Wintertime and Losing Motivation
rosebette
Posts: 1,660 Member
I've been pretty consistent with my tracking and exercise since joining MFP, and ended up losing about 6-8 lbs. My weight hovers between 118 and 120. However, since October, I don't seem to want to stay "in control." Now that fresh fruits and veggies aren't as available, I'm craving winter foods, like potatoes, hearty dishes, and even stuff I've avoided like Chinese food. I'm also feeling lack of motivation to exercise. I had a bad week last week, where I had tons of body aches, a severe headache, and I now have a cold. I also had a funeral to attend out of town that wiped me out, and at the luncheon, I ate chicken pot pie and dessert when I could have chosen salad! Now that the time's changed (I'm in the Northeast) and it's dark at 4:00, I am having more cravings for carb-heavy fatty foods and less energy. The other thing is that I've already lost some weight and fit into all my winter clothes, but those clothes also hide everything, so I don't have the same body-consciousness as in summer. Anyone have some strategies for dealing with the fall/winter doldrums and their effects on our motivation?
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Walk around the house naked!
Is that what you want for the summer? Winter is only temporary and it's the best time to get ready for the clothes that don't hide what you don't want others to see.0 -
Don't turn the heater on and wear minimum clothes. At that point, you MUST move to gain bodywarmth. Seriously, I have done this.0
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I go through the same thing in the winter. My strategy is to have a 'weight cap'. If I hit 135 pounds, I tighten up, get a little stricter with my eating and exercising and drop back down to normal. Otherwise, I allow myself to have the carb-heavy things I crave in moderation (and beer. I LOVE autumn beers... though moderation seems to go out the window with those). As to exercise, I power through usually. I am a runner. In the winter I run less, but I do still run. I make a goal each month to run at LEAST a certain number of miles. Those goals help keep my me at least sorta motivated AND the forced exercise gives me a little wiggle room for those winter treats that we want to indulge in. Good luck, honey.0
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Dark and cold. I just explain to myself its going to be difficult, but to keep plugging away doong the stuff that gets me to target. I have mini targets over the next few months, so I visualise what it is i want to achieve, the obstacles in my way and then update my determination to push through. One day and one week at a time. Less than 2 months left. teboew on new year, but im only thinking about Nov-Dec.0
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Hello from Cape Cod! Yes, the winter weather patterns and seasonal darkness have me craving comfort and moving less. I'm really not allowing anything but driving rain or high winds keep me inside all day, but even with that I'm missing at least 1-2 walks per week than I had in the summer. But I find that if I get out there and start my walk, I'll finish it and it won't be as bad as I feared.
One thing I've coincidentally done is increase my calories by 250 daily as I'm getting closer to goal. I want to start managing the deficit because when I hit maintenance, it's no longer optional: I have to eat my calories. So the extra 250 has helped.
So, my suggestions amount to:- Do start your exercise even though you are feeling some resistance toward it
- Give yourself a few extra calories. You'll lose weight slower, but you'll stay in control.
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Soup!!! I love warm dishes in the cooler months..I make lots of homemade, broth based soups..in fact, making fish soup tonight! YUM0
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I know the feeling . . . craving warm high fat comfort foods! I keep trying to remember how got through this last year and was basically - just do it! It does require an adjustment being that it gets dark so early but I have to keep reminding myself that it is only 6:00 (when I get off work) and being out is generally as safe as it was before. Yes, we will have less days to be outside depending on the weather so it stands to reason to do as much as you can when you can and if you need to give in and make those fall meals, share them!0
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Well, walking around wearing very little won't work. I already have issues with feeling colder than most people, along with some Raynaud's. In my house if I have the heat too low when it's freezing or below, my pipes freeze.
If I'm not teaching on a certain day, I don't have a problem getting up to exercise, it's at the end of a long day when it's dark already, I just want to hibernate. And of course, now that it's dark early, I'm missing some walking if I don't get out there.
As far as eating extra, my BMR is only 1136, so I'm just maintaining at 1200 and eating exercise calories. At my age and size, I don't have a lot of wiggle room for eating more, so the pounds can come on pretty quickly.
The soup suggestion is good. Actually some of the crock pot meals are fairly reasonable in calories.0 -
I eat a lot of beans, soup, oatmeal, hot tea and coffee. This helps me a lot. I agree winter is harder without fresh veggies. Kind of like we want to hibernate and eat. Make yourself take care of you.0
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Yes! I just want to cook casseroles and pot pies and eat all day... This winter I will lose weight!0
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try to get some sun when you can - walk at lunch maybe? while I too like the carb heavy in the winter try to find lighter variants or work on better portion control. these aren't that specifc, but it's what I'm trying.0
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shadowloss wrote: »Walk around the house naked!
Is that what you want for the summer? Winter is only temporary and it's the best time to get ready for the clothes that don't hide what you don't want others to see.
Actually this is a great strategy that I use pretty often in winter, I'll run around the house in my super-tight workout shorts (someday I'll actually be able to wear them to the gym lol) and a sports bra or tank, or sweater on chillier days. It keeps me conscious of how my body is feeling... and the hubby definitely doesn't mind it
Summer bodies are made in the winter!
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First, winter is preparation for summer! I am lifting big time and everytime my alarm clock wakes me to exercise and it is cold and dark, I picture jaws dropping at the beach.
Second, work around your cravings! Veggie soup, protein pancakes, eggplant parmesan,...
Third, one forgets that oftentimes in summer, it is too hot to exercise. So... is there never a good time to do it and we're making excuses?
