Winter appetite changes making things difficult

CattOfTheGarage
CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, I wondered if anyone else struggled with changes in appetite during the winter? I don't just mean Christmas treats being everywhere (though that's challenging, too). I mean changes like:

- Wanting more fat. Everything with fat in it looks REALLY good right now.
- Resistance to fruit and veg. Generally I rely a lot on cold options like raw fruit and raw salad veg, just because I like them more and can't be bothered heating up a bowl of peas, but I really don't want them right now. This is partly because I have sensitive teeth, so eating very cold stuff is unpleasant. But also, I'm just feeling cold a lot (I think the weight loss is making this worse!) and the idea of eating a cold apple rarely appeals.
- more difficulty with portions. I seem to be kicking at the traces a lot when it comes to portion control, wanting seconds, wanting more of everything.

Does anyone else feel like this when the weather gets colder? If so, any tips? I'm thinking I should start having cooked apple etc more often to overcome the fruit and veg resistance. Otherwise, the only thing I can think of is getting more active to free up more calories.
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Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    How long have you been doing what you are doing - is this something that happens every winter and stops in spring? If not, it could be unrelated to season. I personally couldn't keep eating lots of vegetables until I started eating plenty of fat. Moving more produces more heat. I have no further ideas.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited December 2016
    Ive been craving more warm comfort foods. I try to stay hydrated with yummy warm drinks, Tea mostly and the occasional hot chocolate (theres low calorie ones it surprised me)
    As for the veggies yeah iv actually been struggling with that myself. I really do just want the bad foods in large quantities. We just gota get through it and substitute where we can to keep it in our calories. Personally i have been blaming how stupid cold it is out when i do my walking for exercise, Mixed with a bit less walking when its snowy just throwing my appetite off.

    Actually almost had my first binge in 7 months last night im lucky i got by just a few hundred calories over.
  • Rayvis1014
    Rayvis1014 Posts: 36 Member
    I know how you feel about sensitive teeth! I don't eat much fresh fruit for that reason. However, my mainstay in the winter is SOUP! You can make a huge variety of different kinds with lots of veggies, and if you don't like the texture you can even blend the cooked veggies to make a mock cream soup. I make a huge pot of soup on Sunday and eat the leftovers when I'm hungry.
  • MaybeLed
    MaybeLed Posts: 250 Member
    I make quite a lot of soups and stews, they can be really cheap, veg-heavy and filling.

    Today for lunch I'm having a bean soup I made with some canned beans and what was left in the fridge. I'll normally make 4-8 portions and have some over a couple of days as a work lunch and freeze the rest in individual portions before I get bored of it. It also means when I get in late there is always a portion or two of something warm and filling available.

    I quite often will start it off with some bacon or finish it with a bit of cream or yoghurt that will add a bit of fat and make it more satisfying (my preference). Lentils are great, and when I’m organised I’ll do it in the slow cooker, but I’m rarely organised and will do it on the hob.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    MaybeLed wrote: »
    I make quite a lot of soups and stews, they can be really cheap, veg-heavy and filling.

    Today for lunch I'm having a bean soup I made with some canned beans and what was left in the fridge. I'll normally make 4-8 portions and have some over a couple of days as a work lunch and freeze the rest in individual portions before I get bored of it. It also means when I get in late there is always a portion or two of something warm and filling available.

    I quite often will start it off with some bacon or finish it with a bit of cream or yoghurt that will add a bit of fat and make it more satisfying (my preference). Lentils are great, and when I’m organised I’ll do it in the slow cooker, but I’m rarely organised and will do it on the hob.

    All of this. I cook my soups, stews, chilis, curries, etc and freeze them in individual portions. In the morning I just pick one and go. They're all in similar calorie ranges to fit what I like as a meal.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    I like to choose the massochistic route and diet during winter, implementing IF with a 2 hour eating window and drinking a metric tonne of coffee during the day.

    Re-feed days are much easier though with all the Christmas treats available.
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
    Soups & turkey chili are good swap outs for salads.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    I had recently dropped down my cardio to focus on weights, but that had to stop because I'm having a health issue that has me backing off on the weights a bit. My joints are screaming at me and I've had to switch over to a bodyweight routine (with some resistance bands for a few things) for the time being.

    Cardio normally blunts my appetite, so I've increased it. That's been a plus. It also helps keep my joints limber, and frequent walking and a morning run helps keep me warm (I have a home treadmill).

    I'm not really in the soup mood, but I have been in the mood for stir fries. They've been on the menu a lot. I've been getting my vegetables that way instead of in salads.

