70: 5 Steps to Reset After Holiday Weight Gain
5 Steps to Reset After Holiday Weight Gain (No Juice Cleanse Required)
Feeling bloated after the holidays? Skip the juice cleanse and punishing workouts. Learn 5 sustainable steps to reset after holiday weight gain and get back on track without the all-or-nothing mindset.
Let's be real, holiday food hits different. The cookies, the cocktails, the "just one more bite" of everything. And now? You're standing on the scale, feeling some type of way about the numbers staring back at you.
But here's what you don't need: a juice cleanse, a detox tea, 14 days of celery and sadness, or punishing two-hour workouts to "make up for" enjoying the holidays. That all-or-nothing approach? Not the vibe. It never was.
In this week's episode of the Broads podcast, Tara breaks down exactly how to reset after the holidays without falling into extreme measures or beating yourself up. We're talking smart, sustainable strategies that actually work, no punishment required.
Ready to feel like yourself again without the drama? Let's go.
Step 1: Get Your Head Right First
Before we dive into the tactical stuff, we need to talk about mindset. Because if you're approaching this "reset" from a place of shame, guilt, or self-punishment, you're already setting yourself up to fail.
Here's the truth: enjoying holiday food doesn't make you weak, undisciplined, or a failure. It makes you human. Those extra pounds you're seeing? A lot of that is water retention, inflammation, and bloating, not actual fat gain. Your body is just holding onto some extra fluid from the increased sodium, carbs, and alcohol.
So before you spiral into panic mode or start Googling extreme diets, take a breath. You didn't ruin everything. You're not starting over from scratch. You just need to get back into your normal routine, and your body will respond.
The goal isn't punishment, it's getting back to what makes you feel strong, energized, and like yourself.
Step 2: Prioritize Strength Training (3-4 Days Is Enough)
You know what you don't need? To spend two hours a day in the gym doing endless cardio to "burn off" the holidays. In fact, that approach is more likely to leave you exhausted, hungry, and right back where you started.
What you do need? Consistent strength training. Three to four days per week is plenty.
Why strength training is your reset secret weapon:
Strength training helps you maintain and build muscle, which keeps your metabolism running efficiently. It also helps you feel strong and capable, which is a way better headspace than feeling like you need to punish yourself.
Plus, when you focus on getting stronger, hitting new PRs, mastering technique, progressively overloading, you shift your focus from what your body looks like to what it can do. That mental shift is powerful.
Keep your workouts focused and efficient. You don't need marathon gym sessions. Show up, lift heavy (for you), push yourself, and move on with your day. Consistency beats intensity every single time.
Step 3: Prioritize Protein at Every Meal
If there's one nutritional shift that'll make the biggest difference in how you feel and how quickly you get back on track, it's prioritizing protein.
Here's why protein is non-negotiable:
Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, which means it keeps you fuller for longer. After weeks of holiday eating, which tends to be higher in carbs and fats, your appetite regulation might be out of whack. Protein helps stabilize blood sugar, reduce cravings, and keep you from feeling like you're constantly hungry.
It also supports muscle recovery and growth, especially when you're getting back into consistent strength training. Your body needs adequate protein to repair and build muscle tissue.
Aim for 25-40 grams of protein per meal. This isn't about being perfect or tracking every single gram. It's about making protein the star of your plate at each meal.
Some easy wins:
Greek yogurt with breakfast
Chicken, fish, or tofu with lunch
Protein shake as a snack
Lean meat or plant-based protein with dinner
When you prioritize protein, everything else tends to fall into place. You're more satisfied, you have fewer cravings, and you naturally eat a bit less without feeling deprived.
Step 4: Hydrate Like You Mean It
Water. It sounds boring and too simple to actually matter, but hear me out: hydration is a game-changer when you're trying to reset.
After the holidays, your body is likely holding onto extra water weight because of increased sodium intake and inflammation. The solution? Drink more water. I know it seems counterintuitive, but when you're properly hydrated, your body doesn't need to hold onto excess water.
How much water should you drink?
A good baseline is half your body weight in ounces per day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, aim for 75 ounces of water. More if you're training hard or live in a hot climate.
And if plain water feels boring, make it work for you:
Add lemon, cucumber, or fruit
Try sparkling water
Drink herbal tea (it counts!)
Use a fun water bottle that makes you actually want to drink from it
Proper hydration helps with digestion, reduces bloating, supports recovery, improves your workouts, and can even help reduce cravings. It's one of the simplest things you can do that has a massive impact.
Step 5: Move Your Body (But Make It Sustainable)
Movement matters, but it doesn't have to be a marathon, literally or figuratively.
The goal isn't to punish yourself with brutal workouts or force yourself to do exercise you hate. The goal is to move your body in ways that feel good and are sustainable for your actual life.
Beyond your strength training sessions, look for ways to add more general movement throughout your day:
Go for walks (this is seriously underrated)
Take the stairs
Park farther away
Do a quick mobility session
Play with your kids or pets
Dance while you cook dinner
This kind of movement, often called NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis)—adds up over time and supports your overall energy expenditure without requiring you to live in the gym.
The key is consistency. Moving your body a little bit every day is way more effective than going hard for a week and then burning out.
Bonus: Flip the Script on the Scale
If you've been obsessively weighing yourself and spiraling every time the number isn't what you want to see, stop. The scale doesn't tell the whole story, especially right after the holidays.
Remember: a lot of that post-holiday weight is water retention and inflammation. As you get back to your normal routine, drink more water, prioritize protein, and move consistently, that weight will come off naturally.
But more importantly, the scale doesn't measure:
How strong you're getting
How your clothes fit
How much energy you have
How you feel in your body
Focus on those things instead. Take progress photos, track your workouts, notice how your clothes fit, pay attention to your energy levels. These are way more accurate measures of progress than a number on a scale that fluctuates daily based on water retention, digestion, hormones, and a million other factors.
The Bottom Line: Small, Intentional Steps Build Momentum
You don't need extreme measures to reset after the holidays. You need consistency, patience, and a sustainable approach that doesn't leave you feeling deprived or miserable.
Get back to strength training 3-4 days per week. Prioritize protein at every meal. Hydrate properly. Move your body in ways that feel good. And ditch the all-or-nothing mindset that tells you anything less than perfection means you've failed.
Small, intentional steps build momentum. Before you know it, you'll feel like yourself again, stronger, more energized, and way less stressed about the whole thing.
Ready to Reset the Right Way?
Want to hear all of Tara's insights on sustainable weight loss strategies and why you can skip the fad diets? Listen to the full episode here for more details on creating a reset plan that actually works.
Need a structured plan to get back on track? Try Broads for 7 days free and get access to personalized strength training programs that take the guesswork out of your workouts. No extreme measures, no punishment, just sustainable results.
Find Tara on Instagram: @taralaferrara | @broads.podcast | @broads.app
