228. Holiday Weight Gain Explained: Alcohol, Cortisol and Sleep

That glass of wine at the holiday party isn’t just adding calories, it’s telling your liver to completely abandon fat metabolism until every trace of alcohol is cleared from your system. In this episode, I’m going to pull back the curtain on why alcohol is one of the biggest factors working against your holiday health goals, along with the effects of ultra-processed foods and stress. What’s your biggest struggle with staying on track during holiday events? Join the Ultimate Human VIP community for Gary Brecka's proven wellness protocols! https://bit.ly/4ai0Xwg Thank you to our partners H2TABS: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4hMNdgg BODYHEALTH: “ULTIMATE20” FOR 20% OFF: http://bit.ly/4e5IjsV BAJA GOLD: "ULTIMATE10" FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/3WSBqUa COLD LIFE: THE ULTIMATE HUMAN PLUNGE: https://bit.ly/4eULUKp WHOOP: JOIN AND GET 1 FREE MONTH!: https://bit.ly/3VQ0nzW AION: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4h6KHAD A-GAME: “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: http://bit.ly/4kek1ij PEPTUAL: “TUH10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4mKxgcn CARAWAY: “ULTIMATE” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/3Q1VmkC HEALF: 10% OFF YOUR ORDER: https://bit.ly/41HJg6S RHO NUTRITION: “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: https://bit.ly/44fFza0 GOPUFF: GET YOUR FAVORITE SNACK!: https://bit.ly/4obIFDC GENETIC METHYLATION TEST (UK ONLY): https://bit.ly/48QJJrk GENETIC TEST (USA ONLY): ⁠https://bit.ly/3Yg1Uk9 Watch the “Ultimate Human Podcast” every Tuesday & Thursday at 9AM EST: YouTube: https://bit.ly/3RPQYX8 Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3RQftU0 Connect with Gary Brecka Instagram: https://bit.ly/3RPpnFs TikTok: https://bit.ly/4coJ8fo X: https://bit.ly/3Opc8tf Facebook: https://bit.ly/464VA1H LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4hH7Ri2 Website: https://bit.ly/4eLDbdU Merch: https://bit.ly/4aBpOM1 Newsletter: https://bit.ly/47ejrws Ask Gary: https://bit.ly/3PEAJuG Timestamps 00:00 Intro of Show 02:30 Alcohol as a Toxin in Your Body 03:42 Ultra-Processed Foods Making You Hungrier 04:16 Stress Raising Cortisol 04:40 Hydration to Combat Inflammation 06:24 The Alcohol, Sleep, and Whole Foods Strategies 08:23 Join the TUH VIP Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. It is not intended for diagnosing or treating any health condition. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional before making health or wellness decisions. Gary Brecka is the owner of Ultimate Human, LLC which operates The Ultimate Human podcast and promotes certain third-party products used by Gary Brecka in his personal health and wellness protocols and daily life and for which Ultimate Human LLC and / or Gary Brecka directly or indirectly holds an economic interest or receives compensation. Accordingly, statements made by Gary Brecka and others (including on The Ultimate Human podcast) may be considered promotional in nature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Gary Brecka?

  Thanksgiving through New Year's is basically eight straight weeks of office parties, family dinners, holiday cocktails, dessert trays, and late night eating. If you're like most people, you're going to gain weight. This year, it's going to be different because I'm about to show you exactly how to enjoy the holidays without spending the first quarter of the next year trying to recover. You'll probably be surprised to know that a lot of holiday weight gain isn't driven by eating more calories. I mean, yes, you're probably eating more calories, but that's not the whole story. There are specific things happening during the holidays that make it almost impossible for your body to burn fat, even if you're trying to stay disciplined. You don't have to be perfect. You're going to have dessert, you're going to enjoy your mom's cooking, but if your baseline is real food, those indulgences won't wreck you.

• 0:45Gary Brecka?

  You don't have to choose between showing up for the people you love and feeling good in your own skin. You just need to know what's working against you and what you can do to enjoy the holidays without coming out several pounds heavier. I'm giving you a set of simple, non-negotiable strategies that will let you enjoy the season without spending January trying to undo all that damage. And I promise you, you'll never approach the holidays the same way again.

