Winter.... seriously, WTH dude?

Um, I learned to try to time my bulk starting in November

Seriously, because of the holidays, the cold weather that keeps you indoors more often, it's hard to stay away from the food and get a lot of exercise. I end up working out with weights, and trying to do SOME cardio.

In terms of motivation - can you say Memorial Day at the beach?

Believe it or not, winter is a great time to get in shape. In summer, there are so many distractions but I find that winter is when I regain my focus.

Try hiking in the snow... it's more difficult and it makes for such a peaceful hike. I'll often go for long hikes in snowy weather. Just get yourself some good waterproof shoes and wear 2 pairs of socks to prevent blisters (I always have a hard time breaking in new hiking boots, but wearing 2 pairs of socks , e.g., 1 silk liner sock and a pair of wool socks over them, works well)

Another tip - Make sure your gym is close to your house. If mine wasn't easy to get to, I'd find excuses not to go, especially in winter when I have to hop in a freezing cold car to drive to the gym.

Find little ways to get extra exercise, like taking the stairs, cleaning around the house, doing push-ups and sit-ups as a warm up when you get out of bed or right before a shower.

Think of winter as your cocoon -- you want to emerge better when spring comes, not have to play catch up after spring has already arrived. This thought also helps me keep going in winter.

Think of how great you want to look in the summer and work out accordingly during the winter. Your motivation could be people in "real life" who've lost weight or a celebrity you admire. Winter is a great time to do the more intense exercise programs because you don't have to worry about overheating like you would during the summer (although summer is good for swimming). Some people talk about doing Insanity (for example) as part of a New Year's resolution and for us it's winter so it's the perfect time of year. It's also just after the holidays so there won't be a lot of temptation to overeat food and sweets. Maybe for someone in the southern hemisphere you could do a "halfway to New Year" resolution and start an intense program on July 1st.

I think it depends totally on where you are and what you like to do normally. I adapt by dressing for the weather ( I like to walk and run and hike outside), and I also have a YMCA membership that has an indoor track and a pool and hot tub (warm when its frigid out!). That being said, I think part of it is a natural hibernation response that we can fight somewhat by getting outside when the sun IS out and by using full spectrum light lamps.

I never looked at it as seasonal. I go to the gym regardless.

Believe it or not, winter is a great time to get in shape. In summer, there are so many distractions but I find that winter is when I regain my focus.

Try hiking in the snow... it's more difficult and it makes for such a peaceful hike. I'll often go for long hikes in snowy weather. Just get yourself some good waterproof shoes and wear 2 pairs of socks to prevent blisters (I always have a hard time breaking in new hiking boots, but wearing 2 pairs of socks , e.g., 1 silk liner sock and a pair of wool socks over them, works well)

Another tip - Make sure your gym is close to your house. If mine wasn't easy to get to, I'd find excuses not to go, especially in winter when I have to hop in a freezing cold car to drive to the gym.

Find little ways to get extra exercise, like taking the stairs, cleaning around the house, doing push-ups and sit-ups as a warm up when you get out of bed or right before a shower.

Think of winter as your cocoon -- you want to emerge better when spring comes, not have to play catch up after spring has already arrived. This thought also helps me keep going in winter.

This is great advice. I'm fairly new to this whole fitness thing and this will be my first winter. I'm scared of falling behind. I like the cocoon thing.