Diwali means lights, joy, and… a lot of food and drinks 🎉. With endless parties and mithai, most people end up gaining 2–3 kilos in just a couple of weeks. The truth? Losing weight during Diwali is unrealistic — instead, the goal should be maintenance. If you finish the season without gaining weight, that’s a huge win.

Step 1: Calculate Your Maintenance Calories (TDEE)

Your maintenance calories are how many calories you burn in a day (this includes everything — sleeping, walking, working, exercise). This number is also called your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

Option 1: Use the Formula

Start with your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate):

Then add: calories burnt from steps + calories burnt from workouts = TDEE.

Example: Ritu is 35, 65 kg, 162 cm. BMR ≈ 1400 kcal. She walks 8,000 steps (~300 kcal) and does a 40-min workout (~250 kcal). Her TDEE = 1400 + 300 + 250 = ~1950 kcal.

Option 2: Use Your Fitness Tracker

If you wear an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or Garmin: look at total calories burnt per day (not “active calories”) and average it across weeks. For most women, this is between 1800–2200 kcal.

Step 2: Subtract Party Food & Drinks

Think of your TDEE like your bank balance. Every samosa or peg is a debit. Your job is to make sure you don’t go into “overdraft.”

Example 1: Light Party Night

TDEE = 2000 kcal
Party food = ~700 kcal
Drinks = ~400 kcal
Balance left = 2000 – (700 + 400) = 900 kcal for other meals

*in this case you have 900 calories left for all the food you eat in the rest of the day. This includes any tea / coffee, snacks, meals. Don't forget to account for the bite of kaju katli here and a handful of nuts there. It all adds up. 

Example 2: Heavy Party Night

TDEE = 2000 kcal
Party food = 1000 kcal
Drinks = 2000 kcal ( yes this happens often especially if you're drinking cocktails) 
Balance = -1000 kcal (overshoot! if you don't balance this you will gain)

Options: burn more (extra workout/steps/dancing) or accept the gain. Remember when you overshoot a total of 7700 calories you gain 1 kg. 

Why These Small Adjustments Matter

Most people don’t realise where calories hide. Grazing on snacks for 3 hours feels harmless, but those “one aloo tikki here, one spring roll there” can add up to 1000+ kcal before dinner. That’s why putting everything you’re eating on one plate works. Seeing it visually tricks your brain into recognising “this is a lot,” so you stop earlier.

Practical, Research-Backed Tips

• Preload with raw veggies: Eat cucumber/tomato before leaving home. Ideally atleast 1 cucumber + 1 tomato + 1 beetroot. You can opt for any combination of raw vegetables before you leave. Aim for atleast 1.5 cups. Fiber slows digestion and makes you 20–30% fuller (Rolls et al., 2005).
• Hydrate between drinks: A glass of water after every alcoholic drink prevents dehydration (often mistaken as hunger). It also helps your Liver and Kidneys manage the alcohol. Preloading with fiber will also help your stomach and digestive system process the alcohol. Do you know how much alcohol your Liver can safely process in an hour ? Look it up, you'll be shocked 
• Skip endless snacks: I prefer to skip the snacks. Otherwise i suggest you stick to non deep fried snacks and serve yourself once. In most cases we have a bite here and a bite there and keep nibbling for 2 to 3 hours. This alone can add up to a 1000 calories !!! instead its best to pre eat the veggies at home and then straight eat Dinner later (dal, sabzi, roti) is lower calorie per gram. Snacks are fried calorie bombs.
• Choose mixers wisely: A mojito = 250 kcal. Whiskey + soda saves you ~200 kcal per glass.I recommend sticking to your drinks with water or soda / sparkling water. Saving you a ton of calories. 
• Type of Drinks : if its going to be a long night aim for small drinks. it cuts your calories in half. 
• Sleep: Sleep-deprived people crave sugar + fried food more. Ensure no matter what time you go to bed, you get atleast 7 hours of sleep. 
• Electrolytes in the morning : if you have been drinking ensure you add electrolytes the next day 

Calories in Common Drinks (India-Friendly List)

Final Thoughts

Diwali is meant to be enjoyed. The goal isn’t to say no to laddoos or cocktails — it’s to eat them smartly. If you put your snacks on one plate, hydrate between drinks, preload with veggies, and balance your day’s calories, you’ll finish Diwali without extra weight and without FOMO.