Sunday, December 26, 2021

Any “weight gain” after a single holiday meal is poop and water retention. You didn’t “gain” multiple pounds of body fat. You’re fine.

You did not ruin your diet with a day or two of holiday indulgence. You didn’t undo a month’s worth of progress if the number on the scale is 5-10 lbs over what you expect.

Food takes anywhere from 24 to 72 hours to pass through your system, sometimes longer depending on various factors. So you will not finish pooping out food you ate on Christmas until December 28. source

In addition, salt causes water retention, and many of the rich foods associated with the holidays contain more salt that you eat on normal days. Various other factors like stress and alcohol consumption can also affect your water retention.

When we talk about “weight loss” we are concerned with reducing body fat. The literal number on the scale doesn’t matter. (Except for special circumstances like athletes who need to reach a certain weight class for competitions.) The number of pounds/kilos you weigh is an imperfect measurement for the amount of adipose tissue your body has, which is what we really care about. But it also reflects all these other factors like water retention and how much food is in your belly.

You haven’t ruined or undone anything in the last few days. You don’t need to repent by eating under your normal calorie goal, or exercising more than you typically do. Tomorrow is a fresh start. Just keep moving.

submitted by /u/BeauteousMaximus
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