• 1:19Gary Brecka?

  You're about to walk into the hardest stretch of the year to stay on track with your health. Thanksgiving through New Year's is basically eight straight weeks of office parties, family dinners, holiday cocktails, dessert trays, and late night eating. If you're like most people, you're going to gain weight. This year, it's going to be different because I'm about to show you exactly how to enjoy the holidays without spending the first quarter of the next year trying to recover. The real key to avoiding holiday weight gain is understanding what's actually happening to your body during this season and having a plan that lets you enjoy yourself without completely derailing your progress. You don't have to choose between showing up for the people you love and feeling good in your own skin. You just need to know what's working against you and what you can do to

• 2:02Gary Brecka?

  enjoy the holidays without coming out several pounds heavier. Today, I'm walking you through why holiday weight gain happens even when you think you're being careful. I'm giving you a set of simple, non-negotiable strategies that will let you enjoy the season without spending January trying to undo all that damage. If you implement even half of what I'm about to share, you're going to be the person that actually feels better in January than you did in November. You'll probably be surprised to know that a lot of holiday weight gain isn't driven by eating more calories. I mean, yes, you're probably eating more calories, but that's not the whole story. There are specific things happening during the holidays that make it almost impossible for your body to burn fat, even if you're trying to stay

• 2:44Gary Brecka?

  disciplined. Let's break it down. The first culprit is alcohol. This is probably the biggest factor, and most people have no idea how much it's working against them. When you drink alcohol, your body treats it like a toxin, because, well, it is. And your liver's number one priority becomes metabolizing that alcohol and getting it out of your body as fast as possible. That means that fat burning gets put on hold completely. Your body can't burn fat until the alcohol is cleared. So if you're having two or three drinks at a party, you've just shut down fat metabolism for hours. And as if that wasn't bad enough, alcohol also disrupts your sleep. Even if you fall asleep fine after drinking, your sleep quality tanks because you aren't getting that deep restorative sleep that you need. And when

• 3:28Gary Brecka?

  your sleep is trashed, you can forget about your metabolism working well. Your hunger hormone, ghrelin, starts to go up, and leptin, the hormone that tells you you're full, goes down. So now you're hungrier, less satisfied, and your body is telling you to eat even more. Now let's talk about the food. Ultra-processed party foods are everywhere during the holidays: chips, crackers, cookies, cakes, fried appetizers, breaded anything. These foods are engineered to be incredibly shelf-stable and very palatable, but that means they're quite far from being fresh. They hit your brain's reward centers harder than Whole Foods ever could, and they drive you to eat more. Studies have shown that when people eat ultra-processed foods, they consume significantly more calories than when they just eat whole, minimally-processed foods,

• 4:12Gary Brecka?

  even when both diets have the same macronutrients available. And finally, let's talk about stress. I don't care who you are. The holidays are stressful at some level. You're juggling travel, family dynamics, work deadlines, and financial pressure. Stress raises cortisol, and high cortisol does a few things. It promotes fat storage, especially visceral fat right around your organs. It increases inflammation, and it causes your body to hold on to water. So that's what you're up against. Alcohol shutting down fat burning, ultra-processed foods driving hunger, late-night eating destroying sleep, stress spiking cortisol, and water retention masking what's actually happening in your body. No wonder most people gain weight during the holidays. The deck is just completely stacked against you.

• 4:56Gary Brecka?

  The best thing you can do is hydrate hard before, during, and after these events. I'm talking about drinking a full bottle of water before you even walk into the party. And make sure that you've got electrolytes in it. I always throw a little bit of Baja Gold. I even add H2 Tab to give myself a dose of molecular hydrogen, which is a selective antioxidant and can help you combat that inflammation. This means that even if I do slip up and eat something that I shouldn't, I at least have a fighting chance before I go into that party. Most of the time when you're hungry or craving something sweet, you're actually just dehydrated. If you show up to an event already hydrated, those sweet cravings often disappear before you even get to the dessert table. And keep drinking water throughout the event. Not soda, not wine, water.

