How to Stay Fit and Focused During Winter

Winter is just around the corner. With it comes shorter days, colder weather, the holidays and a dramatic decrease in our activity level. Here are 10 tips to help combat gaining those winter pounds and keeping that lean healthy body until spring comes along.

       

1. Eat breakfast every day.  Don’t think that if you skip breakfast and you’re not hungry you will lose weight.  Your body has been without food for about 8 hours and that causes your metabolism to slow down.  By eating breakfast you spike your metabolism and increase how many calories you burn that day. 
2. Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day.  This will keep your metabolism burning all day.  You should eat every 2-3 hours.  Carry snacks.  Don’t stop at the convenience store when your stomach starts to growl.  Carry almonds, string cheese, an apple with some peanut butter, or celery/carrots with hummus.
3. Eat protein with each meal.  Your body burns more calories digesting 1 gram of protein than it does 1 gram of fat or carbohydrate.  This is known as the Thermic Effect of food.  Your body actually burns calories while digesting food.  Protein also slows down your insulin response to carbohydrates which lessens the chance of being stored as fat.
4. Try to avoid fried foods.  Just because it is a chicken salad doesn’t mean it’s healthy if the chicken is fried.  Try to have grilled chicken instead. Pick a baked potato or yam over french fries and onion rings.
5. Lift weights.  By lifting weights you increase your lean body mass. Remember the more muscle you have the more calories you burn.  Just lifting weights 2-4 days a week will help maintain muscle tone and keep the furnace burning over the winter months.
6. Perform cardio. Getting your heart rate up 3-5 times per week for 30-45 minutes is plenty.  Be sure to progress and challenge yourself.  This is the time of year to try something new.  If you’re a runner or biker, try elliptical, stair climber or a boot camp class.
7. Try not to eat too many carbohydrates after 5-6  pm.  Carbohydrates aren’t bad, they just need to be eaten earlier in the day so they can be used for energy, not late at night when they will be stored as fat. 
8. Take fish oil.  It is recommended that you take fish oil everyday all year long.  Studies show that fish oil has helped with the decrease in body fat loss.  Diets rich in Omega 3 fatty acids can increase the production of a number of important enzymes in your body that play a part in fat oxidation, in other words you get learner.  Check with your doctor before taking any supplements.
9. Limit calorie containing beverages.  Try to eat your calories, don’t drink them.  Water and green tea should be your first choice.  Diet coke and crystal light are better than Gatorade, Coke, or high fructose juices.
10. Sit down this winter and think about your goals for next year.  Where do you want to be?  Is there a race, walk or adventure challenge you would like to do next year?  What type of shape do you want to be in when spring arrives?  How important is it to you to maintain a healthy lifestyle over the winter and into the new year?

With these 10 tips fresh in your mind, try to put them to good use over the winter.  Try to discover a whole new you when spring rolls around.  Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone during the winter, challenge yourself and try to stay on the right track to being healthy!

By: Charlene Quenneville A.T.C., Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan