It's likely that many people will experience some holiday weight gain at least once in their lives. This is especially true if those holidays happen during the cold winter months. At that time, you're moving slower because of the cold. And when you get together with your friends and family, it's hard to say "no" to festive food.

However, you'll probably regret eating too much over the holidays. While it can be difficult to keep your diet under control, it is possible to avoid weight gain over the holidays with the help of technology. Here's how to do it.

1. Use the Weight Loss App Lose It!

One of the most common things that people recommend for keeping track of your diet is using a weight loss tracker. There are a lot of apps on the market, so essentially you just have to choose the one that's right for you.

An app that is perfect to use during the holidays is Lose It! It is a weight loss tracker for Android and iOS that has both a free and premium plan. The free plan has enough features, and it should work fine for what you need.

On the free plan, you can do the following:

  • Input your starting weight, plus your desired weight.
  • Let Lose It! calculate how many calories you're allowed per day in order to meet that goal.
  • Log what you eat for each meal of the day.
  • Let Lose It! identify healthy food patterns that keep your weight under control.

Additionally, the Lose It! app gives you a breakdown of what type of nutrients you're consuming—fat, carbs, and protein. Some good advice would be to use this app over the holidays to see what foods cost you the most calories. From there, you can adjust your other meals so that your daily calorie intake remains within limits. Lose It! is a perfect Christmas weight loss tracker app.

Download: Lose It! for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)

2. Create a Meal Plan With Mealime

One of the most useful things that can help you stay healthy during the holidays is the use of meal plans. A meal plan is pretty simple:

  • Once a week, sit down and plan out what you want to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
  • Next, make larger-than-normal quantities of these meals, so you can feed yourself leftovers and cut back on your time in the kitchen.

This careful portion control can stop you from scrambling for a meal last minute in the fridge. It can also prevent you from binging on unhealthy alternatives. The exact same principles can be applied to the food that you eat for festive occasions, too.

Additionally, you can also use meal-planning apps and websites like Mealime to help you avoid holiday weight gain. The Mealime app is beginner-friendly, and it makes building a meal plan easy. Adjust your eating preferences, and the app generates recipes based on your specific diet, allergies and restrictions, and serving size. A couple of the diet types include low-carb, keto, vegan, and pescatarian.

Now, for your ideal holiday meal plan, simply pick a readymade meal plan that Mealime has created just for you, or you can build your own meal plan. The library of recipes is huge, so to make it easier they're organized into categories like Lunch-Friendly, Pantry Staples, Top Rated, and more.

Additionally, you can use the search function to find a particular recipe or filter the dishes using multiple tags for a more advanced search. From there, tap the plus icon to add dishes to your meal plan and the app even calculates all the ingredients into a handy shopping list! While the holidays are already partially planned in terms of meals for you and your family, you can take this planning further.

Let's say that, as part of your meals, you want to eat Christmas cookies every day. By working cookies into your meal plans, you can calculate how much they'll cost you in terms of calories. Then you can add the other items to your meals to accommodate these cookies accordingly. If you're looking for ways to figure out what to eat, here are the best meal planning apps and websites to save money.

Download: Mealime for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)

3. Find a Holiday Food Blog or Website

Search Allrecipes for Christmas Recipes

Another way that you can keep your weight in check—and plan better meals—is by finding a food blog that provides you with ideas about what to cook for the holidays. There are lots of food blogs out there, including some amazing baking websites for delicious dessert ideas.

If you're looking for recipes specifically devoted to the holidays, search the AllRecipes website for Christmas recipes or the Food Network for holiday-themed meals. Through sites like these, you can map out each week what you'll be cooking, all while keeping the holiday spirit.

Because the AllRecipes website has a dedicated Christmas section, it's easy to locate exactly what you're looking for, whether that's Christmas candy recipes or ideas for food gifts. For each recipe, you have the option to save, rate, print, or share it. So if you're not cooking, you can possibly suggest some of these recipes to your host.

Besides Christmas-themed recipes, AllRecipes also has recipes for a variety of other special occasions and holidays like Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, and even Cinco de Mayo!

4. Try Some Winter Exercises

BitGym virtual immersive cardio tour mobile app

You may think that the holidays are a terrible time for exercise, especially if you live in a colder climate where you get snow during the winter months. However, winter exercises can be turned into a fun group activity that not only keeps you in shape but helps you bond with family and friends, as well.

If you're in a cold climate with lots of snow, there are several workout apps to keep you fit and active when you're stuck indoors. One fun and unique option is the BitGym app—an immersive exercise app that allows you to travel across the globe without leaving your living room.

Therefore, you can switch to indoor workouts and feel like you're exploring warmer locations like Gran Canaria Island and Shompole Conservatory in Kenya. Plus, BitGym works with just about any cardio machine, including ellipticals, treadmills, bikes, and rowing machines.

Alternatively, outdoor activities like snowboarding, skiing, or tubing are great exercises to do as a group. If you're trying to save money, something as simple as a family walk can help you work off some of those extra calories you'll be eating.

Download: BitGym for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)

5. Use DrinkControl to Control Your Alcohol Intake

One area you might not consider when you're looking for ways to maintain your weight is the hidden cost of alcohol. You might not think about the calories in alcohol on a day-to-day basis or realize that you're consuming more of them over the holidays.

To keep these calories under control, it's best to use a weight loss app like DrinkControl. Through the DrinkControl app, you can:

  • Count the calories in each beverage you consume.
  • Track the cost of drinking itself.
  • Celebrate your sober days and streaks.
  • Make sure you stay within the standard alcohol consumption limits.
  • View detailed graphs and reports based on your alcohol units, money, and calories.

They say it takes a few weeks to start building a habit. So prior to the holidays, it's best to install the DrinkControl app and try it out. Get into the habit of logging your drink before you drink it, so you have a clear memory of what you're consuming. That way you'll be well-prepared to track the habit long-term. The only downside to this app? It's only available for iOS.

Download: DrinkControl for iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

6. Have a Reward System in Place

A big way that you can avoid holiday weight gain and stick to your diet is by having a reward system in place for hitting specific weight or health-related goals. There are even mobile apps that reward you for walking and apps that gamify your fitness routine, such as Fitness RPG.

Sweatcoin is an excellent example of an app that rewards you for staying active. It works by transforming your steps into a currency called sweatcoins. You can then use your proceeds to reward yourself with digital offers, physical products, vouchers, and more.

Always try a reward system that works for you and brings you joy, even if the rewards aren't food-based. You should also pick something that you can look forward to once the hard part of dieting is over.

For example, if you manage to stick to your weight goal over the holidays, buy something for yourself on Boxing Day. If you want to save money and you already subscribe to a streaming service, take the time to sit down and watch a new show on Netflix or Disney+. Sometimes, a lazy weekend is all you need to feel good about yourself.

Download: Sweatcoin for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)

7. Keep Your Goals Manageable

Holiday Weight Gain Goals

Lastly, while it's totally reasonable to avoid weight gain over the holidays, losing weight may be a bit far-fetched. You don't want to push yourself so hard that you're not enjoying yourself or get to the point where you're worrying instead of relaxing.

After all, if you manage to stick to a moderate goal without feeling miserable, that can work better for you in the long run. Good feelings and moderate success in the present can create great feelings and further success in the long term. Keep your goals manageable and understand that you need to plan better for this special occasion. That way, you can pick up your full habits once you're back to your normal routine.

Avoid Holiday Binge-Eating and Have Fun

The holidays are a great time to be with friends and family. Using these apps and tools will help you get the most out of good food and have a good life without worrying about your weight. Whether you're looking to eat healthier during the holidays or all year round, technology is there to help.