    The other thing? There's an evil little thread over in the Food section about holiday teas. I read about so many tasty herbal varieties that I couldn't help myself and five different kinds fell into my cart yesterday at Wegmans. Zero calorie, no guilt indulgence.
  • coleg04
    coleg04 Posts: 126 Member
    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    Hi all, I wondered if anyone else struggled with changes in appetite during the winter? I don't just mean Christmas treats being everywhere (though that's challenging, too). I mean changes like:

    - Wanting more fat. Everything with fat in it looks REALLY good right now.
    - Resistance to fruit and veg. Generally I rely a lot on cold options like raw fruit and raw salad veg, just because I like them more and can't be bothered heating up a bowl of peas, but I really don't want them right now. This is partly because I have sensitive teeth, so eating very cold stuff is unpleasant. But also, I'm just feeling cold a lot (I think the weight loss is making this worse!) and the idea of eating a cold apple rarely appeals.
    - more difficulty with portions. I seem to be kicking at the traces a lot when it comes to portion control, wanting seconds, wanting more of everything.

    Does anyone else feel like this when the weather gets colder? If so, any tips? I'm thinking I should start having cooked apple etc more often to overcome the fruit and veg resistance. Otherwise, the only thing I can think of is getting more active to free up more calories.

    I moved from up north to south florida (75 degrees right now) and still feel like my body wants more calories for the winter. I don't know if this is imaginary or not.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    join the club. Yes, I have more difficult time in winter. Gained 8 lbs last winter and had to work like crazy to get it off. Oatmeal and soups are good. Low calorie hot choc and tea is my go to stuff. I am trying to be more cautious this year. Told Mom I don't want any big cans of popcorn with carmel stuff, etc this Xmas! I am not going to every eating event over the holidays!
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
    As everyone else has said, tea and soup, in huge quantities. I also back off on the leafy greens and roast a ton of green beans, brussels sprouts, and broccoli during the winter. Squash and potatoes get roasted too. I do a lot of pork recipes during the winter because pork is so friendly to squash and baked apples.

    I really crave nuts during the winter. Right now there's a huge tub of cashews sitting in our break room, and I feel like I could eat the whole thing. I'll probably make cashew chicken later this week to satisfy the nut craving and get a serving of stir-fried veggies in.
  • mskimee
    mskimee Posts: 228 Member
    I'm the same. This time of year I want ALL of the carbs. Pasta, potatoes, dumplings, anything!! Usually I'm a salad freak but wow winter makes the carbs look good!!
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    chocolate_owl wrote: »
    As everyone else has said, tea and soup, in huge quantities. I also back off on the leafy greens and roast a ton of green beans, brussels sprouts, and broccoli during the winter. Squash and potatoes get roasted too. I do a lot of pork recipes during the winter because pork is so friendly to squash and baked apples.

    I really crave nuts during the winter. Right now there's a huge tub of cashews sitting in our break room, and I feel like I could eat the whole thing. I'll probably make cashew chicken later this week to satisfy the nut craving and get a serving of stir-fried veggies in.

    I've been craving nuts too. I weigh the suckers and limit them, but yum. Walnuts. Trader Joe's are so fresh and tasty.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    @kommodevaran 200 day streak, so I haven't been through a winter this time around. The last time I lost weight I started in September and gave up in July, so I went through a winter but can't remember what it was like. I've never made it to maintenance (yet!). You're right that this could be unconnected to the weather, it's hard to tell.

    I don't think I need to up my fat, I'm generally well over mfp's recommended amount of fat, but now I want MOAR. I don't really have room in my calorie goal to give in to that urge!

    Thanks for all the tips. The soup/stew idea is a good one. I don't like taking that kind of thing to work as it means hanging around in the office during lunch to heat it up, and I prefer to escape (that way people can't ask me to do things!). What I really need is an individual thermos.
  • MaybeLed
    MaybeLed Posts: 250 Member
    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    @kommodevaran 200 day streak, so I haven't been through a winter this time around. The last time I lost weight I started in September and gave up in July, so I went through a winter but can't remember what it was like. I've never made it to maintenance (yet!). You're right that this could be unconnected to the weather, it's hard to tell.

    I don't think I need to up my fat, I'm generally well over mfp's recommended amount of fat, but now I want MOAR. I don't really have room in my calorie goal to give in to that urge!

    Thanks for all the tips. The soup/stew idea is a good one. I don't like taking that kind of thing to work as it means hanging around in the office during lunch to heat it up, and I prefer to escape (that way people can't ask me to do things!). What I really need is an individual thermos.

    It depends where you are but there are some really good individual serve or multi-compartment pots available with insulation. I was always over the fat recommendation so I just moved my macros around and now only really try to hit protein.

