5 tips to maintaining a healthy body during the winter months
As the temperature drops, maintaining a healthy body weight can become difficult due to interrupted workouts, comfort food cravings and more nights in tempting us to overeat. Here are 5 of my top tips to staying on track and maintaining a healthy body weight during the winter months.
1. Drink More Water
Without the hot and humid weather, we can easily forget to drink water and stay hydrated. Dehydration however can easily be mistaken for hunger, causing us to eat when all our body needs is some fluid. Keep a jug of water on your desk or carry a water bottle around to help remind your to you drink at least 2L a day. There are also some great free mobile apps that alert you when it’s time to drink up. Try ‘Water Alert’ for iPhone or ‘Water Your Body’ for Android.
2. Exercise Indoors
We can easily convince ourselves that it’s too cold to exercise. The truth is there are lots of great indoor workouts you can do that don’t require a gym membership and will keep you out from the cold and in shape. If you like training with a group find a local hot yoga, pilates or spin class, many places offer no contract drop-in classes. If you don’t want to leave the house, download a workout app (I like Yoga Studio) or invest in a skipping rope, which will get your heartbeat pumping without breaking the bank.
3. Pack Snacks
Naturally our appetite can increase when we are cold as our body uses more energy (kilojoules) to keep us warm. Having healthy snacks prepared when hunger strikes will ensure you avoid those high sugar/high trans fat foods which are often all that is available when out and about. Try my Cacao Power Balls or Coconut Caramel Balls for an easy, nutritious and delicious pick me up.
4. Wear Your Skinny Jeans Regularly
In an attempt to stay warm, our winter attire tends to become fluffy and oversized. Whilst this might be incredibly comfy, it also means those extra kilos can easily go unnoticed. Wearing your skinny jeans regularly is a great way to keep you conscious of your weight and avoid the muffin tops from sneaking in…or hanging out.
5. Brush Your teeth After Dinner
Post dinner snacking is a key cause of weight gain, as our metabolism starts to slow down, allowing our bodies to rest and heal whilst we sleep. Brushing your teeth after dinner can help to resist the urge to snack.
Above all, don’t place too much pressure on yourself. The more you obsess over your weight or deprive yourself of certain foods, the more top of mind it will be and the more you will want it. We always want what we can’t have. Know your limits, enjoy everything in moderation and stay warm!
