Winters are at their best, and do you know we put on weight during this period? There are a lot of reasons we gain weight in winters more than in other seasons.
They are –
- It’s a common belief that we need to eat more to stay warm, but is that the case? And, those with more flab feel colder and to stay warm they eat more resulting in piling on weight. And more calories are stored in the form of white fat in the body while we need brown fat to burn calories to keep warm.
- Sometimes we feel more hungry during winters, that could be because of melatonin, hormones triggered due to darkness, which contribute more sleep and appetite.
- Another case is, if you don’t even eat more in winters still you put on weight, the reason is we need sunlight to synthesize Vitamin D and in winters we don’t get enough sunlight so low levels of Vitamin D stores fatter in the body.
- In winters, we tend to eat fattier foods. We crave puddings, brownies, fried food, more teas, and coffees which results in extra calories which are hard to burn in winters due to our fewer activities in winters. Most of the time we keep our self inside, stocking up in warm clothes and lessening our activities.
The result is weight gain. But there are some strategies to keep fit and lean during winters.
1. Smart Indulgence
Instead of high sugar and fat-storing delicious temptation. choose low sugar, nutrient-rich food. Avoid cookies, fried, and include raw almonds, Hot chocolate, unsweetened coconut milk or chocolate protein powders. Replace potatoes in your main dish with seasonal green vegetables.
2. Keep a track of what you eat
It is proven that those who keep track of what they eat lose more than those who don’t. Keep a journal with you or you can download an app for it. Write each and everything that you eat the whole day, keep a check on calories. Weigh yourself on a weekly basis and you will get to know where you are failing to lose weight.
3. Increase Fiber in your diet
Include 25 to 35gms fiber in your diet to keep hunger pangs at bay. Green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and berries are a good source of fiber, add them to your diet, this will not only keep you full for a longer time but will also stabilize blood sugar and help you to stay away from high sugar cravings.
4. Plan your meals
If you think you won’t get enough time for preparing your next meal due to work pressure, then do some preparations before chopping vegetables, pre-cooked meals, and storing in your fridge. This early preparation will help you in avoiding last-minute junk food orders. If you have to go to a big party, eat something before you leave for the party, this will save you from biting those sugary cupcakes.
5. Workout
Don’t skip your workouts in winters, Make a schedule and follow it religiously. Choose high-intensity training to get better results in less time. push yourself to wake up early if you don’t get time to work out in the whole day. Don’t be a lazy bum and don’t wait for winters to go ( i know it’s easy to say but difficult to do).
6. Before and after parties
I know there are so many parties to attend in winters, don’t skip meals before going to parties, instead prepare protein shakes for breakfast or lunch to maintain sugar levels, and keep your meals after-party light to compensate.
I hope these tricks will help you keep in shape during winters
Do you know of some more tips to escape winter weight gain? Share with us!