How To Prevent Weight Gain This Winter (This Solution Will Shock You!)
Holiday feasts, candy all over the office, holiday parties, hot drinks to stay warm, and/or a gradual decrease in physical activity... there are just so many weight gain traps during the winter!
January, as you might expect, was always one of my busiest months as a personal trainer. (I always picked up a dozen or more New Years' resolutioners as clients). But the real busy time was just before Spring arrived.
Former clients came back needing help to shed their "winter weight" as they called it. Many of these return clients had worked with me to lose weight, but then as they kept it off, stopped using my services. Many went months and months without losing any of their progress... and then winter happened.
What was it about these cold months? They had no problem keeping the weight off every other season....
Logical explanations were the ones I first mentioned in the beginning of this post, but the real culprit (in my opinion) is clothing. Say no to baggy fits!
Roomy sweaters and sweat pants are comfy, but stretchy and loose-fitted clothes make you lose sight of the body underneath.
In fact, many of my return clients came back to me only when they realized all their Spring and Summer clothes fit a little too snug... or not at all. (That's why they weren't January resolutioners --- they didn't realize they'd gained).
Moral of the story? Include fitted attire in your winter wardrobe :)
Other tips:
Stay active -- layer up so you feel warm even if it's snowy. If you absolutely hate the cold, hit up a hot yoga session and sweat! Or try cycling, pilates, or another indoor class.
It's also okay if you want to take a break and rest this winter. However, if you DO decrease your activity level, make sure you adjust your calories and how much you're eating too!
Next, be weary of hot drinks. Cold hands around a warm cup is great... as long as it's herbal tea (unsweetened). Cafe shop coffees (and even some tea beverages, like Chai teas) are the nutritional (and caloric equivalent) of a small candy bar. Avoid all those empty calories.