A health professor shared 4 tips for minimizing weight gain during the holiday season but said not to worry too much

• Many people gain weight around the holidays, but experts say you shouldn't worry too much about it.
• If you want to minimize weight gain, eat mindfully and keep moving, a health professor said.

The holiday season is, for many people, a time for relaxing and indulging.

Festive treats like holiday cookies, eggnog, and lots of chocolates are a big part of the occasion for many families, so it's not surprising that people gain weight in December.

A study of 1,000 people in the UK, Portugal, and Denmark found that people gained an average of 1.35% of their body weight over the Christmas period. While some of this was lost in the following months, weights stayed 0.35% higher than pre-Christmas.

In the long-term, maintaining a healthy weight in general can help prevent chronic diseases. But holiday weight gain isn't the end of the world, according to experts.

"The Christmas period only lasts two to three weeks so even if you do gain some weight, you have oceans of time afterwards to lose it again," nutrition coach and personal trainer Graeme Tomlinson — aka the Fitness Chef — previously told Insider. "You will probably enjoy Christmas more if you include all the foods you love — this is important."

However, if you want to minimize holiday weight gain, there are ways to do so while allowing yourself to have a wonderful holiday season, Lindsay Jacks, personal chair of global health and nutrition at The University of Edinburgh, UK, wrote for The Conversation.

1. Eat mindfully

Mindful eating means eating without distractions (like your phone or TV), focusing on the sensations of the food, slowing down, and paying attention to your body's hunger signals as you eat.

This way, you're less likely to overeat — research suggests it takes our brains up to 20 minutes to register that we're full — and more likely to feel satisfied afterwards, Jacks said.

2. Cut down on ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) like chips, cookies, and cakes can be big parts of festive parties and very easy to overeat. Jacks advises limiting foods with five or more ingredients.

Epidemiologist Dr. Tim Spector previously told Insider that replacing UPFs with whole foods could help people lose weight, instead of counting calories.

A small 2019 study from the National Institutes of Health found that diets high in UPFs led people to eat on average 500 more calories a day and gain more weight when compared with those eating fresh food, as Insider's Hilary Brueck reported.

3. Move in the fresh air every day

Exercise isn't as helpful for weight loss as many people think, but it can help prevent weight gain, Jacks said.

She recommends aiming for 10,000 steps a day and boosting your wellbeing by walking with friends and family or while on a call.

4. Don't drink to excess

The festive season often means lots of social occasions involving alcohol, but consciously drinking in moderation can help you limit weight gain, Jacks said. She recommends alternating alcoholic drinks with water.

Ultimately, however, what matters most is developing a healthy relationship with food and your body, Jacks said.

"Don't beat yourself up. Enjoy Christmas for a few weeks and move on. Don't be mad at yourself for enjoying a very special time of year … embrace it," Tomlinson said.

"Try to relax and don't be too restrictive," registered nutritionist Sophie Dillon previously told Insider. "Depriving yourself of a treat here and there can lead you to crave exactly the things you are trying to avoid."