The 3 Biggest Winter Weight Loss Mistakes…
It’s finally upon us (or many of us anyway). Looming in the shorter days and colder nights…
Can you feel it?
Fall has arrived, and winter is just around the corner.
It is a season packed with most of the major holidays starting with Halloween and continuing on through Thanksgiving and Christmas.
All of this is great, but it is also the season when a lot of us tend give up our healthy habits and manage to pack on an extra layer or two (and I don’t just mean clothes).
Here are three of the biggest winter weight loss mistakes, and how to avoid them…
Waving the white flag:
One of the biggest mistakes we can make during the colder months is to just assume that weight gain is a given. With all of the holidays and whatnot, why bother trying to stay healthy? So many people just give up and then feel awful later when they have spent months overindulging.
Try to fight this feeling. It is absolutely possible to enjoy all of the season’s festivities and to stay healthy. Your routine may need minor adjustments, but it’s nothing you can’t do. Stay positive and thoughtful about your choices, and you will make it though feeling great.
Dis-comfort food:
These chilly nights can make eating healthy seem a little more difficult. After all, eating a salad seems much less appealing when you just want to be warm and cozy. This is the time when we would all much rather eat a big warm plate of something covered with gravy.
The key is to remember to eat balanced and healthy meals. Make sure to keep eating fruits and vegetables (there are lots of delicious choices that are coming into season right now). Also, consider trying recipes that can comfort you and make you feel good, like homemade soups. These are warm, delicious, and they tend to be lower in calories than a lot of other comfort foods.
Hibernation:
I know I have been guilty of this one. The shorter and colder days sometimes make hanging out on the couch under a blanket seem far more appealing than getting up and getting exercise.
But really, now is a great time to shake it off and get physical. Regular exercise has been shown to help us keep our unhealthy cravings under control. And as an added bonus, physical activity can help to ease stress and elevate your mood (which we could all probably use during this season). So get yourself to your local rec center, stage a living room yoga class, or just put on your comfiest coat and take yourself on a nice, long walk.