Article reviewed by
Dr. Joel Cuesta Gascón
Sports medicine and rehabilitation physician · Co-founder of tres60
In 30 seconds
Gaining some weight during Christmas is normal and backed by science. The real problem isn't the excess itself, but the compensatory behaviors that follow: disorganized exercise, extreme food restriction, and relying on fat-burning supplements that evidence places somewhere between marketing and placebo. The only proven way to lose accumulated fat is sustained caloric deficit, progressive physical activity, and habits you can maintain in February, June, and October.
January arrives and the script repeats: New Year's resolutions, overflowing gyms, and on the shelves, a new generation of "fat burners" promising express results. Did you also gain some weight this Christmas? You're not alone. Science confirms it: most people gain between 0.5 and 1.5 kg during the holidays.
The goal of this article is not to judge you for eating nougat. It's to help you distinguish which strategies have real scientific backing and which will make you lose money — and perhaps health — without lasting results.
Why you gain weight at Christmas (and why it's normal)
Family and social meals accumulate in a short period. The consumption of ultra-processed foods, alcoholic beverages increases, and usual physical activity decreases. The result is a positive caloric balance for days or weeks.
Several studies have documented this pattern. Research published in Nutrients (Abdulan et al., 2023) systematically analyzed eating behavior at Christmas and confirmed that caloric excesses during the holidays are consistent and predictable. The important thing is not that they occur, but what we do afterward.
The three most common compensatory behaviors (and why none work well alone)
1. Excessive and unplanned exercise
January begins and the gym becomes the busiest place of the year. The impulse is good: moving more is always beneficial. The mistake is in how it's done.
Going from zero days of training to five days a week all at once is not a habit; it's acute stress. Most people who try it give up before the end of February because the new routine clashes head-on with their real life.
The alternative that works: start with two days a week for as long as you can sustain. Once that's automatic, add a third day. Consistency always beats initial intensity.
2. Abrupt and extreme food restriction
Going from multiple abundant dinners to a diet of lettuce and lean protein is neither healthy nor sustainable. It generates anxiety, increases the craving for restricted foods, and when abandoned — and it will be abandoned — the rebound effect usually leaves the person in a worse situation than before.
The body does not interpret severe restriction as a weight loss plan: it interprets it as a sign of scarcity and adapts its metabolism accordingly.
3. Fat-burning supplements: the bet with the worst return
This is, by far, the least efficient strategy. Fat-burning supplements present three fundamental problems:
- Limited or non-existent efficacy: a systematic review published in the International Journal of Obesity (Bessell et al., 2021) analyzed clinical trials on supplements with isolated organic compounds for weight loss and concluded that the effects are, at best, modest and clinically not very relevant.
- Disproportionate expectations: the marketing of these products promises results that the data do not support, leading to frustration and abandonment.
- Replacement of real habits: those who bet everything on a supplement usually do not change what really matters: daily movement and diet quality.
Comparison table: compensatory behaviors after Christmas
| Strategy | Real efficacy | Sustainability | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive exercise (2-3 days/week) | ✔ High | ✔ High | Low |
| Excessive exercise (5-7 days/week from scratch) | ≈ Moderate | ✘ Very low | Injuries, abandonment |
| Moderate caloric deficit (-300/500 kcal/day) | ✔ High | ✔ High | Low |
| Severe restriction (<1,000 kcal/day) | ≈ Moderate short-term | ✘ Very low | Rebound effect, anxiety |
| Fat-burning supplements (L-carnitine, synephrine…) | ✘ Very low | — Not applicable | Financial cost, frustration |
| Caffeine (moderate doses) | ≈ Modest and real | ≈ Moderate | Low if used correctly |
What's true about fat burners?
Most of the ingredients that appear on the label of these products — green tea extract, L-carnitine, synephrine, capsaicin, yohimbine — have very weak evidence when it comes to actual fat loss in people who do not change their diet or physical activity.
The partial exception: caffeine
Caffeine is the only compound in this group with consistent clinical evidence, although its effects are modest. It acts primarily by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, which increases basal energy expenditure and promotes lipolysis (release of fatty acids from adipose tissue).
A review and meta-analysis published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (Tabrizi et al., 2019) confirms that caffeine can contribute to weight loss, but the effect is small and is enhanced when accompanied by caloric deficit and exercise. It is not a fat burner; it is an enhancer.
Important: the caffeine you'll find in VOLTAGE (within the green tea extract, 125 mg, with L-theanine to moderate the stimulation peak) is formulated precisely to harness this effect without causing tachycardia or the subsequent crash of conventional energy drinks.
How to truly lose Christmas fat
There are no secret formulas. Physiology is quite direct: fat loss occurs when total caloric expenditure exceeds total caloric intake consistently over time.
More physical activity: the key multiplier
You don't need to sign up for the gym five days a week. Walking more, taking the stairs, reducing sedentary time, and adding two weekly structured exercise sessions is enough to generate a real deficit without your body going into alarm mode.
