I gained kilos for Christmas

(And I don't care at all)

The Christmas madness is over, now New Year's is on the agenda. That also promises to be a feast with homemade garlic bread and creamy, flavorful dips accompanied by a bottle here and there (and more here than there). Let me give you my score so far.

• December 24, 9:30 PM: 6 gigantic courses and no wine. Something with a designated driver arrangement.
• December 25, 11 PM: an enormous breakfast, a piece of Limburg pie, 5 gigantic courses and bottles.
• December 26, 11 PM: another enormous breakfast, an impressive lunch, and an impressive variety of leftovers.
• December 27, 9 AM: a belly.

But I'm not joking. I gave you on Sunday the advice to especially not stop eating and I haven't done that either. I suspect I've gained at least 5 kilos in 3 days. I don't have hard evidence for that, because I make evasive movements around the scale. It's just there, you can't get around it: the Christmas belly. Santa would be proud of me.

And what does it actually matter? Honestly, we gave you well-meaning advice about what you could and especially couldn't eat, but in the end, I plopped that extra gravy over my perfectly cooked tenderloin, which was made with butter and drizzled and turned so many times. God, my mouth is watering. Even though I'm a bit full (especially around the waist), I accept those kilos. I'll never be thin anyway, and I'll have a chicken soup next week.

You are with me, says a study from Boxbites.nl. Over 60 percent of the youth population under 40 years old (yes, I shift it from 30 to 40 since I've crossed that magical boundary of the youngest) is now nodding vigorously. We are sometimes completely done with the healthy food hype and don't worry about those extra Christmas kilos around the hips and bellies in December. At least 70 percent embraces the feast around these days and even gives the kiddos some extras. An unhealthy Christmas package? No problemo, amigo, bring it on. Hey, how nice actually. We're not that extreme or crazy. It almost sounds like Dutch pragmatism.

It makes me calm and satisfied, now that I'm richer in joy and kilos the day after. Everything I just lost is back on solidly. Doesn't matter. You have to have something to do in January, right? Just like you have to be able to complain in June that the swimsuit-and-bikini misery came too quickly. And that you pay for a gym membership that you don't use. At least you can say that you ate extraordinarily during Christmas. I say: cheers, to a few more days of excess.