EP48 - Don't Optimize Your Holidays | Enjoy Them And Stay Healthy Without Restriction w/ Erika Hoffmaster

Episode Summary

In this conversation, Dr. Jeremy Bettle sits down with dietitian Erika Hoffmaster to tackle holiday nutrition anxiety head-on. Erika breaks down the math that changes everything: in a 30-day month with 90 eating opportunities, maybe 7 are actual holiday meals, leaving 83 chances to maintain your normal routine. They explore why a single Thanksgiving dinner won't derail your goals, the difference between weight gain and fat gain, and why restriction creates a slingshot effect that leads to overconsumption. The conversation covers full-tank and low-tank habits for maintaining momentum when routines disappear, why maintenance phases are a skill worth practicing, and how to navigate the emotional weight of the season. Erika and Jeremy discuss future-me planning, environmental design, and why being present and enjoying your pumpkin pie with family matters more than making a "healthy" version that nobody wants. This episode reframes the holidays from a period of nutritional stress to an opportunity for connection, flexibility, and practicing sustainable habits.

Guest Bio

Erika Hoffmaster is a registered dietitian with a passion for helping individuals achieve personalized, sustainable health goals. She specializes in women's health, including nutrition for menopause and perimenopause, and supports clients in optimizing metabolic health, body composition, and long-term vitality. Erika's holistic and practical approach empowers clients to build healthier relationships with food and their bodies.

Links

• Instagram: @ErikaHoffmaster

• Website: erikahoffmaster.com

Three Actionable Takeaways

1. Be realistic about what the next couple of months look like and identify core supportive anchor habits you can maintain even when routines fall apart. These might be as simple as a five-minute walk outside in your pajamas or having frozen meals ready. The goal is to keep momentum and stay connected to your ultimate health goals while still allowing room to enjoy festive time with family.

2. Avoid the all-or-nothing mentality by doing the math on your eating opportunities. Out of 90 meals in November, maybe 7 are actual holiday events. That leaves 83 opportunities to maintain your normal routine. Enjoy those holiday moments fully and intentionally, then simply return to your regular meals the rest of the time without guilt or restriction.

3. Walk after meals, or do any kind of movement that gets you up and active. Whether it's a family walk around the neighborhood or dancing to three songs in the kitchen, movement after eating helps with glucose regulation and digestion while keeping you connected to healthy habits without being restrictive or missing out on family time.

10 Takeaways

• The weight you see on the scale after a big meal is primarily water weight, increased glycogen storage (carbs stored with water), and literal food mass in your digestive system, not immediate fat gain

• Food serves multiple purposes beyond fuel: it's connection, culture, and shared experiences. No one will remember the healthy pumpkin pie, but they will remember time spent together

• Restriction works like a slingshot. The more you pull back (physically or mentally), the harder you'll snap in the opposite direction, often leading to binge episodes or overconsumption

• Most diet plans are designed for "perfect days" with full energy, stocked fridges, and complete schedule control. Having full-tank and low-tank versions of your habits prepares you for reality

• Maintenance is a skill that must be practiced, not just a waypoint between diets. Learning to balance your energy budget is essential for sustaining any fat loss you achieve

• Mental restriction (eating something while thinking "I shouldn't have this" or "I'll have to burn this off") is just as damaging as physical restriction and prevents you from being present

• Future-me planning takes five minutes the night before to map out meals when you're not hungry, stressed, or decision-fatigued, making it easier to navigate challenging food environments

• Environmental design matters enormously. Immediately portioning leftovers into meal containers and freezing them prevents mindless grazing and maintains the special occasion nature of holiday foods

• Your body hates being in a calorie deficit. At maintenance, you're making your cells happy by giving them the energy they need, which often leads to better gym performance and energy levels

• "Leveling up" meals is more sustainable than pursuing perfection. Adding a vegetable, choosing water over alcohol, or including a protein source makes any meal better without requiring complete transformation