Today, we’re taking a cold, hard look at winter weight gain {no pun intended}. It’s a common problem—people tend to pack on a few pounds during the winter months.
But we want to give you a few tips that will help you fight back against wicked ole Mrs. Winter! Let’s waste no time, that way we’ll have less to deal with when the warm breezes start blowing!
The good, the bad…and the solution.
Although winter weight gain varies from person to person, research shows the average gain to be five to seven pounds! Some people gain this extra weight because they have Seasonal Affective Disorder—a type of winter depression. But most of us can’t blame winter depression for our tendency to pick up extra weight during the winter months.
So, why does winter weight gain happen? According to Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD, founder and director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, it happens because we eat more and move less during the winter months. Which isn't all that surprising considering its significantly more difficult to find the motivation to leave your house and head to the gym when the temperatures are below freezing and it's a gray, cloudy winter day.
But this is bad news and good news. It's bad news because it would be kinda nice if we could blame our cold-weather plumpness on something unusual like the jet stream cycle and shuffle off for another warm hot chocolate with extra whip.
But the good news is...we CAN do something about it! We don’t have to greet spring with softer mid sections and tighter clothes. So let’s start by tackling winter weight gain with our weapon of choice here at Stax Elite Training: discipline.
Discipline is Key.
According to Merriam-Webster, discipline is a “rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity.” This is perfect because in order to fight winter weight gain, we have to discipline ourselves to follow some rules.
1. Speak the Right Language for Success.
For the next several weeks, do not allow yourself to say, “Just this once.” If you pay close attention, you'll probably find that a ‘just this once’ situation comes up almost every day... You go to a work party. You take your spouse out for a birthday dinner. Someone brings a meal by your house because you’ve been sick. Your co-worker brings in leftover pizza from last night’s party. Your child has leftover Valentine’s Day candy. As. harsh as this may sound, you need to say no every. single. time. Otherwise, you'll never get ahead. Just grit your teeth, think about that vacation your taking to the beach when the weather warms up, and resist what others are having and make good food choices. We're not saying it's going to be easy, we're saying it's necessary in order for you to succeed. Just like that old saying... "nothing good in life comes easily."
2. Make a Plan and Stick to it.
Eternal deprivation is never a good idea, but you have to be intentional about the time, place and food that you let yourself splurge on.
Love the deep fried hush puppies at your favorite restaurant? Then let’s make a deal. Eat clean for ten days. No cheating. And then at the end of those ten days, go have the fried hush puppies. Guilt free. Just enjoy them. Then set your next goal. And you aren't allowed to deviate from your plan in the meantime.
If you do, you lose the hush puppies. Don’t waste your splurge calories on something that doesn’t compare to those hush puppies!
3. Get Moving.
Exercise isn't an optional activity. Now, more than ever, you have to get your body moving. Exercise is very effective at preventing weight gain—and that's what we’re after right now. Don’t worry so much about losing pounds; just exercise to keep the winter scale-creep from happening to you. Try to get 30 minutes of cardio in at least four days a week.
Remember: spring is coming. Let’s be ready for it, and leave winter weight gain behind.
