10 ways to winter-proof your waistline

HOW bad is having a red wine dinner on a Friday night? Is skipping breakfast for 15 more minutes in bed really that bad? Here's how to keep the winter kilos off this season.   

Society

IT'S a sad fact of winter that as the thermometer drops, our weight does the opposite.

The average person will gain around half a kilo over winter, according to a recent US study. That may not sound like much, but this extra weight is likely to stay with you and accumulate each year.

Avoid the winter kilo creep with these five tried and tested methods: 

1. Chase the sunshine: Vitamin D, which we get from sunshine, is linked with a healthy weight. A US study found that people with higher the levels of vitamin D in the body went on to lose the most weight. So make sure you get outside during daylight hours as much as you can. You could also levels tested by your GP, who may suggest a vitamin D supplement if you are found to be deficient. 

2. Keep a food diary: This has tonnes of evidence backing it up as one of the most effective weight loss techniques around. It’s time consuming, sure, but the benefits are worth it: you will instantly be able to see where you are heading off track with your eating habits. Combine it with a calorie counting device to boost your food awareness. 

3. Don’t skip breakfast: If the cold, dark mornings have you swapping brekkie time for 15 more minutes in bed, then you are doing your metabolism no favours. A hearty breakfast made up of low-GI carbs, protein and either some fruit or vegies (think oats with milk and banana or eggs and tomato on wholegrain toast) sets up your body to burn energy efficiently and keeps you fuller for longer.

4. Sip on soups: Ditch the high-calorie beverages like hot chocolates or frappacinos and instead go for a cup of soup. In a US study, participants who consumed a low-calorie soup before lunch went on to eat 20 per cent fewer calories at that meal. Homemade soup is best but there are plenty of healthy supermarket brands too. 

5. Eat smarter carbs: Scientists have found we crave carbs in winter because they stimulate our serotonin production, which naturally drops in winter.  But instead of indulging in bread, potatoes, pasta, biscuits and cakes, go for coloured root veg (sweet potatoes, pumpkin, beetroot and carrots) or grains such as brown rice, quinoa or rice noodles. They’ll still bring comfort but without the excess calories. 

6. Make exercise fun: Dr Sarah Vaughan says exercise is key to avoiding weight gain – and in winter it’s more crucial than ever to make exercise enjoyable so you stick with it.  Dr Vaughan takes a weekly dance class; Pilates or yoga are also good options. She also recommends her patients take up a competitive sport, as the combination of training and the game itself equal two intensive weekly workouts. “I’ve recently started playing softball and I love it,” she says.

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7. De-stress: Stress often leads to comfort eating and poor food choices.  Dr Vaughan recommends finding ways to de-stress such as meditation or yoga, to relax your mind and eliminate the need for comfort food.  With a clearer mind, it will be easier to make healthy food choices as well.

8. Think incidental exercise: Finding time to exercise can be difficult, which is why Dr Vaughan suggests building a workout into your daily routine. Just 45 minutes of brisk walking daily will burn additional calories. Dr Vaughan walks to work, but if that’s too far, hop off the bus early and walk the rest of the way.

9. Avoid fad diets: Dr Vaughan recommends her patients steer clear of fad diets. “Fad diets promise weight loss quickly, but are often impossible to maintain,” she says. Eating a balanced diet, which includes a healthy amount of all the food groups, is a more effective way to lose weight and keep it off.  It will be easier to follow and more enjoyable to maintain.

10. Limit alcohol consumption: Keep midweek drinking to a minimum and save it for the weekends but don’t skip meals for booze. After a long working week, it’s easy to bypass dinner in favour of a Friday drink, or two… or three. However, skipping a meal in favour of a Friday-night drink can wreak hazard on your health. Nutritionist Teresa Boyce says, “Drinking on an empty stomach will cause a rapid increase in your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). This may affect your self-control, vision and coordination. Alcohol also increases the amount of stomach acid produced. This is a leading risk factor for the development of a stomach ulcer.” 

This story is courtesy of the BRAND NEW body+soul website. With step-by-step home workouts and guilt-free healthy recipes, the new site also has a dedicated MUMS zone and MAN channel.