If you want to lose weight by the holidays, the key is to start now with simple habits that you can actually keep up. You don’t need a restrictive diet, expensive supplements, or endless hours at the gym. What you do need is consistency in the basics: eating balanced meals, tracking your intake, moving daily, prioritizing sleep, and forgiving yourself quickly when things don’t go as planned.

This post breaks down exactly how to make progress in the weeks leading up to the holidays, even if life feels busy or overwhelming. Whether your goal is to lose a few pounds or to feel more in control of your habits, these strategies will help you get there.

Weight Loss is Not Complicated; Consistency is Key

Most diets fail because they’re too extreme. The real path to weight loss isn’t about cutting out every carb or forcing yourself to live on salads. It’s about finding routines you can repeat most days. Progress comes from what you do consistently, not from what you do perfectly.

Think about it this way: if you can follow healthy habits 80% of the time, you’ll see results. A few indulgent meals won’t ruin your progress, but giving up after a slip will. The goal is to keep moving forward.

Track What You’re Eating

Tracking helps you stay mindful of what’s actually going into your body. Many people underestimate the amount of food they consume, especially when it comes to snacks, drinks, and sauces. Awareness alone can help you make better choices.

Ways to track:

• Use an app like MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, or Lose It to log meals (Most Best Body members use LoseIt, but you can use your favorite app)

• Write your meals in a simple food journal

• Take photos of everything you eat and review them at the end of the day

Tips for success:

• Don’t aim for perfection. Logging 3–4 days per week is enough to see patterns.

• Focus on honesty over accuracy. Even rough estimates give insight.

• Review your log to spot trends – for example, if you snack late at night, plan a more filling dinner.

Create Meals with Protein, Fat, & Fiber

Balanced meals are your best tool for feeling satisfied and avoiding cravings. Protein builds and repairs muscle, fat helps with satiety, and fiber slows digestion to keep you full longer. Skipping any of these can lead to feelings of hunger and an increased likelihood of overeating later.

Sample balanced meals:

Breakfast: 2 eggs (140 calories), 1 slice whole-grain toast (80 calories), ½ avocado (120 calories), berries (60 calories)

Lunch: Turkey wrap (250 calories with whole wheat wrap), side salad with olive oil (100 calories), apple (80 calories)

Dinner: Salmon (180 calories, 4 oz), roasted broccoli (80 calories), quinoa (120 calories, ½ cup)

Quick tip: Build meals around protein first. Once a protein is chosen, add a fiber source (such as vegetables or fruit) and a healthy fat.

Walk 10K Steps a Day

Walking is one of the simplest and most underrated tools for weight loss. It burns calories, supports digestion, reduces stress, and is more sustainable long-term compared to high-intensity workouts.

How to reach 10K steps daily:

• Break it into chunks: 3 short walks of 15–20 minutes each

• Walk after meals to improve blood sugar balance

• Take phone calls while walking instead of sitting

• Park farther away or take stairs when possible

If 10K feels too high right now, start with your current average and increase by 1K to 2K steps per week. Consistency matters more than hitting the number exactly.

Get 7+ Hours of Sleep

Sleep directly impacts weight loss. When you’re sleep-deprived, hunger hormones like ghrelin increase, making you crave more food, especially carbs and sugar. At the same time, your body produces less leptin, the hormone that signals fullness.

Tips for better sleep:

• Keep a consistent bedtime and wake time, even on weekends

• Limit caffeine after 2 p.m.

• Use blackout curtains or an eye mask for a darker room

• Try a relaxing routine like stretching or reading before bed

Improving sleep may not seem as important as diet or exercise, but it’s often the missing piece that makes healthy habits easier to stick with.

Fast Forgiveness

The holidays make it easy to slip up – and that’s okay. What matters isn’t avoiding every indulgence but bouncing back quickly. One heavy meal or one skipped workout doesn’t erase your progress. What delays results is letting guilt push you off track for days.

How to practice fast forgiveness:

• Acknowledge the choice without judgment

• Reframe it: “That meal was enjoyable, and now I’m moving forward.”

• Get back to your next balanced meal or planned walk without punishment

The quicker you forgive yourself, the easier it is to maintain consistent habits.

Develop Consistency by Creating a Realistic Food and Exercise Plan

Consistency grows when your plan is realistic and achievable. It’s better to do something simple every day than to try a complicated plan you can’t sustain.

Common objections and answers:

“I don’t have time to exercise.” → Walking counts, and short bursts add up.

“I hate tracking.” → Try photos or journaling instead of calorie counting.

“I get bored with healthy food.” → Rotate different proteins, vegetables, and spices to keep meals interesting.

Remember: your plan doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to fit your life so you can repeat it most days. That’s what makes weight loss by Thanksgiving possible.

Lose Weight with Consistent Goals and Forgiveness

By the holidays, you can make noticeable progress by focusing on a few simple things: tracking your food, building balanced meals, moving your body daily, prioritizing sleep, and forgiving slip-ups quickly. These are the basics of weight loss that actually work long term.

Start small, stay consistent, and don’t let one imperfect day derail you. With steady habits, you’ll feel healthier, more confident, and ready to enjoy the holidays without guilt.

👉 Ready to get started? Grab my Free Beginner’s Guide to learn step-by-step how to build habits that last.