Winter weight gain is a big complaint from many people. It's like every winter we gain a few pounds, and by summer we haven't even lost that extra weight. Some of that extra weight always stays around, making us a little heavier each year. It seems to be very hard to lose those extra pounds! What makes this happen and what can be done to stop this?
There are a bunch of contributing factors. First, most of us have a genetic disposition to save more fat as winter approaches. Many animals do this and it was probably vital to survival for our ancestors. Having extra layers of fat on the body protects us against the cold and then it can be used as fuel during the late winter and early spring when food stocks would be very low. Many of us have a tendency to eat more during the fall, when food is more plentiful after harvest time, to help this process along. We can also unconsciously choose foods that have a higher fat content during this time.
Hormone levels can also influence our weight increase. The interaction of hormones and other chemicals in the brain can cause variations in our appetite and cravings. Some neurotransmitters may also influence what we eat. Usually people who are overweight have low levels of these neurotransmitters which can cause a bigger appetite, depression, and sleep disorders. During the same time, less daylight due to the shortening days during late fall and winter can give us the seasonally affected disorder, also known as winter depression. One of the easiest ways to give yourself a boost to the energy levels and emotions is to eat high carbohydrate foods like sugar treats, chips and cereals that give us a fast blood sugar 'fix'. So people who feel down in the winter will usually overeat or eat the wrong foods, causing them to gain weight, get more depression and a vicious cycle that can be hard to stop.
So altogether there are a bunch of reasons why we usually eat more high carbohydrate foods like cookies, pies and chocolate in the winter, and of course many of these foods contain high levels of fats. The easiest way to handle this is to just substitute other foods that are also high in carbohydrate so we get what our body craves, but which are aslo low in fat content and contain plenty of fiber. Examples would be potatoes, whole grain bread without butter, whole grain rice, less surgery cereals, and fresh whole fruit.
It's also important to exercise more. Usually our physical activity level drops in the winter and we are more likely to want to stay home and rest, and be a couch potato. This is natural when it's cold outside. But remember, we aren't cavemen! We have heating in our homes and can know that there will still be lots of food in the stores come February. We don't need to store fat the way that caveman did. Go to the gym or get a stationary bicycle. Transform those carbs into energy instead of keeping it on the waistline until you lose it in the spring....if you ever lose it at all. Winter weight gain is easily avoidable this way.