Winter can be a difficult time to lose weight. With cold rainy weather, it is easy to get off track with our diet and exercise routine. But that doesn’t mean we can’t lose weight in winter! With a few simple tips, you can still reach your weight loss goals this time of the year.
You can still binge watch Netflix, indulge in your favorite food and I promise, still lose weight. It’s as if the weight loss is happening by magic.
There are times when I really want to lose weight or eat healthy but either have too much going on or don’t feel motivated. Dragging myself to the gym in winter requires stepping out of the comfort of my cozy cocoon, my home. On days like these the weight loss plan that I am going to share really helps.
With my mindful hacks, it’s easy to lose weight and get healthy in winter.
Here are my easy hacks to lose weight in winter.
A word of caution: I am not a medical professional. I am not giving any medical advice.I highly recommend seeing your primary care physician before starting any diet and weight loss regimen.
Ways To Lose Weight In Cold Weather
- Say no to oil
This is the first thing I do to get my weight in control. Cooking with oil is a major obstacle to losing weight. A tablespoon of oil is very high in saturated fat and calories and is nutrient deficient. When you are trying to lose weight in winter, the oil you eat contributes a lot of calories but doesn’t satisfy your hunger. So you keep eating and are not able to lose weight.
To lose weight, cook with water or vegetable broth as they are low in calories.
Also it is very important to not eat at restaurants or get take out food. These foods are full of preservatives and oil which will not help you lose weight.
2. Say no to saturated fats
Saturated fat is solid at room temperature whereas unsaturated fat remains liquid at room temperature.
The American Heart Health Organisation tells us that saturated fat is found in meat, dairy, butter, coconut oil and palm oil. Saturated fat is very high in calories which leads to weight gain and a host of other problems.
If you want to confirm how much fat your meat has, let it sit in your refrigerator for a few hours . The solid white, yellowish thing you will see, is the fat that is hindering your weight loss journey. Even my dishwasher gets all gooey when I cook foods with meat or coconut oil. As Dr. McDougall says, the fat you eat is the fat you carry.
Since winter is the time when we tend to crave comfort food , we have to be extra vigilant to avoid eating saturated fat to lose weight.
3. Avoid sugar
Added sugars are the sugars added to foods or drinks like granola bars, icecream, candy,cakes, cookies and frozen meals.These sugars are in the form of corn syrup, honey, maple syrup to name a few.
Added sugar has more calories which leads to weight gain, diabetes and a host of other problems.
This study found that lowering sugar consumption leads to weight loss.
If I stop eating added sugar in the form of granola bars, chocolate chip cookies and frozen berries, the weight gain slows down.
Sugary drinks are the leading cause of weight gain. Next time you are out shopping, Rethink Your Drink for your weight loss.
4. No processed food
What is healthy food made of? It’s made of vegetables , fruit, whole grains and healthy fats. Consuming these foods in winter help me with weight loss.
I consider processed food as any food that is made using canned ingredients , hydrogenated oils, high fructose syrup , comes in a packet, is from a restaurant or fast food places . Having processed food doesn’t help me to lose weight, instead it makes me crave junk food.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, did a research that found a link between eating a processed food diet and increase in weight. For weight loss in winter, we have to stop eating processed food!
When we cook our food, we are in control of the ingredients that are added to a recipe. But unprocessed food like frozen meals, pizza, cookies, bars, salty fried snacks has too much salt, fat, sugar and chemicals which create havoc on our bodies.
5. Have a cheat day
A cheat day is the day when I am permitted to eat tempting foods in moderation. I have found that having a cheat day helps me to lower my weight in winter.
As cold weather rolls in , we tend to hibernate and get tempted to eat unhealthy food which doesn’t help our weight loss plans.
When I find myself craving certain food, I tell myself that I can have it on my cheat day, which is a Saturday. This way I am not harsh on myself for an indefinite amount of time.
As I train myself to say no to unhealthy food all through the week I develop my habit muscle to say NO to unhealthy food.
By the time Saturday rolls in, I have either forgotten about my craving or have it in moderation. This leads to lower calorie consumption, healthy eating and weight loss.
The goal is to be kind to ourselves while achieving our weight loss goals.
6. Be active
Regular physical activity is very important to lose weight in winter.
When we exercise more, we burn more calories which really helps us to lose weight.
Workout doesn’t have to be very hard but should be easily adaptable in our daily lifestyle.
Walking, jogging, cycling or using the jump rope are my go to aerobic workouts. I sometimes add dumbbells, pushups or weight machines at the gym to lose weight .
Some kind of physical activity in moderation and light strength training also keeps me motivated to follow my weight loss diet. Also strength training burns calories even when we are sitting !
7. Have a plan
We can make all kinds of plans but when hunger or boredom strikes it’s important to have healthy food around us.
Having a meal plan for the week is perfect to avoid eating takeouts. This also ensures that we have healthy ingredients like legumes, beans, whole grains and vegetables stocked for our recipes.
I like to have bananas or seasonal fruit around for snacking. When craving warm snacks I rely on recipes where fruit can be warmed with a dash of cinnamon.
Conclusion
Can we lose weight on cold, dreary days in winter? Yes we can ! In fact, by focusing on healthy habits we not only lose weight in winter but will also look amazing in the spring and summer .
Have an amazing day !
Don’t forget to like this post and subscribe to my blog.
Also like & follow me on my youtube channel “Amazing2live”
