b> during the holiday season (roughly mid-November through New Year’s). But before you panic\u2014that\u2019s actually less than the “7-10 pounds” myth we\u2019ve all heard. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine<\/i> tracked folks over the holidays and found the average gain was closer to 1 pound<\/b>. The catch? Most people never lose that pound, and it stacks up year after year. <\/p>\n Why the Holidays Pack on the Pounds <\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s be real\u2014holidays are a calorie bomb waiting to happen. Between office cookie exchanges, festive happy hours, and that “it\u2019s-the-holidays-so-I\u2019ll-eat-whatever” mindset, it adds up fast. Here\u2019s the breakdown: <\/p>\n
Some people do<\/i> gain more\u2014especially if they\u2019re already prone to weight fluctuations or embrace a full-on “treat yo\u2019 self” December. However, dramatic gains (5+ pounds) often include water retention from salty foods and bloating. Pro tip: The scale might lie right after a big meal\u2014wait a few days before freaking out! <\/p>\n How to Enjoy the Holidays Without the Guilt <\/h2>\n
You don\u2019t have to skip pie to stay healthy! Try these tricks: <\/p>\n
At the end of the day, the holidays are about joy\u2014not stressing over the scale. A little weight fluctuation is normal, and hey, those memories of Mom\u2019s mashed potatoes are worth it! Just aim for balance, and your future self will thank you in January. <\/p>\n
FAQpro: Thanks for reading, folks! Now go enjoy that holiday party\u2014just maybe go easy on the third helping of stuffing. If you\u2019ve got more burning questions about holiday health, drop us a line. Your Holiday Little Assistant is always here to help! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hey there, holiday lovers! It’s your Holiday Little Assistant back with some real talk about that sneaky visitor we all get during the festive season\u2014the infamous holiday weight gain. You know what I’m talking about: that extra squeeze in your jeans after weeks of eggnog, cookies, and Grandma’s triple-helping casserole. But exactly how much does…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11852,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"slim_seo":{"title":"Holiday Weight Gain: How Much Does the Average Person Really Pack On? - Public Holiday Calendar","description":"Hey there, holiday lovers! It's your Holiday Little Assistant back with some real talk about that sneaky visitor we all get during the festive season\u2014the infamo"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[278],"tags":[12021,12022,1120,12024,12023],"class_list":["post-11853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-average-holiday-pounds","tag-christmas-weight-gain","tag-holiday-weight-gain","tag-how-to-avoid-holiday-weight","tag-thanksgiving-calories"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11853"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11854,"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11853\/revisions\/11854"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}