Winter weight gain, it happens to the best of us. As the temperature drops we begin to hibernate, only to re-emerge three months later with a few extra kilos of body fat (or more). If this happens every year of your adult life, you’ve put on 12-16kg by the time you’re 30! Yikes! Sound like you?

Winter weight gain is a combination of reduced activity levels (as we stay indoors more) and a change in the way we eat (less fruit and salads, more heavy, high calorie foods). If we hibernated properly (like bears do) we would go to sleep for three months, not doing any activity but also not eating either. Our kind of hibernation usually involves not doing much but eating too much!

At The Healthy Eating Hub, we believe in long term healthy eating habits being a permanent part of your life. We don’t want you to put on weight over winter, then diet over summer, only to repeat the process again next year. We want you to learn how to manage a healthy body weight all year round and for many many years to come.

I’ve put together 10 ways to avoid winter weight gain and included some practical tips that you can “DO NOW” (yes, I’m yelling at you, I’m excited about this!).

If you complete a “Do now tip”, snap a photo, post it over on Instagram and tag it #imdoingitnowkate so I can be your accountability buddy! Got it? Good. Go, fight, win!

1. Stay mindful

Poor food awareness leads to unnecessary snacking and overeating. Especially when we’re eating whilst doing other things (watching TV, at the computer, in the car). Keeping a food diary is a great way to stay conscious of your food choices, rather than mindlessly eating everything that’s put in front of you.

Do now tip: You can download an emotional eating journal over at our website, if eating when you’re stressed or sad is a problem for you. It’s a great tool to help you understand your food habits better so you can start to change them.

2. Check yourself

We feel our breasts (ladies) and testicles (men) and other parts of our bodies to detect disease, so why not stay in check with your body weight? There’s no need to obsessively hop on the scales once or twice a day, but it’s worth checking your weight regularly so it doesn’t get away from you. Don’t be in denial, be in control. If you notice your weight creeping up, then you can start to make changes to reverse the trend.

Do now tip: Jump on the scales, take note of what they say and start taking some steps to reverse the trend. Don’t wait till Monday.

Please note that the number on the scales does not define who you are, your value or your worth. It’s just a number that is ONE indication of your physical health, in the context of other factors, of course. Other things to use as a good measurement are your clothes and your overall wellbeing (Do you get sick all the time? Do you struggle to climb stairs? Does your tummy often feel upset?)

3. Stay hydrated

Canberra weather is dry and you can dehydrate very easily without actually feeling thirsty. We can often feel hungry when in fact we just need a glass of water. Drink water, often!

Do now tip: Pop some ripped mint leaves and sliced cucumber into your drink bottle. So yummy and fresh!

4. Bulk up your meals with vegetables

Eat more vegetables! It’s one of my personal mantras. Did you know that you can even lose weight by increasing your vegetable intake? Fill half your plate with the green stuff (and orange, red and purple stuff) at as many meals as possible.

Do now tip: Heading to the supermarket to buy your lunch? Get some carrot and celery to much on this afternoon instead of a chocolate bar. I dare you!

5. Limit dessert 

Don’t get into a bad habit of having something sweet every night after dinner. Eating apple pie and ice cream too often is not helping you reach your goals.

Do now tip: Drink a sweet flavoured herbal tea or go brush your teeth to combat the sugar cravings until they pass.

6. Drink tea

When you’re feeling cold, rather than reaching for multiple milky coffees a day, make yourself a cup of hot black tea instead. Try different flavours. It’s a great way to warm up, hydrate and avoid excess energy intake.

Do now tip: Be mindful of your hot and cold drinks this winter. Milky espressos, chai lattes, hot chocolates, fruit juice, cordial, soft drinks and alcohol (god forbid!) all add up very quickly and mean that your daily energy intake is far too high. Drinking black tea, green tea or herbal tea means you can still be social and enjoy a lovely cafe, but not over do it.

7. Try baked fruit

In winter we want to eat warm food, so why not try baked apples, pears, bananas and other fruits for your comforting dessert or snack.

Do it now tip: Slice apples, sprinkle with cinnamon and a teaspoon or two of sugar or sweetener (maple syrup, golden syrup or brown sugar have the best flavour, but anything will do). Bake in the oven until soft and gooey, about 15 minutes at 180 degrees.

8. Take a midday walk

A lot of Canberrans suffer from a vitamin D deficiency in winter. A walk in the middle of the day (exposing your face, arms and hands if you can) will help your body make sufficient vitamin D and will also boost your activity levels, not to mention give you a good break from your desk.

Do now tip: Exit your building and walk around it three times at lunch.

9. Portion size your carbs

There’s no need to cut them out (and treat them like evil dictators that ruin your life) but do moderate your intake to a serving size equal to a quarter of a dinner plate. Include a serve of carbohydrate rich food at 2-3 meals a day.

Do now tip: If you’re reaching for chocolate in the afternoons, then you need to include a high fibre, low GI source of carbohydrate in at lunch time. Try 2 thick slices of rye bread, 1 cup of cooked brown rice or quinoa or 200g roast sweet potato.

10. Try a new sport or fitness program

If winter leaves you feeling unmotivated to exercise then maybe it’s time to change up your routine. Try something new, get a new program written by your personal trainer or set some new goals.

Do now tip: Check out all the great fitness offers available on HerCanberra – there’s bound to be something that you like!

If you need help with starting your weight loss journey and want to get in before the spring time rush, make an appointment with one of our practitioners, we look forward to working with you!

Image of bathroom scales from shutterstock.com