Avoiding weight gain in winter: how?

[Laurie4b]

I typically gain at least 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and March. Sometimes that weight gain triggers a whole cycle of weight gain and the scale keeps rising. I would like to avoid that in the future. 

 

I know that in winter, I am more likely to hit something that feels like compulsion to eat, eat, eat, especially in the late afternoon. It feels like a change in body chemistry. I wonder if it is due to less light; the cold (which I hate); associations with winter foods such as soup, stew, chili; less exercise (I exercise through the winter but I am not outside as much, which is where I really like to exercise spring, summer, and fall.) And of course, the holidays figure in. I HATE all the extra food that comes my way over the holidays. I am someone who controls my eating by decisions made at the grocery store. I am not good at not eating food that is sitting right in front of me. And I'm the kind of person who feels guilty if I throw out a plate of cookies that someone has given me as a gift. (I wish people wouldn't give fattening and sweet food as gifts!). While I'm not depressed in the winter, I am also not "up" like I am the rest of the year. I find little beauty in our area outside (unless it snows, which is infrequent) and I am someone who needs natural beauty and I crave being outside. We don't have the $$ to travel someplace sunnier.

 

I want to start planning ahead of time. What trips you up? How have you overcome it? 

[SailorMom]

OK - this is going to sound ridiculous, but seriously....  I wear jeans a lot that absolutely will not fit if I add any weight.  So - the minute I start going up at all I notice and adjust.  Great way to kinda pay attention without needing a scale :)

[Julie Smith]

I sign up for extra physical activity stuff.

 

I also have my house set up in such as way that lots of movement is necessary.

[kiana]

Fattening food as gifts -- see if you can find someone you know is struggling, or a local college student who is far from home, and give it to them. That way it will not be going to waste and it will not be going to waist either. Alternatively, plastic wrap it and freeze individual portions.

 

Food in front of you at parties -- Try very hard to sit away from the food. Face in a different direction. It's still incredibly challenging but it's slightly easier if you can't see it. Also, go to a party in pants/a skirt with a tight non-elastic waistband (use a belt if necessary) so that you can't eat until your belly bulges.

 

Soups -- focus on broth-based soups rather than cream-based soups, and include massive quantities of soupy vegetables, especially non-starchy ones.

 

Stews -- go easy on the starches as well. Add more celery, onions, sweet potatoes, and carrots, less potatoes, and don't eat it with large portions of pasta, rice, or dumplings.

[VaKim]

All I can do is commiserate. Right there with you, op. 

[DawnM]

Well, I am actually STARTING a weight loss plan.  It is the first one I have really looked at and thought, "this really is a lifestyle change, not like the diets that tout lifestyle change."

 

It is called Naturally Slim and the premise is intuitive eating.

 

I will let you know how it goes.

[skimomma]

I don't struggle with weight gain.  Actually the opposite so it is important that I eat healthy foods and stay away from the empty calories.  But I do find myself craving snacks more in the winter and am drawn to less nourishing foods.  One thing that helps me with the snacking is to almost always be carrying around a travel mug of hot tea or water with lemon.  This keeps me warmer and hydrated which helps me to face outdoor activity with a better attitude.  Miso soup is another warm and nourishing food with little calories.  I'll make up a cup when I am having trouble staying out of the chip bag.  If that doesn't help, I'll eat something healthy but "good" fatty like avocado, nuts, or a hard boiled egg.

 

I also send a lot of gifted holiday snacks to work with dh.  Halloween candy too.  We can only eat so much and I too have a hard time with wasting food.  The suggestion above about college students is great.  Do you have any neighbors that might appreciate the occasional plate of treats?  We have a lot of elderly neighbors with few visitors and they always appreciate a visit from dd with a plate of treats.

[StephanieZ]

Some ideas . . .

 

+ Commit to a new/increased exercise activity by signing up for a class, setting a walk/bike/whatever date with a friend, taking up a new goal/activity (start couch to 5k or some similar goal-oriented exercise).

+ Start a new hobby/project of cooking some healthy lower cal things that you'd like. I love soups, so when I'm trying to lose weight, especially in the winter, I make a lot of low calorie soups. A friend recently posted a site with 100 whole foods crock pot meals, and I'm a big believer in whole foods, so now I'm going through that list to find things we'd like. 

