Celebrating all your weight loss wins at Christmas

Robert Price | Last update: 16th December 2025

All of us on a weight loss journey have already racked up wins worth celebrating. And Christmas is exactly the right time for us to recognise them and use them as our special power to keep on track.

Not all wins show up on the scales

It’s easy to think a “win” only counts if it’s a number. But we all know weight loss journeys are rarely that simple, especially around December.

The wins might look like:

• Feeling full sooner and actually stopping when you’ve had enough
• Walking away from food without guilt (or at least with less of it)
• Realising you don’t need to finish what’s on your plate
• Saying no, or yes, because you chose to, not because you feel pressured
• Having more energy, better sleep, or less food noise
• Not panicking about Christmas food in the way we once did

None of those come with a badge. But they absolutely count.

Christmas isn’t a test

Christmas isn’t a pass/fail exam. If you eat differently for a few days, it doesn’t erase months of progress. Enjoying food doesn’t undo behaviour change. And taking a breather from rigid rules doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

Christmas is a chance to practise:

• Listening to your body instead of old habits
• Noticing what actually feels good and what doesn’t
• Letting food be part of the fun but not the centre of it

These are real achievements, even if it doesn’t look dramatic from the outside.

Celebrate how your relationship with food has changed

For many of us the biggest shift isn’t weight, it’s the headspace we’ve now got.

Maybe:

• Food no longer feels urgent or emotional in the same way
• You can sit with treats in the house without spiralling
• You enjoy Christmas dinner without obsessing and over eating
• You stop eating because you’re satisfied, not stuffed
• You don’t use food to cope after those occasional family disagreements

These are huge wins. They’re also the kind that make long-term weight loss sustainable.

Win at Christmas time 

Some years, the biggest achievement is not spiralling when things feel different.

If this Christmas includes:

• A bit more indulgence than planned
• A missed injection or disrupted routine (but make sure you keep to medical instructions)
• Weight staying the same rather than dropping

And you respond with a positive mindset, rather than punishing yourself, that’s a win.

Kindness is a skill. And it’s one a lot of us were never taught when it comes to weight.

Mark your wins without making it weird

Celebrating doesn’t have to mean announcing anything or setting unrealistic expectations. Set yourself a plan and enjoy your success.

You could:

• Write down three things you’ve done differently this year
• Take a moment to acknowledge what felt hard, and that you did it anyway
• Buy yourself something small that isn’t food-related
• Say (even out loud if you like): “I’m proud of myself for sticking with this.”

Because we all deserve the recognition, whether anyone else sees it or not.

Remember

You don’t need to earn Christmas. You don’t need to justify enjoying it. And you don’t need to minimise your progress because it doesn’t look perfect. If you’re reading this, and you’re still on your journey, like I am that, in itself, is worth celebrating. Well done us!