To Do List to Fight Winter Weight Gain
Eat home cooked meals
• Cooking at home leads to an increased consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains in addition to a decreased consumption of carbohydrates, sugar, fat, sodium and total calories. Home-cooked meals also provide more fiber, calcium, and iron compared to food purchased or prepared away from home. Plus, you could save thousands, yes thousands of dollars each year by cooking rather than having someone else do it for you.
• Utilize slow cookers, rice cookers, instant pots and one-pan meals to save yourself some precious time. Some crockpot meals take 10 minutes or less - everyone has 10 minutes.
Track your weight
• Catch gains before they happen by tracking your weight or how your clothes fit. Research shows that individuals who weigh themselves on a consistent basis (daily or weekly) can avoid putting on weight and lose weight too! Though weighing-in cannot be directly linked to weight loss, it appears that frequently “checking in” motivates people to engage in healthier eating and exercise behaviors.
Get the ball rolling
• Don’t let winter keep you from reaching your goals. Start by making a list of what you want to accomplish and focus on just one thing at a time. Then, dissect tasks into tiny pieces to make them more achievable. For example, the hardest part about exercising is not the actual workout; it’s initiating the first step. It’s getting off the couch. It’s getting your workout clothes on. It’s driving to the gym. Once you get the ball rolling, it’s all downhill from there. Don’t think about the lengthy process. Just think about the very first thing you need to do, whether it’s putting your socks on or taking out the cutting board.
Enjoy yourself
• The holidays can be crazy and stressful. Don’t forget to take time to enjoy them. When you find yourself running around, take a moment to pause, breathe and appreciate the festive decorations and Christmas spirit. Don’t forget to take a minute for yourself and get your nails done or take a bath or slowly savor your favorite cup of coffee. When it comes to the abundance of delicious food, find a balance between depriving yourself and overdoing it. Have a Christmas cookie or two and enjoy every bite, just don’t eat the entire batch.
Holidays
It’s a given that the holiday season is filled with social gatherings which typically revolve around one thing: food. What most people don’t realize is that it’s not the holidays per se that leads to weight gain. It’s the aftermath. Think about Halloween night, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Though we might consume two handfuls of candy on Halloween night and an extra-large serving of turkey and pie on Thanksgiving Day, consider the days following. One word: LEFTOVERS. And not just a days’ worth of leftovers, but multiple days worth. The point is, a few Christmas cookies aren’t going to make or break the scale, but a few Christmas cookies every day for 7-10 days definitely might make it budge.
Move more, sit less
• Humans are not meant to sit for long periods of time.
However, most spend over 10 hours per day sitting!
Metabolism slows after just 30 minutes of sitting. This said, stand whenever possible: when talking on the phone, waiting for a ride and please, use your legs to personally deliver a message instead of calling, emailing or texting. We are all guilty of texting someone down the hall.
• Be active every day, whether that means taking your dog out, practicing yoga, hitting the gym, or simply walking during a part of your lunch break. 10-20 minutes a day is all you need.
Step out when the sun’s out
• Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain’s release of serotonin. This hormone is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused, rather than agitated and stressed. This is why you might feel happier and more productive on bright sunny days vs. gloomy rainy days.
Get more vitamin D
• During warmer months, most can get their daily dose of vitamin D by spending just 10-15 minutes in the sun. That’s not so realistic during northern winters. Even if it’s sunny, we are so layered up that we aren’t absorbing those rays. Therefore, consider taking a vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplement (2000 IU/day), consuming 12 ounces of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna or mackerel twice a week and making sure your milk is fortified with vitamin D.
To Do List to Fight Winter Weight Gain