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Look into dance classes: they will get you out of the house in the evenings and smiling, to help combat SAD.0
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Hi from dark and freezing Belfast! Plan something amazing for Valentine's Day, 14th February - then set your weight goal for that date to give you motivation over the winter months. Soups, porridge etc are great when its cold - I have Raynaud's too so I wouldn't suggest you turn your heating off, or you're likely to drop that hot mug of soup and scald yourself! Just think how all your colleagues are going to pile on the pounds over the winter while you are secretly sculpting away, building a new body which you will unveil in the Spring...........heh heh heh.......0
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I'm in the Northeast too... my motivation is the fun Winter clothes. There are a lot of sleek clothes in Winter. I don't want to hide this Winter in a fat sweater I want to wear jeans with nice more fitted tops. Any Holiday parties.. come on. I'm going to wear a sexy dress sister.. not a bag like last year. Oh yea, I'm motivated to do it...You know also, time goes by quickly so before you know it Spring will be here again. At my job, we're already planning for Spring as of this week.. Keep up all your great work!!0
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I do remember once a couple years back when I had a checkup after the holidays and weighed less than before the holidays! Unfortunately, it was because my dad was very sick in hospital, and I was stressed. However, it would be nice to have that kind of progress.0
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That happened to me one year - I actually found there was less pressure from family members to 'eat big' over Christmas than in normal weeks - they were all too busy stuffing themselves to notice whether I was having extra portions etc - plus I was serving the food so had an excuse not to be eating non-stop. And when I was weighed on 30th December I was lighter than before Christmas!0
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ˆˆthis.TXRanchGirl wrote: »Soup!!! I love warm dishes in the cooler months..I make lots of homemade, broth based soups..in fact, making fish soup tonight! YUM
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winter for me is my go hard season of transformation. Everyone always jumps on the bandwagon in the spring to get ready for the summer, but I cheat and go hard in the winter to spite the weather. I cover up all my progress with fluffy sweaters and leggings and bulky coats and come sunshine - i peel it all off like a butterfly.
the one thing I dont allow is complacency just because it's cold. It's gonna get cold every year for the rest of my life. i mean... unless.. sun flares or something...0 -
Winnipeg, Manitoba here - I sympathize. This morning I walked outside and the snow is blowing, traffic was barely moving and roads are icy.
This weather makes me want to cuddle up in the evening with a hearty food item, get tucked under blankets, put a show on and sip wine. How I deal with these cravings is moderation. I will eat lower calorie foods during the day so that in the evening I can have that hearty dinner and wine and not feel bad about it. Another favorite of mine is soups and chili which are great hearty dinner items that can be premade on weekends in a calorie friendly way - so that when I want to curl up in the evening with a big bowl of chili I don't have to feel bad. I simply take out a single serve (about 250 calories and very satisfying) and have my wine with it for a 400 calorie dinner that makes me feel like I cheated.
The key is making it fit into your calorie intake for the week. Exercise is a big part of that for me and I have dwindled on the motivation as well BUT the thought of gaining back my weight keeps getting off my rear and into the workout.
Good luck!0 -
I'm the opposite...I tend to get a little lazy in the summer and into fall...all the BBQs and hanging out with friends well into the light filled evening drinking beer, etc. I ride quite a bit in the summer and whatnot, but I'm more reluctant to hit the weight room which is when I generally see my best results all around.
Winter time is go time...I get into the weight room and frackin' GO! It's heated and the lights are on...there's nothing really better to do. Hit it hard, get in some cycling and a little running and by late spring I'm ready for poolside.0 -
elsie_fair wrote: »shadowloss wrote: »
Summer bodies are made in the winter!
I LOVE that!0 -
karenlwashburn wrote: »I'm in the Northeast too... my motivation is the fun Winter clothes. There are a lot of sleek clothes in Winter. I don't want to hide this Winter in a fat sweater I want to wear jeans with nice more fitted tops. Any Holiday parties.. come on. I'm going to wear a sexy dress sister.. not a bag like last year. Oh yea, I'm motivated to do it...You know also, time goes by quickly so before you know it Spring will be here again. At my job, we're already planning for Spring as of this week.. Keep up all your great work!!
Wow. Yes. I never think about holiday/NYE outfits until the last minute and never have the "hot bod" to fit into something form-fitting! This is definitely something I will use as motivation - AWESOME Sequin NYE dress here I come!0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I'm the opposite...I tend to get a little lazy in the summer and into fall...all the BBQs and hanging out with friends well into the light filled evening drinking beer, etc. I ride quite a bit in the summer and whatnot, but I'm more reluctant to hit the weight room which is when I generally see my best results all around.
Winter time is go time...I get into the weight room and frackin' GO! It's heated and the lights are on...there's nothing really better to do. Hit it hard, get in some cycling and a little running and by late spring I'm ready for poolside.
I compeletely agree with this too.... I workout all winter/spring and then when summer comes around I let go and by the end of summer I'm back to hating going out in my swimsuit. There's just so much to do in the summer its hard to keep on track. I think what works best for me is small goals (as stated in my post above) ... so maybe I should look forward to things at the end of summer to motivate me in that time as well. Just so happens next summer I'm going to Cali for a wedding, so I already have my goal set!
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Sign up to participate and in sort of event and train for it. That will keep you motivated.0
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there are lots of comfort foods you can make healthy versions of yourself. I think potatoes get a bad rap. I love 'em and I don't go without. I weigh them and log them like everything else.0
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