+ Pre-eat before food events by eating something filling, tasty, but low starch/low sugar. A bowl of soup, a salad, a pile of veggies and hummus, etc. Just don't show up to an event hungry if there will be bad-for-you food all over the place. Then, enjoy the treats, but only in small quantities.

[Rosie_0801]

Read some blogs about how people observe the Wheel of the Year. Nothing to do with food or weight gain, but it might give you some inspiration on how to preplan a bit of beauty to see you through the dull times.

[Annie G]

I gain about five pounds over the winter also, mostly because I'm not as active. Sure, we go to the gym just as often, but when I'm home, it's cold in my house and I just want to sit under a quilt and read or watch tv at night. During the other seasons, I get up during commercials and empty the dishwasher, fold laundry, etc.  So I know in the winter I don't move as much, and my fitbit becomes pretty important to me. On dreary winter days when I have nowhere to go, my Fitbit reminds me that I need to get up!

 

Other than occasional holiday treats, I don't eat wildly during winter...in some ways I think I eat less because I'm more likely to have a bowl of soup for dinner instead of a meat, a few veggies, and maybe a starch.   But since I'm moving less, I need to be eating even less. 

 

A weekly post about how we're all doing and what we're doing to stay on track during winter would be lovely. Might keep me motivated and give me some ideas from you other more successful girls. 

[kiana]

A weekly post about how we're all doing and what we're doing to stay on track during winter would be lovely. Might keep me motivated and give me some ideas from you other more successful girls. 

 

Good idea, being able to report and have positive feedback is a great motivator.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Re gift or throw away the treats. Seriously Thanksgiving and Christmas are supposed to be days not weeks.

I also have set meals that are satisfying and don't require me to think. I have eggs or oatmeal or a smoothie for breakfast. Lunch in winter I almost always have a bowl of soup with1/2 sandwich or hummus and pita chips and a piece of fruit for dessert. If I get the habit rolling then it's easier to avoid the "stuff" that is not so healthy.

[ScoutTN]

I eat non-starchy veggies and good fats and protein. Satisfying meals without lots of carbs. Keep stocked up on healthy snacks! I plan out ahead of time which special favorite desserts I will indulge in and when.

 

Before a party, I have a fat heavy snack like cheese, guacamole or eggs so that I am not feeling hungry when I go. Bulletproof coffee and bacon is my favorite quick snack/meal lately.

 

Yes to the regifting sweet treats and dessert food gifts! Our church makes exam baskets for college and grad students and also gift baskets for a women's shelter. My mom uses hers to give small gifts to her hairdresser, housekeeper, church staff etc.

 

I do try to get outside when the sun is out and I may get a sun lamp this year. I do think the dark and cold affects my mood and I am more likely to get the munchies. While I normally protect our school time, in the winter if we get a sunny day, I will take a late morning or early afternoon break for a walk at the park or a trip to the zoo. We are getting a dog this fall, so that will be a reason to get out and walk too!

[HomeAgain]

Add more peppers to your diet.  When I have something with a bit of heat, I tend to feel sated faster than if I eat plain fare. And the flavor compound helps.  We up our diet of homemade Chinese, Mexican, Tex-mex, even spiced nuts...things that will fill us up or at least meet our need for that belly warmth.

Find your good fats, too.  Use them more.  We have a running joke here because when I want dessert I'm really saying I want fat.  It's not enough to have a sweet.  My dh is fine with a handful of candy corn.  I'll eat the candy corn, the candy cane, the poached pear, the cookie...and so on down the line until I get a spoonful of peanut butter or bit of soft cheese and honey in a date.  I have to have the fat.  If I don't, I can eat all the sweets I like and not feel like I got enough.  And if I'm going to eat it, good fat is better than bad.  Up your olive oil or your coconut oil, whatever helps you round the meal some.

[Laurie4b]

I gain about five pounds over the winter also, mostly because I'm not as active. Sure, we go to the gym just as often, but when I'm home, it's cold in my house and I just want to sit under a quilt and read or watch tv at night. During the other seasons, I get up during commercials and empty the dishwasher, fold laundry, etc.  So I know in the winter I don't move as much, and my fitbit becomes pretty important to me. On dreary winter days when I have nowhere to go, my Fitbit reminds me that I need to get up!

 

Other than occasional holiday treats, I don't eat wildly during winter...in some ways I think I eat less because I'm more likely to have a bowl of soup for dinner instead of a meat, a few veggies, and maybe a starch.   But since I'm moving less, I need to be eating even less. 

