Getting through the holidays when you are on a weight loss journey can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few low-carb holiday desserts recipes, you won’t have any trouble enjoying this season.

Following a diet and watching your calorie intake is challenging enough. The holiday season is all about gathering and spending quality time with your loved ones, and we can’t deny that sharing a good meal is a big part of the festivities. Food is a leading holiday tradition; almost everyone expects to put on some weight during this time – that’s why gyms get so crowded in January. However, gaining weight on the holidays can be particularly stressful if you are committed to a weight loss program, such as Ozempic weight loss. After working hard throughout the year, you don’t want to see all your efforts go to waste. But it doesn’t have to come to that; with a few good holiday recipes at hand, you can enjoy the season without skipping any tradition.

Can I avoid weight gain during the holidays?

Yes, you can avoid putting weight on the holiday if you stick to your health goals. Don’t compromise your diet, and continue to engage in physical activity, and you’ll be fine. But we know it’s not as easy as it sounds. Weight loss holiday is a real challenge; your family will be overindulging in delicious but unhealthy food, all stores sell treats and candies, and if you are in charge of the kitchen and baking, resisting temptations can be difficult.

But difficult doesn’t mean impossible. And remember, since your routine and activities will change during this season, cutting yourself some slack is allowed. Does that mean throwing your diet through the board? No, but for example, it’s okay if you don’t experience any weight loss during this season. People expect to gain about five pounds during the holidays, which is a false expectation. On average, individuals gain about one pound between Halloween and the New Year. By watching your portions and sticking to low-carb holiday desserts and meals, you can avoid too much weight gain or even continue to lose weight.

Tips to prevent weight gain on the holidays

If you want to commit to your weight loss journey as much as possible and avoid gaining weight on holidays, here are some valuable tips you can follow:

Follow a meal plan

Since reducing your calorie intake is necessary to lose weight, a proper meal plan is the best tool you can get. A diet plan will provide you with a guide for when you don’t know what to eat or how much. Meal plans will make your weight loss journey a hundred times easier. During the holidays, they become even more fundamental, especially if you take weight loss medication; a Saxenda meal plan will become your best friend. Remember, the more personalized the plan, the better.

Stay active

Another essential element to lose weight is physical activity. Whether you like going to the gym, practicing sports, or working out at home, you mustn’t stop moving during this season. Too busy to go to the gym? Go for daily walks or joggs. Are you going away for a few days? Book a hotel with a gym or take some lightweight workout equipment. Remember to pack your gym apparel; as soon as you put your favorite leggings on, you will feel more motivated to stay active.

Try holiday programs

If you are not on a weight loss program, you can start one that centers around main holiday weight loss challenges. Or, if you are already following a treatment, you can ask your weight loss clinic in Chicago to adapt it to your holiday routine.

Weight loss healthcare professionals usually know where their patients fail to stick to the programs and all the holiday hazards. For example, if you go back to your hometown for the holidays, you’ll want to know all the tips about traveling with Ozempic or other weight loss medications. Weight loss experts can help you stay on track and attain your goals.

Ask for support

Your family and friends can be your biggest allies during the holiday season. Let them know about your health goals and how hard you are working toward them. Tell them how they may help you – maybe by cooking healthy recipes or not insisting on you having a second portion once you are satisfied. You can even write a weight loss gifts list for Santa!

Get back on track right away

Are you reading this after the holidays? Did you already break your diet and think it’s too late? Don’t worry; it’s not the end of the world. What matters now is to get back on track as soon as possible. Go back to your diet immediately, start hitting the gym again, and if you need to, reassess your weight loss program.

Modify your recipes

Last but not least, one of the best ways to dodge holiday weight gain is to switch from regular recipes to low-carb holiday desserts. We know you want to taste your grandma’s famous pumpkin pie or bake sugar cookies for your kids. But healthy dessert recipes don’t have to be boring, taste bland, or lose all the holiday magic.