• 5:40Gary Brecka?

  This does two things. It keeps you full and helps your body process everything you're eating and drinking. I also like to walk for about 10 to 15 minutes after a big meal. When you eat a large meal, especially one that's high in carbs, your blood sugar spikes. And if you could just sit on the couch after eating, that sugar is going to stay in your bloodstream a lot longer, and your body has to release more insulin just to deal with it. But if you go for a short walk, your muscles start pulling that glucose out of your blood, and they start to use it for energy. Your blood sugar comes down faster. You need less insulin, and you avoid that heavy bloated feeling that makes you want to pass out on the couch. It doesn't have to be intense, guys. Just a 10-minute walk around the block. It's one of the easiest ways to keep your metabolism working in your favor.

• 6:24Gary Brecka?

  Now let's talk about an alcohol strategy. If you're going to drink, and I get it, it's the holidays, people are drinking. Here's the rule. Keep alcohol away from bedtime. If you're gonna have a drink, make it early in the evening and cap it. Give your body time to metabolize it before you go to sleep. The closer you drink to bedtime, the worse your sleep is gonna be. And poor sleep is one of the fastest ways to derail your progress. Making sure you're bookending your drinks with water. And if you have a night where you drink more, don't beat yourself up. Just get right back on track the next day. One night of drinking isn't gonna ruin you. It's the pattern of drinking multiple nights a week, combined with late night eating, poor sleep. That's what's gonna bury you. And speaking of sleep, let's protect it. This is non-negotiable.

• 7:08Gary Brecka?

  Stop eating two to three hours before bedtime. I know that's hard during the holidays when events run late, but when you give your body time to digest before you sleep, your sleep quality improves dramatically. You wake up feeling better. Your hunger hormones stay balanced. And your body can actually recover and burn fat overnight. With sleep, you have to keep your habits consistent, even during the chaos of the season. Protect your sleep schedule as much as you can. Go to bed at the same time. Keep your room cool and dark. Avoid screens right before bed because you can't supplement or diet your way around poor sleep. There's just no getting around it. And finally, here's the number one rule that'll keep you on track. Eat real, minimally processed foods as much as possible. When you're at home, when you're cooking,

• 7:53Gary Brecka?

  when you're choosing what to eat at a restaurant, default to whole foods. High-quality meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, healthy fats. Avoid anything fried and breaded. And avoid the ultra-processed snacks that are designed to make you overeat. You don't have to be perfect. You're gonna have dessert. You're gonna enjoy your mom's cooking. But if your baseline is real food, those indulgences won't wreck you. If you run these tips, even 80% of the time, you're gonna get through the holidays without gaining weight and without spending January trying to undo all that damage. If you've enjoyed this episode and you're ready to go deeper, I want to tell you about my VIP community. When you join, you get access to my 10-month course, Becoming the Ultimate Human. It's a 1,700 value and I'm giving it away to my VIPs for free.

• 8:37Gary Brecka?

  There's an entire month-long module on nutrition where we go way deeper than what we covered today. I break down exactly how to structure your meals, hidden ingredients and additives that you need to look out for, and strategies to build a healthy plate that tastes incredible. Plus, I do modules on sleep, movement, stress management, all of it. The best part? You're surrounded by people on the same journey, pushing for the same results. If that sounds like where you'd like to be, click the link below in the show notes and join us. This holiday season, I hope you remember that you don't have to be perfect. But if you take three or four of these strategies and actually implement them, you're going to feel a massive difference. You're going to get through the holidays without gaining weight. You're going to have more energy and you're going to show up better for the people you care about.

• 9:21Gary Brecka?

  And most importantly, you're going to walk into January feeling strong and not starting all over. So here's my challenge. Pick your next holiday event, commit to running this protocol, hydrate before you go, walk after a meal, protect your sleep, and I promise you, you'll never approach the holidays the same way again. Your body is capable of incredible things when you give it what it needs. Don't let the holidays be the thing that takes you out. Enjoy the season without the damage. That's the win. And that's just science.