Today, we’re taking a hard look at winter weight gain. It’s a common problem—people tend to pack on a few pounds during the winter months.
But we want to fight back, and we hope you will join us. Dover Personal Trainers Let’s get after this now, while winter is still in full force. We’ll have less to deal with when the warm breezes start blowing!
The good, the bad…and the solution
Although winter weight gain varies Dover Personal Trainers from person to person, research shows the average gain to be five to seven pounds! Some people gain this extra weight because they have Seasonal Affective Disorder—a type of winter depression. Dover Personal Trainers But most of us can’t blame winter depression for our tendency to pick up extra weight during the winter months. Dover Personal Trainers
So, why does winter weight gain happen? Dover Personal Trainers According to Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD, founder and director of the Dover Personal Trainers Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, it happens because we eat Dover Personal Trainers more and move less during the winter months1.
This is bad news and good news. Dover Personal Trainers It is bad news because it would be kind of nice if we could blame our cold-weather corpulence Dover Personal Trainers on something exotic like the jet stream cycle and Dover Personal Trainers waddle off for another espresso.
But it is good news because we can do something about it. We don’t have to Dover Personal Trainers greet spring with softer middles and tighter clothes. So let’s celebrate leap year by tackling winter weight gain with our weapon Dover Personal Trainers of choice here at Fitness Revolution: discipline.
Hour of decision
According to Merriam-Webster, discipline Dover Personal Trainers is a “rule or system of rules governing Dover Personal Trainers conduct or activity2.” This is perfect. In order to fight winter weight gain, we have to discipline ourselves Dover Personal Trainers to follow some rules.
Here we go…
1. Banned language: For the Dover Personal Trainers next several weeks, do not allow yourself to Dover Personal Trainers say, “Just this once.” If you pay close attention, a ‘just this once’ situation comes up practically every day. You go to a retirement party. Dover Personal Trainers You take spouse out for a birthday dinner. Someone brings a meal by your house because you’ve been sick. Your co-worker brings in the leftover Dover Personal Trainers pizza from last night’s party. Your child has leftover Valentine’s Day candy. You have to say no every single time. Otherwise, Dover Personal Trainers you will never get ahead.
Just grit your teeth, resist what others are Dover Personal Trainers having and make good food choices. I’m not saying it is easy. I am saying it is necessary.
2. Plan your occasional splurge, Dover Personal Trainers and do not deviate from the plan. Unending deprivation is Dover Personal Trainers never a good idea, but you have to be intentional about the time, place and food that you let yourself splurge on.
Love the hot wings at your favorite restaurant? Dover Personal Trainers Then let’s make a deal. Eat clean for Dover Personal Trainers ten days. No cheating. And then at the end of those ten days, go have the wings. Guilt free. Just enjoy them. Then set the next goal. Dover Personal Trainers But you are not allowed to deviate from your plan in the meantime.
If you do, you lose the wings.
Don’t waste your fun calories on Dover Personal Trainers something that doesn’t compare to those wings!
3. Keep moving. Exercise is Dover Personal Trainers not an optional activity. Now more than ever you have to get your body in motion. Exercise is very effective at preventing weight gain—and that is what we’re after right now. Don’t even worry so much about losing pounds; just work to keep the winter scale-creep from happening to you. Try to get some cardio in at least six days a week. Dover Personal Trainers
Remember: spring is coming. Dover Personal Trainers Let’s be ready for it, and leave winter weight gain behind.
Sources
1http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/5-tips-to-avoid-winter-weight-gain
2http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discipline
Chris Gray Dover Personal Trainers
President
Punch Gym Dover
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