When the temps start cooling down and the days get shorter, it’s easy to lose momentum when it comes to health and fitness. Instead of packing on the pounds this winter, steer clear of the common pitfalls with our top tips for how to avoid winter weight gain:
Cook Winter (Seasonal) Produce
While summers consist of fresh fruit and endless salads, you may be craving something warmer this time of year. Make it fun by cooking recipes focused on winter produce. Squash, pumpkin, kale, and Brussel sprouts are delicious (and weight loss-friendly) vegetables you can easily incorporate into your meals. Need ideas? Check out seasonal produce available in your area and our favorite healthy winter recipes!
Sip Hot Tea
Skip the high-calorie drinks and replace them with hot tea, where you have an abundance of flavors to choose from! Since teas can satiate your hunger pangs, they’re highly effective in curbing those late-night snacking temptations. Not a fan of tea? Try hot water with lemon or a sugar-free hot cocoa if you’re looking for something to satisfy your sweet cravings.
Meditate and Stay Active
Maybe it’s seasonal stress or shorter days, but winter can sometimes make us feel less productive and more sluggish than usual. Make your health, both mental and physical a priority by carving out time throughout the week to meditate/pray, and get active. Check out these online fitness exercises and programs that you can do in the comfort of your own home!
Keep a Food Journal
Mindless eating happens when we’re not paying attention and it can quickly derail our weight loss efforts. One great tip on how to avoid winter weight gain is keeping a food journal. You can track your food intake with an app such as Lose It! or MyFitnessPal, a document on your computer, or even a physical notebook that you keep in a safe place. Make it a point to have all your food tracked for the day before you head to bed. And, that includes drinks, especially water, which is crucial for your weight loss and health!
Think Long Term
You may have heard the phrase “summer bodies are made in the winter” and well, it’s true. Yes it’s nice to cozy up in comfy sweats and sweaters now, but think of summertime and how nice it’ll be to strut around in shorts and sleeveless tanks with confidence. Don’t let the chilly temps give you an excuse to slack on your nutrition and skip your workouts. Instead, use it as your training season for the warmer months ahead!
Now that you have our top tips for how to avoid gaining winter weight, here’s a tip for weight loss motivation and accountability: start a HealthyWager, the individual weight loss challenge customized to you! You pick your weight loss goal, the timeframe you want to lose it in, and prize (up to $10,000)! Ready to get started? Enter your information in the HealthyWage Prize Calculator to find out how much you can win!
