Winter.... seriously, WTH dude?

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Hey guys,

Now, I know that a lot of people experience a slump over winter - I get that. However, having just come off the southern hemisphere winter 5kgs heavier than I was at the start of it, I'm hoping to avoid the same thing next year. I'm finding that, having the motivation for spring, summer and most of autumn (fall, for you Americans out there), I have all the motivation in the world. I eat right, exercise, track food intake, drink enough water... and then winter is just this blur of bad decisions and too much time on the couch.

My question is: What do you guys do to stay motivated over winter?

Thanks!!

-Coolchick

Replies

  • WildBillR
    WildBillR Posts: 77 Member
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    Um, I learned to try to time my bulk starting in November :wink:

    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?
  • DeterminedbyGod
    DeterminedbyGod Posts: 130 Member
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    I am in the southern part of the United States. Northern Florida to be exact and winters here are not as cold, but it can get cold enough. Since I have a garage with workout equipment in it, I stay in the garage during the cold months and I also utilize the Curves gym. Since winter is vastly approaching, I am going to miss my outdoor walks and jogging and I know winter is very close because it is slowly getting night before 8:00 now!!!
  • mereditheve
    mereditheve Posts: 142 Member
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    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.
  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
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    I worry about this as it is cooling down here, and Wisconsin winters are BRUTAL.

    Thankfully I have a gym in our apartment complex, so it's super close by - no excuse to skip a workout. Also I don't care how cold it gets, as long as it is safe to go out, I'm going to keep taking my hubby on walks when the mood strikes. We have a decent pathway by our place too.

    I have winter gear that I got for ice fishing that I barely ever use, so I'm pretty excited to get out there this year! Hopefully it's all about attitude, and I won't scurry back inside as soon as it gets below freezing lol.
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
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    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.
  • cdoesthehula
    cdoesthehula Posts: 141 Member
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    This winter, I will be cycling on my turbo trainer. I have a goal to do a 124 mile bike ride in June; if I let that go now I'll have to start again in the spring. It would probably be achievable, but why do that to yourself?

    I will go out into the shed I've built for the job, plug my MP3 player in and listen to headphones. I'll be warm after a few minutes.

    And if my boat hasn't sold there will of course be canoeing. I love breaking ice in my canoe.
  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
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    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.
  • EMTFreakGirl
    EMTFreakGirl Posts: 597 Member
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    Have you seen the calorie burn you can get from skiing: xcountry AND downhill.
    Personally, I downhill, which IS less than xcountry but still an amazingly insane burn. I wear my HRM while skiing and it registers well over 1k calories (and I doubt MFP calorie burn estimate, so I half it, but a day on the slopes IN THE SNOW is amazing!) Can't wait for the flakes to fly! Bring on Winter!
  • AtLeastOnceMore
    AtLeastOnceMore Posts: 304 Member
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    Thanks for the advice, guys. I have a few old breaks and arthritis that have messed me up for snow, but will definitely try to keep on top of things more this coming winter. Good luck to you northern hemispherians!
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Summer bodies are made in the winter. That's my motivation.
  • JSE81
    JSE81 Posts: 114 Member
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    I never looked at it as seasonal. I go to the gym regardless.
  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
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    I prefer working out during the colder months to be honest!
    I mostly workout at home and don't have air conditioning, so the Summer can be a bit too hot for me to workout.
    The heat actually slows me down a lot. :ohwell:
  • vamaena
    vamaena Posts: 217 Member
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    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.
  • sho3girl
    sho3girl Posts: 10,799 Member
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    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.

    *^^ i love this think i need to write this on my memo board