 

A weekly post about how we're all doing and what we're doing to stay on track during winter would be lovely. Might keep me motivated and give me some ideas from you other more successful girls. 

 

The first paragraph is definitely me. The colder it is, the less I want to move. I am sure that that contributes. And you can't out-exercise sitting around a lot under a comforter. 

 

If people are interested in a group, I would be interested, too. 

[Laurie4b]

Add more peppers to your diet.  When I have something with a bit of heat, I tend to feel sated faster than if I eat plain fare. And the flavor compound helps.  We up our diet of homemade Chinese, Mexican, Tex-mex, even spiced nuts...things that will fill us up or at least meet our need for that belly warmth.

Find your good fats, too.  Use them more.  We have a running joke here because when I want dessert I'm really saying I want fat.  It's not enough to have a sweet.  My dh is fine with a handful of candy corn.  I'll eat the candy corn, the candy cane, the poached pear, the cookie...and so on down the line until I get a spoonful of peanut butter or bit of soft cheese and honey in a date.  I have to have the fat.  If I don't, I can eat all the sweets I like and not feel like I got enough.  And if I'm going to eat it, good fat is better than bad.  Up your olive oil or your coconut oil, whatever helps you round the meal some.

 

 

I have several bags of jalapenos in the freezer from the garden, so that will be a suggestion I can follow through with.

 

I'm good with good fats. I eat lots. The problem comes when my boys leave out bread and butter in plain sight. I don't want to deprive them of that, but if I am i n that what feels like hormone-driven ( I mean eating hormones) mode that I seem to get into in winter, I succumb. I can ignore it in the other months. 

[marbel]

Well, I am actually STARTING a weight loss plan.  It is the first one I have really looked at and thought, "this really is a lifestyle change, not like the diets that tout lifestyle change."

 

It is called Naturally Slim and the premise is intuitive eating.

 

I will let you know how it goes.

 

I followed that program; I thought the principles were good and lost 18 pounds in 10 weeks following it.

 

Unfortunately after a year I relaxed too much, lost sight of the (very basic) principles, and gained weight back.  I'm getting back on track now. 

[EmilyGF]

I feel more comfortable in the cold when I have exercised. So I try to exercise (with a DVD) midafternoon and then I feel more comfortable into early evening. (Then I may take a shower and that gets me to the morning).

 

If you have a door into your kitchen, close it. If you don't, but have an opening, put a curtain across it. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

Buy some really good herbal tea. If you sip it sugar-free, it isn't bad for your teeth and it has no calories. 

 

Emily

[regentrude]

Make a conscious effort not to decrease activity levels.

We hike every weekend unless snow prevents us from reaching a trailhead. We also try to keep up our habit of going for a three mile walk most days. In spring and fall we do that after 7pm when DH is home. In winter, we often walk in our lunch break instead, when it is light and a bit warmer.

 

I splurge on my favorite kinds of hot tea. So, my daily treat is a tea I love, instead of cookies.

 

ETA: Party=meal. If I am invited to an afternoon Christmas party at work, for example, I use it to replace lunch or dinner or both.

[earthyfamily]

I sign up for extra physical activity stuff.

 

I also have my house set up in such as way that lots of movement is necessary.

 

I'd love it if you could elaborate on this.  How's your house set up ideally for lots of movement?  Would love to steal some of your ideas.

[DawnM]

I followed that program; I thought the principles were good and lost 18 pounds in 10 weeks following it.

 

Unfortunately after a year I relaxed too much, lost sight of the (very basic) principles, and gained weight back.  I'm getting back on track now. 

 

Can I ask you some questions?

[LucyStoner]

Many years, I do an outdoor boot camp class at 5:30AM starting in October or thereabouts through March or April. I usually drop out in the summer months because I find the winter time is when I really enjoy it.

[kiana]

Jenny, if you can't afford that but like the premises, you might consider the free "no S diet" if you haven't already. It also focuses on learning how to intuitively eat in moderation rather than on counting calories or cutting out whole swathes of food. I use a minor variation for maintenance myself.

 

http://www.nosdiet.com/

[Tsuga]

I throw away candy and sweets that will not be accepted by the homeless shelters. My thought is, if they won't even give it to hungry people for free, it is not going to stay in my house as an item that could be consumed. I toss a lot of stuff simply because I don't want my kids going down that road. I personally don't like candy. I have ZERO guilt about throwing away that junk. Zero. I'd throw away drugs and I throw away "food" with zero nutritional value which is also addictive.