5 delicious low-carb holiday desserts

Healthy sugar cookies (keto)

We know it wouldn’t be Christmas without the traditional sugar cookies. But since we want healthy Christmas treats, we are giving the classic sugar cookies a spin. Don’t worry; they’ll taste as good as the traditional ones (if not better!). These cookies are keto-friendly, so that you can add them to your keto holiday desserts list. For these keto cookies, you’ll need:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
• 3/4 cup sweetener
• 3 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 3 cups almond flour

Cream the softened butter and sweetener in a bowl. Add the cream cheese to the mix, combine, and then add the egg and vanilla extract. Once all the ingredients are combined, add the almond flour. Mix until you get the cookie dough. We recommend you leave the dough to cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so it’s easier to handle it. Roll the dough and cut the cookies in whatever shape you want; you can use Christmas-shaped cutters. Bake them on a 350°F preheatten hoven for about 10-15 minutes or until edges turn golden.

And we didn’t forget about the icing:

• 3 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp confectioners sweetener

You only have to combine the ingredients and spread the result on the keto cookies. Wait until the sugar cookies have completely cooled down before decorating them with the icing.

Gingerbread cupcakes

We bring you gingerbread-flavored holiday cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting that no one can resist. And they are low-carb, weight-loss-friendly, and gluten-free. The ingredients list includes the following:

• 1 ½ cups super fine almond flour
• 1/4 cup oat fiber (or coconut flour)
• 1/3 cup Brown Swerve
• 1/3 cup Swerve Confectioners
• 3 whole eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

Let’s make these tasty cupcakes! Preheat the oven to 350°F; in the meantime, whisk all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, swerve, brown swerve, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Scoop into greased cupcake liners and bake for 18-20 minutes. That’s it? Yes, this recipe is as tasty as it’s easy to bake.

Cream cheese frosting

• 3/4 cup cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup swerve, confectioners (or powdered erythritol)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream + 2 tbs (or as needed)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Add all the listed ingredients to a mixing bowl (but set aside some heavy cream). Mix until well combined; scrape down the sides and add the heavy cream you set aside. Keep mixing until it turns creamy and smooth. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and decorate the cupcakes.

Low-carb chocolate fudge

Who doesn’t love holiday chocolate treats? You can bake this easy low-carb chocolate fudge with some simple ingredients:

• 12 ounces cashew butter (or peanut butter)
• 1 stick unsalted butter or 1/2 cup 1coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/2 cup sugar-free confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Melt the butter (or coconut oil) and combine with cashew butter until creamy. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, powdered sugar, and salt. If you have trouble stirring the mixture together, heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds or until easy to combine. Transfect the mix to a parchment-lined cake pan and refrigerate for about 2 hours. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Peanut butter and nut candy

A delicious peanut butter candy with nuts and coconut that will make it to the top of your low-carb holiday desserts list. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup natural, sugar-free peanut butter
• 1 cup shredded Unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (your favorite ones; we used walnuts)
• 1/2 cup sweetener (Xylitol, Erythritol, or Stevia)
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal

For the coating:

• 1/2 dark chocolate chips
• 2 tsp melted coconut oil

In a bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter; combine well. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Place the mix in the freezer for about 15 minutes; the mixture will become firm, making it easier to handle. Using your hands, form 2-inch-long rectangles; take them to the freezer for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and coconut oil. Dip each candy into the chocolate and coconut oil mix; take them to the freezer or fridge until the chocolate coat hardens. Store them in the fridge.

Pecan crescent cookies

Another healthy cookie recipe because we can’t have enough of them during the holidays. These tender pecan cookies are a must for your low-carb holiday desserts, and we’ll make a vanilla glaze to decorate them.

• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 2/3 cup swerve brown
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 °F, and in a bowl, mix almond and coconut flour, chopped pecans, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix the softened butter and swerve until smooth and creamy. Beat the egg with the vanilla extract and add it to the butter preparation. Finally, add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together. Form the dough into balls and roll them between your hands to form crescent shapes. Lay them on baking sheets with parchment paper and bake for 12-18 minutes.

The Vanilla Glaze:

• 2/3 cup powdered swerve sweetener or powdered erythritol
• 6-8 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk the powdered sweetener, cream, and vanilla until well combined. We advise you to add one spoon of cream at a time until you get the desired consistency. Use the glaze to decorate the cookies.

Final thoughts

Can you avoid gaining weight this holiday? Staying on track during this season is challenging, but by switching to low-carb holiday desserts, you can stay loyal to your goals. The trick is to enjoy these healthy treats without overindulging to prevent unwanted weight gain. Would you like a personalized meal plan for the holidays or to kick-start the new year? Schedule a call with us to begin your weight loss journey.