6 Tips for Managing Your Weight in Winter
Trying to lose or even maintain your weight during the winter months can be a challenge. You can add small steps to your everyday routines to help you maintain or even lose weight without having to resort to extreme measures. Incorporating some or all of the following morning routines can help you tip the scales in your favor.
Eat a high-protein breakfast. The protein will make you feel full and can help decrease your mid-morning cravings for snacks.
Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated can help reduce snacking because many people confuse hunger pains with the body’s signal that it needs water. Drinking plenty of water during meals also has been shown to decrease the number of daily calories consumed.
Plan for exercise time. Exercise can increase your calorie-burning metabolism. Exercise can also help you maintain and increase lean body mass, which also helps increase the number of calories you burn each day.
a lower risk of obesity. Another study found that those who ate home-cooked meals at least five times per week were 28% less likely to be overweight than those who only ate home-cooked meals three times or less per week.
Sleep longer. Go to bed earlier to squeeze in some extra sleep. Several studies have found that sleep deprivation may be associated with an increased appetite and increased cravings for high-carb, high-calorie foods. In one small study, participants consumed an average of 559 more calories the day after getting just four hours of sleep, compared to when they had a full eight hours.
Track eating and exercise. Keeping a food journal to track what you eat and how often you exercise can be an effective way to lose weight and keep yourself accountable. One study showed that participants who regularly tracked their diet and exercise lost more weight than those who did not.
