The Christmas season means family, friends, and lots of good food. Delicious (but sometimes) unhealthy desserts, sweets, and meals are the heart of the winter season. And where there’s lots of food, weight gain is not too far behind. It’s hard to have a strict balanced diet during the holiday seasons unless you aim for only serving certain meals.

According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, people gain on average one to three pounds during the holiday season. What’s to blame? Sugary treats and overindulgence. Additionally, “stress, change in sleeping habits, and lack of exercising” are also factors that can add to weight gain. But a little consciousness can prevent you from that extra pound during the winter season.

Let’s get into the reasons behind winter weight gain and tips that’ll help you lose it.

A Few Of The Reasons Behind Winter Weight Gain:

People often say that it is easier to gain weight in winter than in summer. Due to the lack of vitamin D in our body temperature, many factors might trigger weight gaining.
The melatonin hormone which is responsible for controlling our sleep and wake cycle increases during the winter season, which results in increased appetite. As the appetite increases, people start to eat more rather than moving more. Moreover, the days get smart shorter in winter, which also affects the sleeping hormones.
Some people might have a seasonal affective disorder which is a form of clinical depression. The lack of sunlight during the winter season might affect your mood and your health.
The winter season is all about food and relaxation, and during this time we tend to eat with reckless abandonment. So that holiday dish you’ve been looking forward to all year will bring you sweet satisfaction but also calories.
With all the sugar-coated holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day fall/winter has all sorts of seasonal fun in its possession. The amount of sugar consumption also increases due to the variety of desserts available on each holiday season.
Lack of outdoor activities and spending more time in your pajamas during the winter season is a common reason for winter weight gain.
Due to the low temperatures in the winter season, our body metabolism also increases for burning more energy that will stabilize our body temperature. This results in demanding more food for the body.

So now that we know the reasons why you pack on the pounds in the winter. Here are some activities that will help you to lose your winter just in time for spring/summer.

Tips To Reduce Winter Weight Gain:

Reschedule your eating habits. In the beginning, it might be challenging, but making slow changes will bring out effective results.
Avoid having food with high sodium content. Foods that are pickled, smoked, or served in a broth are likely to have more sodium content—so being a little more careful while eating will help you.
Eating slowly by chewing your food correctly reduces appetite.
Try having food with plenty of carbohydrates, for example, whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, quinoa, etc.
Drinking warm water is a healthy way of losing fat. warm water benefits blood circulation and helps the body to break down fat.
Activities like walking, skipping, stair workout, playing, and even doing chores can help reduce fat.
Working out is the fastest way to reduce the weight gained during the holiday season.
Reduce your sugar and carb intake quantities as winter is a sugar-coated season with delicacies like creamy soups and cakes which contain high amounts of carbohydrate and fat. Avoid consuming more sugar and carbohydrates while eating as they get stored and turn into fats.
Having small meals rather than having three large meals with substantial time gaps helps in reducing weight. Eating small meals keeps you full for a longer time and also helps in reducing your appetite for junk foods.
Having a proper diet and a healthy lifestyle with lots of activities keeps the mind fresh and helps to focus. Proper sleeping habits play an influential role in weight loss.

Additional Tips That Will Help You Reduce Winter Weight Gain

Connecting with your motivation is a beneficial measure as motivation is the key to the weight loss process. Setting up your mind to a specific goal will help you push yourself harder to sweat more.
Think before you drink heavy liquids like hot chocolate, sugary soft drinks, frozen coffees, lemonade, sweet teas, etc. contains more added sugar and has less nutritional value. Switching from this sugar content coffees and drinks to zero sugar content coffees and teas will help you to reduce weight. Drink lots of water as hydration is essential for losing weight. Seasonal fruits like strawberries, kiwi, lemon, and pineapple contain more nutrients; hence, replacing sugary drinks with them is a healthy habit.
Having more vegetables and greeneries than processed foods is more healthy for the body. Try making it a habit to have at least a half-plate of vegetables and greens at lunch and dinner. If you are not a fan of vegetables, try converting your veggies into a vegetable smoothie or a salad for better taste.
Try to have a snack strategy so that you have a properly balanced diet. Avoid over-snacking, which will result in weight gain rather than helping to lose it. Food habits play a significant role in the weight loss process.
Avoid yourself from following fad diets like the detox and other trending diet plans. Focus on a proper balance diet as restricting yourself more than your limit will push you to eat more.

With a proper diet chart and exercise, it is not hard to lose winter weight. Follow some certain restrictions but don’t push yourself hard as it will hurt your body. Have patience and motivation, and the results will be promising. A healthy lifestyle will not only help you reach your body goals, but also will keep you more relaxed and fit.