Better food quality: no absolute prohibitions
More vegetables and fruits, more quality protein (animal or plant-based), foods as natural as possible. Ultra-processed foods, alcohol, and fast food don't disappear from your life: they simply become the exception instead of the rule.
Moderate caloric deficit: the key without obsession
A deficit of 300-500 kcal daily is enough to lose between 300 and 500 g of fat per week. It's slow compared to what a fat burner promises, but it's real and sustainable. It doesn't create the rebound effect that severe restriction does.
Recovery after excess: what makes sense to supplement
After a period of overeating, the body may show slightly elevated inflammation levels, increased fatigue, and poorer sleep quality. This is where scientifically based supplementation makes real sense.
REBOOT, the midday supplement from the tres60 routine, combines Omega 3 (200 mg, with documented anti-inflammatory effect), Bacopa Monnieri (100 mg, for cognitive performance on fatigued days), and PEA (225 mg, a natural pain and inflammation modulator). It doesn't cause weight loss. But it does facilitate the physical and mental recovery you need to return to your usual rhythm with real energy.
Frequently asked questions
Are fat-burning supplements dangerous?
Most are not dangerous if taken at the indicated doses, but they are also not effective. The main risk is financial and frustration: investing money and expectations in something that will not produce real results without habit changes.
How much weight is gained on average at Christmas?
Studies such as Yanovski et al. (2000) in The New England Journal of Medicine place the average gain at around 0.5 kg, although there is significant variability. The perception is usually greater due to fluid retention associated with increased salt and alcohol intake.
Does L-carnitine help with weight loss?
L-carnitine plays a role in fatty acid metabolism, but the evidence for its effect as a weight-loss agent in healthy individuals is very weak. The meta-analysis by Shahinfar et al. (2023) in Pharmacological Research reviewed 111 clinical trials and concluded that no nutraceutical produced clinically relevant weight loss on its own.
Does green tea help with weight loss?
Green tea extract contains caffeine and catechins (especially EGCG) that have a modest thermogenic effect. At the usual doses in commercial supplements, the effect on fat loss is marginal and does not compensate for the absence of other changes in diet and exercise.
How long does it take to lose the weight gained at Christmas?
With a moderate caloric deficit (300-500 kcal/day) and increased physical activity, between 2 and 6 weeks is a realistic timeframe to return to pre-holiday weight. The part of the increase corresponding to fluid retention is eliminated much faster, sometimes in just a few days upon returning to usual eating habits.
Which tres60 supplement makes the most sense to take in January?
VOLTAGE in the morning gives you clean energy to resume physical activity without the crash of conventional stimulants. REBOOT at midday promotes recovery and reduces underlying inflammation. LOGOUT at night improves sleep quality, which is essential for the other habits to work. None of the three are fat burners; all three support the real pillars of post-holiday recovery.
Conclusion
Gaining some weight at Christmas is not a failure, it's biology. The key is what you do afterward. Extreme compensatory behaviors — disorganized exercise, severe restriction, fat-burning supplements — have in common that they promise a lot, cost time or money, and don't work long-term.
The scientific evidence is clear: a moderate caloric deficit sustained over time, plus a progressive increase in physical activity, is the only strategy with real and lasting results. Supplements that make sense are those that support your energy, recovery, and rest so you can maintain these habits. Not those that try to replace them.
Key takeaways
- Fat-burning supplements do not compensate for holiday excesses.
- Caffeine has a real but modest effect; it works as an enhancer, not a solution.
- Moderate caloric deficit is the only proven way to lose fat.
- Consistency and progression always outweigh extreme behaviors.
- Scientifically-backed supplementation supports habits, it does not replace them.
tres60 routine
Start January with real energy
VOLTAGE in the morning · REBOOT at midday · LOGOUT at night.
No fat burners. No shortcuts. With science.
Bibliographic References
- Abdulan IM, et al. Winter Holidays and Their Impact on Eating Behavior — A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2023;15(19):4201. doi: 10.3390/nu15194201.
- Bessell E, et al. Efficacy of dietary supplements containing isolated organic compounds for weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials. Int J Obes. 2021;45(8):1631-1643. doi: 10.1038/s41366-021-00839-w.
- Shahinfar H, et al. Comparative effects of nutraceuticals on body weight in adults with overweight or obesity: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of 111 randomized clinical trials. Pharmacol Res. 2023;196:106944. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106944.
- Tabrizi R, et al. The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2019;59(16):2688-2696. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2018.1507996.
- Acheson KJ, et al. Metabolic effects of caffeine in humans: lipid oxidation or futile cycling? Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79(1):40-46. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/79.1.40.
- Yanovski JA, et al. A prospective study of holiday weight gain. N Engl J Med. 2000;342(12):861-867. doi: 10.1056/NEJM200003233421206.
- Batsis JA, et al. A Systematic Review of Dietary Supplements and Alternative Therapies for Weight Loss. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2021;29(7):1102-1113. doi: 10.1002/oby.23110.
- Schoeller DA. The effect of holiday weight gain on body weight. Physiol Behav. 2014;134:66-69. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.03.018.
