How to Avoid Gaining Weight in the Winter

January 7th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Family Health

It is hard to avoid the winter weight gain that many of us experience. We may try and watch our weight but still end up with more weight to lose in the spring. You don’t have to do this, however, if you follow a few simple guidelines.

The holidays make it especially hard to watch our weight because there is tempting food everywhere we go. If you don’t want to end up heavier by the end of the year, there are some suggestions.

When you cook, use healthier ingredients like evaporated milk and broth to replace cream and butter, which are extremely fattening.

If you know you are going to be tempted with fattening food when you go out, bring your own healthy snack to eat instead. Make yourself a healthy snack or small meal before going to a dinner party or a restaurant where you are going to be tempted to eat way more than you should. This way you won’t be as hungry and you can control what you eat.

Instead of trying to lose weight this winter, just try to not gain any more. It you try to lose weight instead of maintain your weight, you’ll end up frustrated, and more likely to overeat and gain wait. Don’t try one of everything at those parties and holiday events. Instead decide what you really want to eat and just have a little of that so you don’t end up overeating.

It isn’t only what you eat this winter and through the holidays, it is that you are less likely to be exercising. It is a lot harder to get into and stick with an exercise program in the winter so fewer people do. Even though it is cold and dreary, you can still get exercise and have fun. Look for a mall walking group near you or join a fitness club and you’ll get some exercise and meet new people at the same time.

Often, we eat more in the winter because of depression. Seasonal depression is a very common problem during the winter months. People who are depressed are more likely to make bad food choices and overeat. This will lead to more depression, tiredness and weight gain.

It is important to stay positive and in a good mood throughout the entire winter and not let yourself get depressed. Often, the cause for winter depression is a lack of exposure to sunlight. You can remedy this by always keeping any room you are in bright and cheery. Also, you can spend just 20 minutes a day sitting under a light bulb with high wattage to simulate sunlight. You will feel better and be happier.

Poor food choices and depression often become a cycle that is heard to break in the winter. Make sure you eat a balanced diet and avoid too many sweets. Also, exercise and stay active. You can beat the winter weight and avoid the depression that can increase winter weight gain.

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How to Avoid Thanksgiving Weight Gain

January 7th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Family Health

Thanksgiving means hanging out with your loved ones and having a great meal (or two) together. If you aren’t careful, though, that Thanksgiving meal can mean gaining weight. You can enjoy the Thanksgiving meal without overdoing it and packing on the pounds. The following are some suggestions to help you do this.

A lot of us eat when we are stressed. Getting ready for Thanksgiving can be stressful with all the travel plans you have to make, the food you have to cook, and the family gatherings you have to plan. This can make you want to pig out the whole month long. Take time to relax and rest so that you won’t be tempted to overeat before Thanksgiving even gets here. This advice can apply to the Christmas holiday as well.

You can make that Thanksgiving dinner your family loves a little healthier without losing any of its flavor by substituting some healthier ingredients for the unhealthy ones. One thing you can do is use more spices for flavoring instead of butter and gravy. Low fat evaporated milk can be used in desserts. You can use low fat chicken broth to flavor potatoes and gravy. Changing the way you cook the meal by using a steamer for vegetables or removing the fatty drippings from the turkey can help too. Your family won’t even notice the difference.

Don’t miss lunch Thanksgiving Day thinking you’ll make up for the calories you are going to eat at dinner. Having a small meal or snack before your big dinner will help you with portion control. You don’t want to be starving when dinner arrives and eat way more than you planned. Also, try to fill up on healthier foods like green salads before the main part of the big meal. A caution about the salads: veggies are low in calories, but that salad can contribute to your weight gain if you don’t lay off the dressing!

Portion control is the key at Thanksgiving dinner. Often, though, there are so many different foods to chose from that if you eat even a little of all of them you’ll be going over your calorie goals. Decide which foods you really want the most and eat a little of all of those instead of trying everything on the table. You’ll still be full and feel like you got to eat what you wanted.

A great way to work off some of those calories from the big dinner is to go outside and get some exercise. You could go for a walk, play a game like touch football or run around with the kids. You could also play a fun game of charades which is good for ages and gets everyone up and moving. You don’t have to gain weight this year at Thanksgiving if you make good food choices and plan ahead.

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