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Can you avoid winter weight gain?
In winter time we always seem to gain a little extra padding. If it’s getting you down, understanding the reason why is bound to help you feel better about yourself.
Here’s a couple of theories we like.
The cavewoman theory
Some experts believe that historically, our bodies have always been programmed to gain pounds in winter to insulate us against the cold and keep us going when the cupboard was bare and there wasn’t much food around. It’s a bit like the hibernation thing bears do.
However, now we’ve evolved from the cavewoman, winter essentials like food, shelter, clothing and heating are readily available. Our bodies and minds just haven’t quite caught up with it!
The active digestive system theory
Other believe that, as temperatures start to fall and the blood vessels in our skin contract, our extremities get colder and blood moves to the centre of our body. All this blood stimulates our digestive system, and makes it work harder. When the digestive system shifts up a gear it increases our appetite, we eat more and hello, weight gain!
What to do about it
Even though your body’s telling you it needs more food, unless you’re more active than you are in summer months, eating more will result in gaining weight. Simple as that.
Be aware. Compare what you typically eat and drink on a summer’s day (fresh fruit, salads, water, juice, BBQ foods etc) –with what you eat on a winter’s day (bread, hot chocolates, stodgy meals, burgers, fries etc). The difference could easily add up to 300 to 500 calories per day.
Eat healthy. There are a few things you can do to fight the urge to load up on comfort foods – without being too hard on yourself! Eat ‘complex’ carbohydrates, like fruit, vegetables and whole-wheat bread. The water and fibre content of fruit and vegetables makes you feel full, while providing a relatively small amount of calories.
Swap fatty foods with fruit and vegetables. Go for soups, casseroles, chickpeas, beans, lentils etc. Onions and garlic are also a great warming flavours that satisfy and mean you won’t feel the need to go back for seconds!
Drink water. Even though you may not feel thirsty, you need to keep up your 8 glasses a day. It’ll clean out al the toxins and helps clear your skin. On cold days, warm water with a slice of lemon is great!
Drink green tea instead of hot chocolate. Tempting as it is to go for a big hot choccy with marshmallows, every now and then, order a green tea. It’s one of nature’s wonder drinks and has virtually no calories. Also great for your skin!
Avoid baggy. Clothes that is. It’s easier to order a large fries when your hiding under baggy layers and stretch leggings than when you’re in fitted clothes!
Try on your bikini. No jokes, this is one way to remind yourself that winter won’t last forever and sooner or later, you’ll be baring your beautiful body to the world!
Keep moving. Even though it’s cold outside, you’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel when you get out and go for a run, walk, bike or play in the park! Check out these awesome 247 Girl workouts you can do in winter!
Winter workout with friends
- Hula hooping for toning up
- Burn energy and earn money at the same time
- Keep your emotions and moods in good shape. It’s also a fact that during July and August, Kiwi girls feel more down than any other time of the year. That can make us feel depressed and comfort ourselves by eating more. You can deal with this by exercising more (that’ll lift your mood), seeing more of your friends and restricting your TV or computer time.
- Expose yourself to sunlight. Feeling down is often do with the weather. The lack of sunlight decreases a hormone called Serotonin (the feel-good hormone that affects our mood). So be sure to get outside and expose yourself to sunlight whenever possible. Leave the sunnies off, as it’s better to expose your eyes directly to sunlight.
5 reasons to shake your butt off the couch
- Get yourself in a good mood. Exercise can release ‘endorphins’ that make you feel happier
- Catch up on all the goss from the week with your friends
- Rev up your metabolism and burn energy – you won’t even notice that you’re working out! And you’ll have earnt that ice cream at the end!
- Hello real world. On TV it seems like everybody’s so glamorous, thin and successful – in the real world you’ll discover everybody’s normal like you!
- Take a break from snacking. While you’re out and about, you’re not tempted to reach for the cookie jar or a bag of chips!
What you can do
Next winter doesn’t have to be all gloom. It depends on what you do this summer. While simply slathering on the sunscreen and heading outdoors may be fine, try the following strategies to take best advantage of the summer sun:
Dose up: Get up and out early to enjoy the added hours of morning sunlight. These are also the hours in which the risk of sunburn is lowest. (Avoid dosing up on the midday sun.)
Ritual: Practice some form of ritual, meditation, or exercise outdoors for at least 20 minutes each morning. One practice is to face the sun and imagine you are inhaling its light with each in-breath, and that the light is being absorbed throughout your body.
Sun breaks: During your workday, spend coffee breaks or lunch breaks outdoors to increase your exposure each day.
Best of the rest
