Fortunately, Labor Day weight gain doesn’t have to be something you have to live with for long.  For one thing, much of the weight you may have gained over the long weekend was likely just retained water, not fat.  For another thing, if you did gain a pound or two over the weekend, you can spend the next seven days turning that around again so that you can be right back where you should be by the next Monday.

Regardless of the nature of your Labor Day weight gain, it’s possible to drop a pound or two within the seven days that follow.  That way, even if you didn’t quite follow the portion sizes you’d promised yourself, you can still make up for it.  The key is to start to correct it as early as possible so it doesn’t become a trend of eating less healthfully. 

Moreover, it’s a good idea to have your eating habits under control at this time of year because the holidays are rapidly creeping up on us.  According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the average American will gain a pound between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.  Making sure you’re on track ahead of that time will help to make sure future dieting damage will be as slight as possible.

After Labor Day, make a number of small and realistic changes.  Don’t try to get drastic or your efforts won’t last.  If you tweak a number of the things you do, you can lose a pound or two in the first week and keep yourself headed toward your goal over time.

For the first week after Labor Day, combine healthful diet and exercise efforts to reduce 500 calories per day.  Don’t try to simply slash 500 calories from what you’re eating as that could cause harm to your metabolism and will make you regain the weight as soon as you start eating normally.  Instead, work on reducing your food calories by a little bit while boosting your exercise – that is, calorie burning – to make up for the rest. 

There are some very easy ways to do this.  Go for a brisk walk (that is not a stroll, you need to work up a sweat) every morning and/or afternoon.  Don’t drink any soda throughout the entire week.  Lay off the coffee toppings that include creams, sugars or artificial sweeteners. Water down any juices you drink and make sure any juice you do choose is pure – it should have one ingredient on its list.