[marbel]

  

I would like to know more about this program. I looked it up and unfortunately cannot afford to do it right now. Is it possible to give some tips and share what helped you lose 18lbs in 10 weeks?

 

I was able to do it through our health insurance.  I wouldn't have been able to pay for it on my own. 

 

The basic premises are:

 

- Eat when you are physically hungry. Don't eat because it's time to eat, because everyone else is eating, to be sociable, because you're bored, because you want something... wait for the sensation of physical hunger.   You don't stay hungry for hours.  The idea is that the body can't lose weight if we never feel hungry - that is when calories are burned.  I am not sure everyone agrees with that.  I came to like the feeling of hunger.  It's not ravenous "I'm so starving I'm going to eat everything in the pantry" hunger.  Just... hungry. 

 

- Eat what you want to eat (with one exception).  Eat slowly. Really really slowly,  Allow yourself to be satisfied.  Stop eating when you start to feel satisfied. 

 

- The exception to "eat what you want" - limit sweets.  In fact the first [forgot the number of] weeks you have no added sugar.  This is supposed to help cut down on the cravings.  It didn't do that for me but that is not the fault of the program.  I really like sugar.

 

There is obviously more to it than that or there wouldn't be a 10-week program. But that's the basic idea.  It's not calorie-counting or special foods.

 

It's simple but not easy, kwim?  A lot of my eating is related to social events, boredom, and frustration.  I'll be frustrated about something and I'll find myself standing there eating chocolate chips mindlessly.  And then I'm mad because I'm fat.  Duh. 

 

 

 

 

 

[DawnM]

  

I would like to know more about this program. I looked it up and unfortunately cannot afford to do it right now. Is it possible to give some tips and share what helped you lose 18lbs in 10 weeks?

 

I have not bought it.  I am researching and researching right now, but on another forum I am on there are over 100 pages of people on the plan and ALL have lost a good amount of weight.  Most of them get it paid for through their employer though.  They all are saying it is the easiest diet they have ever been on.  

 

http://virginialynne.hubpages.com/hub/Naturally-Slim-Program-Review

 

This one is quite comprehensive:

 

 

http://wthwasithinkingbackthen.blogspot.com/2011/02/losing-weight-without-diet.html

 

This entire plan is based on a book from the 1980s called "The Dallas Doctors' Diet"  I have requested the book through my inter-library loan and will see what happens.  

 

Here is an excerpt from the page with the basic premise of the program:

 

 

12 Primary Principles of Naturally Slim

1. Eat only at Level #3
2. Eat what you want the most first
3. Eat only one food at a time
4. Chew slowly
5. Take a 5 minute break
6. Stop eating when comfortable
7. Eat protein with each meal
8. Drink 60+ oz. of H2Orange
9. Avoid sugar, at least the first 3 weeks.  Limit sugar after that (sugar can mess with your ability to find hunger and full)
10. Eat complex carbohydrates & protein with each meal
11. Use Hunger Savers
12. Eat what you truly want to eat

Another thing they say that really stuck out to me:  Your stomach is about the size of your fist.  When you eat larger portions than the size of your fist, you stretch it out to hold it all in.  A fist size of food should satisfy you for a few hours (4-6.)  Most of us eat way more than a fist size of food!  

[marbel]

I found that I got hungry about 11 am most days, and then again around 6 - 6:30, which is when my family typically eats dinner on a "normal" day.  

 

Another thing I just remembered:  often people eat at night because they feel hungry, but they might not be truly hungry, just tired.  I found that if I felt hungry right before bed but ignored it, I woke up feeling really good but still not hungry.   But I never felt hungry enough that it kept me from sleeping.  This had great implications for me because of GERD (late night eating is terrible for GERD people).  But losing weight took care of the GERD problem for me anyway.

 

 

[DawnM]

  

Thank you so much for replying. I will check my library for the book as well.

 

 

Hope you can find it.  By the way, the 60 ounces of OJwater is just 1 part OJ to 6 parts water.  You sip it/drink it throughout the day.  The reason for the OJ portion is to help with blood sugar levels.  I can't tell you how much this is helping me.  When I would go without food for several hours in the past, I would get that shaky feeling of low blood sugar.  I don't get it if I drink the OJ mixture.

