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Beating the Winter Weight Gain, Part 2

In this second installment, we are going to look at how to eat well year-round.

Eating nutritiously year-round is the best way to keep off those extra winter pounds. It will also help you lose excess weight, give your body the nutrients it craves, and make you feel good!

Here are some simple healthy eating tips:

• Try to stick to a 1,500 to 2,000 calorie a day diet. Yes, calories do count. If you’re unsure what your caloric intake should be (as it can vary from age, sex, and even height), enlist your doctor’s help or ask a nutritionist.
• Eat a well-balanced variety of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. You don’t need to become a vegan or vegetarian, but including as many fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet as possible will bring you a plethora of benefits. Substitute fruits and vegetables for unhealthy snacks and calorie-laden desserts. Can’t find fresh fruits during the winter months? Frozen fruits with no added sugar are a good backup choice.
• Keep your portions at acceptable levels. Don’t pile on that food! Just because fast-food restaurants are supersizing everything, it doesn’t mean you should too.
• Eat good carbs. Many fruits, veggies, legumes, and grains are full of the good carbohydrates your body needs. They’re also high in vitamins, fiber, and minerals and free of cholesterol.
• Make meals ahead of time. Sometimes, when the weather is depressing, your desire to cook will vanish. This causes you to reach for the phone and dial the pizza place or other local take-out restaurant for delivery. Instead, if you have precooked meals in the fridge, you’ll naturally eat healthier and save money, too!

On Sunday afternoon, take the time to prepare two or three meals and freeze them. Make vegetable soup, whole-wheat spaghetti and meatballs, or your favorite casserole and tuck it away in the freezer. Before work, simply let the container defrost and pop onto the stove or microwave as soon as you get home.

If you’re not in a cooking mood, plan several meals for the week and, at the very minimum, group your ingredients together to save a bit of time.

• Stock healthy snacks. Snacking is inevitable, especially when you’re stuck indoors, evening after evening. You might as well prepare for your snack cravings and stock up on healthy and satisfying snacks.
• Drink water. Every cell in your body needs water to function properly. Drinking lots of water will not only keep you well hydrated, but it also can help you lose weight. For example, a glass of water before a meal can help you control overeating.

Shedding that winter weight is a reachable goal if you follow these tips. However, don’t feel like you have to make each of these changes tomorrow. Sometimes when people make too many drastic changes at once, they have a harder time sticking with their plan. In reality, all it takes to combat the winter weight gain is attention to detail and some indoor activity to keep you fit.

Work on making one or two of these changes each week to get used to them. By keeping these pointers in mind, you’ll maintain your fitness level even before the spring season arrives! Before you know it, these weight loss strategies will be second nature to you and you’ll avoid those winter pounds altogether!

How are YOU maintaining your fitness routines this winter? Feel free to comment below!