Winter is a bad time of year for most people. They gain an average of 1-2 pounds every holiday season, which seems insignificant but accumulates if they don’t lose weight the following year.
Seasonal weight gains generally aren’t driven by days like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s but emerge from a cumulative change in behaviors over the winter, when people move a lot less, eat and drink a little (or a lot) more, and train significantly less. Here are some strategies to avoid winter weight gain:
Get Better Sleep
Sleep affects almost everything about health, including body weight. Direct effects include hormones and changes in metabolic rate, while indirect effects affect things like changes in hunger control. Weight gain has been linked to poor sleep, and winter wreaks havoc on sleep.
To maintain high sleep quality and a good sleep schedule to help manage your weight through winter:
- Set a sleep routine: Wake up and go to bed at the same time each day to establish good sleep behaviors and patterns.
- Limit blue light (screens) 60-90 minutes before bed: Use an app or the nighttime feature on your phone.
- Limit caffeine consumption after noon as it extends the time it takes to fall asleep.
- Don’t train heavily or hard before bed.
- If you have food sensitivities, don’t eat just before bed as it creates issues falling and staying asleep.
Beat the Winter Blues
Because all physical battles are mental battles, avoiding winter weight gain starts with beating the winter blues—described in the medical literature as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
SAD has been linked to eating behaviors, physical activity, and weight gain over the winter months, so it’s essential to keep yourself in a good mental space. This allows you to pursue your health and fitness goals actively.
A compelling start to beating the winter blues is phototherapy—getting sunlight or light that mimics the sun. Several studies confirm that getting light that mimics natural sunlight can decrease SAD symptoms, which in turn improves mood, sleep, and feelings of well-being.
However, the same doesn’t apply to UV therapy, such as sunbed tanning.
There is little or no evidence to support the theory that UV light is as beneficial as the sun. One study concluded that people who were frequent tanners experienced higher rates of SAD than those who did not tan.
Lay Off The Alcohol
People tend to drink more alcohol in winter, and an industry report identified December 1 through March 31 as the peak drinking season, with average blood alcohol content reaching 11. Alcohol intake generally involves excess calories and quickly increases overall calorie intake.
Using an average of 130 calories per drink, one or two daily drinks add up to 2,000 calories a week. And our food choices after a few drinks tend to decline, increasing empty calorie intake further.
Supplement The Right Way
Winter affects your micronutrient status because of the lack of sunlight combined with fewer fresh fruits and vegetables.
To stay in training, Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, is key to staying healthy. For people with low levels of vitamin D9, supplementing with vitamin D has also been shown to help prevent colds and flu viruses, and maintaining adequate vitamin D could also help maximize training and recovery because low vitamin D levels have been linked with poor athletic performance.
If you are using supergreens daily, you don’t need extra vitamin D.
Aside from vitamin D, other vitamins and minerals worth considering to maintain micronutrition through the winter include vitamin B12, especially if red meat isn’t part of your diet. Vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin E all help restore the macronutrient balance.
Personal trainer - Evan helped hundreds of clients simply 'build muscle and burn fat'.