[Hikin' Mama]

I am not overweight, so you can take my suggestions with a grain of salt, but I still have reasons for watching what I eat. Some things I do:

 

I don't do ANY holiday baking anymore. I have to be gluten free, but I can still make wonderful, delicious treats that are gluten free. That means I will eat those wonderful, delicious treats. I try to limit my sugar, though, so I just don't bake at holiday time. (I do make pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I don't make so much that there will be tons of leftover.)

 

I throw away wonderful, delicious treats that others give me. I thank the giver and am thankful that they thought of me, but I don't want to eat a whole plate of goodies. The other members of my family don't really have the sweet cravings I do, so if I don't throw them out, I will eat them all.

 

At big holiday meals, I choose three things (ex. turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies) I most want to eat and then I don't have seconds until I am actually HUNGRY again. This is a result of being bloated for 15 years before finding out that I had celiac. I hate that bloated feeling. So if I decide beforehand to limit the amount of food I'm going to eat, I don't get that stuffed feeling. I may WANT more food, but I have already told myself that I'm going to stick to a limit.

 

I also run outside in the winter, which does wonders for my mood. I had a little SAD going on before I started running. Being outdoors really gives me a boost. Walking would be just as good. To help stay motivated running/walking outside, sign up for a springtime race. I'm less likely to skip if I have something I'm preparing for. (BTW, you can walk a race. My first two were 7.5 and 13.1 miles. I walked them both.) Snowshoeing is wonderful too, but I have to drive a ways to get there, so that doesn't happen as often as I like. This year I'm going to try to go at least every other weekend. However, I'm in the phase of life in which I only have one child left at home and she is 18, so this won't work for everybody.

 

Best wishes!

[J-rap]

In the winter, I'm typically not as active, and when I'm not as active, I'm not as hungry, but I don't always realize that and continue to serve myself the same portions.  What I've learned though is if I take that typical portion and cut it in half, I'm usually completely satisfied at the end.  So instead of a whole piece of toast and PB for breakfast, I start with half.  Surprisingly, I find that half is plenty.  So, that's what I'd recommend.  Serve yourself only half servings, eat slowly, and you might find you are perfectly content.  (And if you're not, eat a a quarter more, not the entire other half.)

 

 

[DawnM]

 

I don't do ANY holiday baking anymore. I have to be gluten free, but I can still make wonderful, delicious treats that are gluten free. That means I will eat those wonderful, delicious treats. I try to limit my sugar, though, so I just don't bake at holiday time. (I do make pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I don't make so much that there will be tons of leftover.)

 

 

 

 

I have started making either easy heat and pour fudge (so I can't nibble or take one, etc...) or, for the last 2 years, I have made bath salts.  I have to say the bath salts go over very well.  I color them and put them in pretty rounded mason jars with ribbon, etc.....

[DawnM]

Unfortunately, my library did not have it. I will check Amazon next. Thank you for the tip about sipping the orange water throughout the day. Last spring I did a juice fast with my sister. By the end of the second day... I had a headache and fell asleep early evening and then woke up anxious and confused. I could not even remember my husband's name. It was so scary. After finally eating, I started to feel better. But the next day I had such a bad migraine I had to go to the hospital. I cringe now anytime someone recommends a juice fast or the lemonade diet. This plan seems doable for me and a much better approach.

 

 

Well, this is definitely NOT a juice fast.  This is a keep your blood sugar up between meals drink.  You still EAT!

 

Amazon has the books starting at $100.  Insane.  There must be a demand.

 

PS:  Of course, the folks that are really into juice fasts would just tell you you were detoxing......but read the thread on detoxing for my personal opinions on that one.

[marbel]

Well, this is definitely NOT a juice fast.  This is a keep your blood sugar up between meals drink.  You still EAT!

 

Amazon has the books starting at $100.  Insane.  There must be a demand.

 

PS:  Of course, the folks that are really into juice fasts would just tell you you were detoxing......but read the thread on detoxing for my personal opinions on that one.

 

One of the points they make is to avoid "drinking your calories."  Yes, the OJ/water is to be sipped throughout the day to keep blood sugar even and for basic hydration, but they definitely recommend eating because actually chewing food gives greater satisfaction than drinking it.  So I don't think the creators would be big fans of, for example, green smoothies - would suggest cooking and eating the kale instead.  (Along with some protein! :-) )