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While you may believe that winter weight gain is unavoidable due to the colder, shorter days, the accompanying holiday-related hustle and bustle, and your natural desire to hunker down at home and hibernate more, read on to learn about five out-of-the-box ideas for taking control of your weight and health during the upcoming chilly months.
Eat Better Comfort Food
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Eating food as a way of comforting or enjoying yourself, instead of a mere energy source, is a primordial human urge. The good news is that you don’t have to give up your favorite flavors and snacks in order to avoid gaining weight during the wintertime. Instead, try swapping out comfort food high in sugar and sodium in favor of higher-quality ingredients to improve the nutritional value of your favorite meals.
There are so many ways you can elevate your snacks, starting from substituting white sugar with maple or agave syrup. In addition, whenever you can, use whole-wheat, gluten-free, or almond flour instead of regular white flour. In order to avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oils, try to replace those key ingredients in your cupboard by going for less refined versions like coconut, olive, or avocado oil. Not only will your favorite comfort foods stay just as delicious and comforting, but they will be packed with super healthy, less fattening nutrients, too.
Try Intermittent Fasting
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The case for intermittent fasting is quite a contentious one, largely because some people practicing this regimen tend to overdo it and bring themselves to the point of starvation. However, no matter if you’re losing weight on a vegan diet or a standard one, there are some features of intermittent fasting that are innocuous and straightforward, and can definitely help mitigate weight gain if done safely.
For starters, forget about those ratios you’ve probably already heard being discussed in relation to intermittent fasting. Instead, try to pick a few days a week where you will stop eating (and, consequently, start fasting) at around 6 or 7 PM. Feel free to drink as much water and herbal tea as you’d like until bedtime; then, try not to have breakfast until 9 or 10 AM if you can help it. This kind of regimen can definitely help you either shed a few extra pounds, or maintain your current weight, without having to overly restrict yourself regarding the types of food you eat during those days when you’re fasting.
Get Your Sweat On
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The winter holiday season is associated with lots of delicious food, mindful drinking with family and friends, as well as less overall movement due to the cold weather. However, there are several forms of exercise and exercise routines that can help you avoid seasonal weight gain while also providing numerous other health benefits.
Regardless of the type of physical activity you choose to do, when paired with a balanced diet, frequent exercise can not only help to prevent weight gain, but also help those who have lost weight to keep it off in the long run.
In order to achieve increased effectiveness and durability with your fitness routine, try altering the sort of workout you do each week by including some cardio, weight training, and strength and flexibility (such as yoga) within a seven-day period.
Try Meditation
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According to one study, overweight or obese participants who practiced mindfulness meditation had substantial changes when it comes to their dietary constraint and eating behaviors, as well as higher weight reduction, as compared to a control group. While this is a new field of study, the findings suggest that meditation may be a useful strategy for weight management.
If you’re new to meditation, take it slowly at first. Allow yourself five to ten minutes each day to practice beginning meditation, which consists of sitting quietly, tracking your breath, and simply resting in the present moment.
Sleep More!
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You may tend to stay up late in order to get more done or simply to unwind after a long day, but lack of sleep can seriously disrupt your hunger hormones.
For example, the human satiation hormone is leptin. Leptin levels drop when you don’t get enough sleep, making you more prone to overeating the next day. Ghrelin, on the other hand, is our hunger hormone. Ghrelin levels rise when you’re tired, which consequently stimulates your hunger drive.
Sleep deprivation (and the resulting hunger hormone fluctuations) might make it difficult to avoid winter weight gain. Get the rest you need to succeed in maintaining your weight. The majority of adults require between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night.
