Winter Weight Gain

Winter weight gain seems to be a fact of life. Those insidious few pounds, that you worked so hard to eliminate in the summer months, seem to creep back on once winter rolls around. 

Some of the Reasons for Winter Weight Gain Could Be:

• Colder weather makes it more difficult to exercise, play outside, or go for a daily walk.

• The days are dark when you leave for work and arrive home, so unless you join a gym, it might not be safe to exercise anyway.

• Clothes are layered and it is easy to hide those few pounds.

• Perceived lack of fresh produce at the market.

• Dark days can lead to seasonal affect disorder and comfort food eating.

• Winter food is heavier than summer food, and can be more caloric.

• The fall holiday lineup and Christmas completely whack out willpower. Candy and cookies are everywhere and healthy diet habits are disregarded.

• Winter social activities often center on meeting friends for food or drinks and less active pursuits.

Tips to Avoid Winter Weight Gain

• Keep in the light as much as possible.

• Get out at your lunch break and walk. Don’t stay cooped up in your dark office. Dress warmly.

• Consider buying a light that will help with Seasonal Affect Disorder. Even Costco usually sells them.

• Get out and get active on the weekends. Don’t hunker down in front of the television and just sit out winter.

• Join a gym, buy a piece of home equipment, swim, dance, join a fun class like zumba, ski or snowboard, buy a Wii fit; just get moving like you do in summer.

• Understand winter vegetables and eat them. They are there, but you might not know what to do with them. Kale, Broccoli, spinach, root vegetables, squash, and oranges are prevalent. Fill up your shopping cart with them and try new healthy recipes.

• Practice Healthy Cooking. Get into Stir fries and Soups that are broth based for filling, healthy lunch and dinner meals.

• Plan winter social activities that don’t involve high calorie food. Start a soup book club where you serve healthy soup recipes and share. Be purposeful on this and invite friends who will not be tempted to cave and bring a dessert extravaganza. Set the ground rules upfront.

• Plan winter social activities that include activity.

• Understand emotional eating and stress eating and comfort food eating. Devise strategies that will work for you.

• Understand food cravings and eat balanced meals to avoid them. Meal skippers have more cravings.

• Avoid all processed carbohydrates like chips, cookies, and crackers; anything that has a bar code. They are high glycemic foods and will cause your blood sugar to crash and cause cravings.

• Get rid of mindless eating and change your thinking. The easiest way is to keep a food journal. A few extra bites here and there that you don’t remember can be problematic. Take a photo of every piece of food that you eat. By the end of the day, you will be amazed how much you forgot.

• Automate your meal plan. Choose 3 or 4 breakfast, lunch, and snack choices, and fill your dinner meal full of vegetables. Fill out a meal planning chart to help.

• Don’t drink high calorie hot drinks. Those hot cocoa and tea drinks can be loaded with sugar, fat, and a meals worth of calories.

• Devise strategies to deal with event days and holidays.

• Use your scale and weigh often. Keep your weight in check. If your clothes feel tight, you are gaining. The scale is not your only source of winter weight gain!

Winter weight gain happens. Understand why and make the changes necessary to avoid it. A few well calculated strategies can help you to stay out of your fat pants this winter!