Winter Weight Gain – Fight it with PureFit
Winter is your enemy. Cold temperatures force you inside, where you shovel high-fat comfort foods down your throat. Before you know it, you’ve gained 5 kg’s and the upcoming spring season has you chained to a treadmill. Winter weight gain isn’t just an urban myth; it’s driven by biology and fueled by mood. In fact, most of us gain between 1-2 kg’s during the winter months, despite our best efforts. But fret not: You can combat winter weight gain and remain slim and trim for spring.
Causes
There are lots of culprits, but cold is the No.1 suspect. When temperatures drop, we stay inside. Our metabolisms slow to a crawl and we pack on the pounds. But the conspiracy runs deeper than that. During the winter, we forgo low-calorie snacks for prepackaged, high-fat delights like chips, nuts and crackers. We also get less sunlight, which makes us feel down in the dumps. To combat those feelings, we gobble up carbohydrates, fats and sugars, which make us feel better by stimulating the brain to release serotonin “the feel good” chemical.
Serotonin and mood
Serotonin receptors are stimulated by carbohydrates and most strongly by simple sugars. So the fastest way to a quick “home-made” seratonin boost is a sugary snack or drink.
However, this effect is very short-lived and leads to a worsening of mood shortly after the high – triggering sugar cravings, mood swings and eventual weight gain. This happens because in order for the levels of all the chemicals within the body to be in balance, our blood sugar levels need to be kept constant.
The brain takes the glucose it needs before any other organ in the body and it’s also the organ most sensitive to tiny fluctuations in blood sugar levels. A slight drop in this level leads to cloud/sluggish thinking, loss of concentration, loss of motivation, tiredness and depression.
What the body requires is a sustained, even production and release of serotonin – and the way to do this is with complex carbohydrates.
Are we fighting evolution?
Some doctors believe that we’re genetically programmed to gain weight when it gets chilly. “Your body may be working against you to hang on to it so you stay warm,” said Lawrence Cheskin, MD, founder of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in Baltimore.
Fat is a great insulator and it really does a great job of keeping you warm. Before the days of forced air heating and good insulation, a few extra pounds could mean the difference between life and death. For most of us, however, freezing to death isn’t really a problem. We want to look and feel good.
How to fight it
Stay active
Exercise is your best weapon against winter weight gain. And strength training will do a lot to keep your metabolism revving. So hit the gym at least three times a week and devise a workout routine that will tax your biggest muscles. Focus on your legs; they burn more calories than any other part of your body. Add a little cardio to the routine — about 15 minutes per workout — and you’ll do a lot to avoid packing on pounds.
Get some sun
Go outside, even when it’s cold. Bundle up and jog around the block or kick a ball around with the kids. The sunlight will refresh your mind and the activity will put you in a better mood, making it easier to turn down those high calorie food choices. If you don’t have time for a dedicated outside session, try to take a walk during your lunch hour. “Even an hour of direct sunlight a day can help elevate your disposition,” says Raymond W. Lam, M.D., in an article in Shape magazine.
You can eat those holiday treats as long as you stay active…
Take up a new sport
Winter sports will help you get outdoors and stay in shape until spring. If it’s just too cold to do anything outside, consider swimming. Many health clubs have heated indoor pools, and partaking in a summertime activity can trick your subconscious into believing the weather is fair. Swimming is also one of the best ways to burn energy; it consumes more calories per hour than running, bicycling or weightlifting.
Eat well
Eating well doesn’t mean stuffing yourself with mashed potatoes, pecan pie and honey-baked ham. It means finding tasty, low-calorie alternatives that will satisfy your gut and your mind. Plenty of winter crops are low in fat and calories, like squash, onions, oranges, artichokes, kale, Brussels sprouts (yes, they are tasty if cooked correctly), and cauliflower. They’re also filling, which will help you say no to that second piece of pumpkin pie.
Keep in mind, however, that wintertime is chock-full of cookies, pies and treats of all kinds. It’ll be nearly impossible to avoid them all, so don’t. Have a few — but only a few — treats to satisfy your cravings. If you’re exercising, the extra calories won’t make a huge difference. When you’re faced with a big winter dinner, don’t deny yourself; it’ll just drive you crazy. Instead, load your plate with lean protein (chicken is great) and vegetables. Take only small tastes of high-fat, high-calorie dishes like ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing.
Lay off the booze
It’ll be tempting to sit down by the fire and crack open a bottle of Red Wine or a few bottles of Guinness and the like during the winter, but don’t. Alcohol contains a lot of empty calories and it slows down your metabolism. Limit yourself to just one drink a day, if you must.
Stay healthy
Gaining a little weight during the winter may be an inevitable biological reaction to cold temperatures. Becoming a couch potato is, however, very much avoidable. Stay active during the winter, even if you don’t avoid all the holiday treats. Lack of exercise will affect your health and mood, and will add those few extra pounds you don’t need.
Watch the “Snacks”!!!
Mid-morning and Mid-Afternoon are the most dangerous times for “snacking”…
Our blood sugar is dipping so we go and grab a flat white and a warm chocolate chip muffin – but that’s ok right? Hey, it’s just a snack…
Let’s really have a look at what you’re eating:
1 x Flat White: Approx 224 calories and 8.4grams of fat..whoops! A better option is to have the long black with 2, yes 2 calories. If you can’t take your coffee black, have a little steamed milk with it.
1 x Chocolate chip muffin: Approx 300 calories – yes, 300 calories and most of them from sugar and fat..
So in that 15 minute mid-morning snack you just had over 500 calories – Most from sugar and fat… If you’re a man you just had 25% of your daily calories in a snack, if you’re a woman more likely close to 30%…no wonder you are exceeding your daily limit and getting the resultant weigh gain.
Solutions
Make a choice
Ditch that crappy muffin or piece of cake and use the PureFit Nutrition Bar in it’s place (I like the chocolate brownie to bust my “sweet” craving). This way you are having a nicely balanced low GI snack with 18grams of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates to keep your blood sugar stable and fuel the rest of your day with no “crash” after the sugar rush
Plan Ahead
Don’t get caught out, throw a few PureFit bars into your car glove box, gym bag and briefcase. They don’t melt and you have 4 flavour choices. When snack time comes grab a bar and fuel up for the day ahead with a healthy balanced choice.
This year when spring comes don’t spend your time undoing winter’s weight gain…
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