Between the huge turkey dinner, all the leftovers, countless Christmas cookies and festive cocktails, it’s not surprising that a lot of us put on a few pounds this time of year. But instead of stressing about it, many Americans are planning to enjoy themselves and not worry about their diet, according to new research.
The results of the sixth annual “Writing Off the End of the Year” survey are out, revealing that 72% of people are planning to make the most of the holidays this year, regardless of what it means for their diet. That’s a big increase from the 54% who said the same last year.
- That attitude is probably the reason respondents expect to gain an average of eight pounds before the end of the year, up from five and a half pounds in 2022.
- Half of those polled admit they’ve eaten so much during the holiday season that they’ve had to undo a button on their pants or loosen a belt.
- Another 35% say they’ve eaten so much, they felt sick or ready to burst.
- Nearly half (47%) have eaten more than three meals in a day, while 59% have eaten more than one of the same meal in a day, and 42% have had more than one dessert at a meal.
- While 72% have broken a diet at the end of the year, two-thirds use the end of the year as an excuse to put off being healthy.
- As for gaining weight, 78% of respondents admit they did last year and 38% are still holding onto some of those extra pounds from the holidays last year.
- But hope springs eternal, as 68% say they’re confident they’ll have healthy habits in the New Year.
- On average, it takes about 19 days to get back on track with their healthy habits, or to start new ones.
- The top New Year’s resolutions for 2024 reflect those desires to get back in shape and shed pounds. They include eating healthier (68%), exercising more (66%), getting more sleep (56%) and focusing on self-care (54%).
Source: SWNS Digital