This post is about 8 tips to avoid winter weight gain this year.
At least in my humble opinion, November 1 marks the true beginning of the winter holiday season. This means lots of family time, lots of gift exchanging, and of course, lots of delicious, unhealthy food.
I don't know about you, but every year, I struggle to keep off the winter weight between November 1 and the New Year. I mean, after ten straight months of (mostly) eating good, clean, and healthy, it's like the floodgates of unhealthy decisions just burst open starting in November.
Fortunately, there are many ways to avoided putting on winter weight.
So today, I am sharing with you 8 tips and actions you can take to avoid the dreaded winter weight gain this year.
This post is about 8 tips to avoid winter weight gain this year.
Maintain your exercise routine as best you can.
Okay, I know this seems super obvious, but finding that gym motivation when the days are colder is definitely challenging. Who wants to exercise when that means you need to warm up your frigid car, drive to a gym, then walk from your car to the gym in freezing temperatures!? Even when bundled up, it's not enjoyable!
Then, add in the fact that mornings stay darker for longer, while the evenings become darker sooner, it's definitely less motivating to go exercise.
This isn't even mentioning the fact that this time of year also involves a lot of travel.
All of this is to say, there are a lot of factors at play here making it so easy to fall off your exercise routine!
However, doing your best to maintain your routine is the #1 thing you can to avoid winter weight. It's challenging, but it's doable!
Try to avoid going overboard on the sweets.
The holidays are full of sweets and junk food.
Eating like crap is the best way to celebrate with friends and family, after all.
However, you don't have to ban yourself from small indulgences here or there. Even the most strong-willed people will crack with enough temptation!
Maybe just try to limit your sweets and junk food intake to maybe one treat per event. That's all you need!
Portion control the big meals.
I'm someone who only keeps the amount of food I need in the house. (I have very little self-control when there's extra food around.) This is one reason I personally struggle with winter weight each year. Are you the same way? If so, being mindful about portion sizes will be a life saver.
Just because you can have 11 plates of food at Thanksgiving dinner doesn't mean you need to have 11 plates of food.
So what's the best way to portion control? Of course, you can always limit yourself to just one plate of food.
But I also recommend drinking a TON of water right before big, holiday meals.
And I'm not talking a single glass. I'm talking LOTS of water. Nearly drown yourself.
You'll be so full of water you won't even want to eat in excess.
Moderate your alcohol intake.
Liquid calories are sneaky, especially in alcohol. A single glass of red wine -- often regarded the healthiest adult beverage option -- still carries 100+ calories per glass!
In my circle, there is no shortage of alcohol at holiday events. Liquor, wine, beer. You name it, someone's brought it.
Alcohol calories add up quickly, so moderate how much you drink. One or two drinks won't do too much damage on the scale. If you start pushing six or seven, though, that's a different story.
But hey -- if you choose to overindulge in the booze, I get it. Just make sure you catch an Uber home!
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Move as much as you can.
Water weight is so much harder to manage in the winter. Without the blistering sun beating down on us as soon as we step outside, we're sweating out water weight far less often.
Unfortunately, this means we hold onto water weight far more during this time of year.
And hey! Water is heavy. If you hold onto enough of it, it'll definitely make a difference on the scale.
But it's not just water weight pushing that number upward.
By avoiding the cold and staying locked up in our houses, this really limits the amount of physical activity we get during the day. Less movement = less calorie burn. Less calorie burn = easier to put on weight.
As much as you don't want to bundle up and go for walks, challenge yourself to sneak in some steps when you can. I'm sure you'll get the occasional warm afternoon (or at least sunny!).
And don't forget, you can still move, even if you're indoors. Take stairs when you can. Put on some music and dance around the house. Exercise in a garage. Wrestle with your dog (or cat -- I don't judge).
Just try not to sit around under heaps of blankets all day (even though I know this is comfy and relaxing).
Get a nutrition tracker.
If you're not a nutrition tracker normally, this is a good time of year to get into the habit.
Logging your food intake day-to-day is really helpful when combatting winter weight. If anything, logging at least makes you aware of how much you're eating. Having no idea makes it easy to eat way more than you need!
Even if you don't maintain the habit come the new year, food logging adds some accountability during the months where you're most likely to overeat.
And consistent overeating = weight gain!
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Add, don't restrict.
I heard of "add, don't restrict" for the first time a couple months ago, and I think it's a really good bit of advice. I'll describe it in a nutshell:
• When you restrict yourself from eating, you're more likely to binge.
• When you binge, you eat WAY more than you need to.
Instead of restricting then bingeing, break the cycle by eating what you want when you have bad cravings, but dress the craving up to make it as healthy as possible.
So if you struggle with being really good and disciplined in everyday life but then find yourself bingeing when there's excess food available, "add, don't restrict" may be a good option for you.
(It's been really helpful for me!)
Watch the video below for more information.
If and/or when you see the scale going up: DON'T panic.
Even for those of us who try really, really hard at "being good" around the holidays, it's hard to completely keep off winter weight.
So if and/or when you see the scale go up, don't panic!
Honestly, you can't really do lasting damage if you only go off the deep-end two or three times over the next couple weeks. Real weight gain only comes from consistently intaking more calories than you burn.
So if you see that scale up a few pounds, especially after a big holiday meal, just remember: it's only temporary.
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So now, I'm wondering: What tips and/or strategies do you have when it comes to avoiding winter weight gain? Let me know in the comments!