We're spending time indoors, moving less, and eating more - so it's only normal for us to put on a little extra insulation in the winter months. However, maintaining healthy eating and lifestyle habits over the winter is important not just for weight loss but also for our general health. To stop excessive weight gain, if this is of interest to you, follow the tips below.
Go for whole foods
Candy, cookies, and pie may taste great, but they certainly won't make you feel the best you can if you eat them too much. If you're eating brunch with your friends or having a holiday meal, enjoy the nutrient-dense, whole foods and keep the treats to a minimum. This involves filling half of your plate with a variety of vegetables (think green vegetables, not French fries) and filling the remainder of your plate with a small amount of protein and carbohydrates.
Sleep more and get some sun
Research shows that sleep deprivation can raise the risk of weight gain by affecting your appetite, making you more likely to experience higher-calorie foods. Shorter days in winter means less sunshine-which can adversely affect the quality of your sleep.
What does this have to do with the weight gain in winter? As days get shorter and we go into Daylight Savings Time, sleep will be affected by these shifts in daylight hours. These changes can affect your circadian rhythm-the normal sleep-wake cycle of your body.
Fortunately, you may take measures to boost sleep efficiency by restricting the sensitivity to blue light, sleeping in a pitch-black environment, and eliminating coffee more than six to eight hours before bedtime.
Keep a workout routine
If it's cold outside, the last thing you may want to do is strap your running shoes and do some hill sprints. But don't let that deter you from being active. Exercise outside the box to try a new yoga, indoor basketball, or volleyball league. Move your weight session from the night to the morning. Or find a gym mate who will hold you accountable. It's all a case of keeping your body busy and healthy this season.
Move throughout the day
It's cool to exercise a couple of days a week, but it's much easier to make sure you're moving and active all day. Your everyday exercise patterns are definitely the greatest contributor to how much energy you burn. This concept is known as NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis).
Just going around, doing DIY, walking to the supermarket, or playing with the kids in the yard will dramatically increase your energy expenditure, and hence your weight loss.