    I know about avoiding people, since my lunch buddy moved away I try and go for a 20ish minute walk around the area (learning lots more routes) and wolf down my lunch at my desk with headphones in. #antisocial
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,192 Member
    One of the joys and advantages of living in So.California are that extreme cold weather is never around. When it does, homemade soups and chili are a big help, but salads and fruits are a everyday stapler all year long.
  • angelxsss
    angelxsss Posts: 2,402 Member
    Not really a helpful tip at all, but the first thing I thought of was that this sort of winter hunger is an evolutionary thing, like how the humans of yore would have to fatten up to deal with scarcity during the winter.

    http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2011/12/19/143950231/why-are-we-more-hungry-in-the-winter
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-94678/Tired-hungry-sad-Relax-youre-hibernating.html

    Of course there are competing theories, but I just found this stuff interesting.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    I want all things warm and melty right now, and for some reason, cake. Someone brought in a homemade crumble cake with apples in it today, and I want all of the cake. All of it.
    I always have a huge struggle in winter with food. I tend to hibernate in the house and exercise less, and eat more. I kind of have to force myself out of this mode. I'm sure some of it is biological, some is winter blues, and some is that I like to eat. I'm in for seeing the ideas here as well, and I like the suggestions of soup and roasted veggies. I might be including a warm melty grilled cheese, though...
  • MaybeLed
    MaybeLed Posts: 250 Member
    dragon_girl26 wrote: »
    I want all things warm and melty right now, and for some reason, cake. Someone brought in a homemade crumble cake with apples in it today, and I want all of the cake. All of it.
    I always have a huge struggle in winter with food. I tend to hibernate in the house and exercise less, and eat more. I kind of have to force myself out of this mode. I'm sure some of it is biological, some is winter blues, and some is that I like to eat. I'm in for seeing the ideas here as well, and I like the suggestions of soup and roasted veggies. I might be including a warm melty grilled cheese, though...
    A slice of grilled halloumi goes with all soups, just to up the protein you understand
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I eat a lot of hardy soups and stews in the winter...my biggest problem in winter isn't the food, it's the fact that I just move less. In the warmer months I tend to just be out and about doing stuff on top of my regular exercise...in winter I'm more likely to go to a movie or sit on the couch and watch the game with a roaring fire going.

    I did get an indoor cycle trainer this year, so I think that's going to help...I'm a fare weather cyclists and my riding always falls off a bit in the winter as well...but not this year.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    I do many of the same things others have said. Lots of soup, stews, chili, stir fry, etc. that I can put veggies in and eat them cooked. I try to cook mostly in season so during the winter we naturally eat less fresh stuff in our home. I freeze lots of garden veggies during the summer for use during the winter. Warm, low calorie drinks for the cold days/nights, etc. I'm more of the opinion to change your eating habits to whatever your body is asking for during the different seasons then to force yourself to eat/drink things you don't want during a particular season. But absolutely, I notice an appetite shift during the winter.
  • bcknudtson
    bcknudtson Posts: 3 Member
    I have the same issue. I smash salads all summer long because they sound so cooling and refreshing, but can't even choke them down come cold weather.

    I do a lot of meal prep, so I usually roast a huge pan of veggies with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil on Sunday and eat them all week long. The texture and flavor profile is so different but the nutrients are still there!
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    Roasted veg is a great idea, will get onto that one soon.
  • vikinglander
    vikinglander Posts: 1,547 Member
    dragon_girl26 wrote: »
    I want all things warm and melty right now,... and I like the suggestions of soup and roasted veggies. I might be including a warm melty grilled cheese, though...

    Try this:

    One 28 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted diced tomatoes
    One 15 oz jar roasted red peppers
    One large onion, diced
    One clove garlic, minced
    1/2 tsp dried thyme
    1/2 tsp dried oregano
    1 Tbsp olive oil
    One tsp fresh of 1/2 tsp dried basil

    Saute onions in olive oil until golden. Add garlic and heat thru. Place the sauteed onions in a blender and add all other ingredients; blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a pot and heat thru.

    Make grilled cheese sandwiches per your usual method, using preferred bread and cheese(s). While sandwich(es) is still hot, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and toss on soup as croutons.

    The soup is only 45 to 50 calories per cup, the way I made it above.

    Yum!

    Hope you try it and like it...!
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    Hi all, I wondered if anyone else struggled with changes in appetite during the winter? I don't just mean Christmas treats being everywhere (though that's challenging, too). I mean changes like:

    - Wanting more fat. Everything with fat in it looks REALLY good right now.
    - Resistance to fruit and veg. Generally I rely a lot on cold options like raw fruit and raw salad veg, just because I like them more and can't be bothered heating up a bowl of peas, but I really don't want them right now. This is partly because I have sensitive teeth, so eating very cold stuff is unpleasant. But also, I'm just feeling cold a lot (I think the weight loss is making this worse!) and the idea of eating a cold apple rarely appeals.
    - more difficulty with portions. I seem to be kicking at the traces a lot when it comes to portion control, wanting seconds, wanting more of everything.

    Does anyone else feel like this when the weather gets colder? If so, any tips? I'm thinking I should start having cooked apple etc more often to overcome the fruit and veg resistance. Otherwise, the only thing I can think of is getting more active to free up more calories.

    I think winter has an impact. I usually get a mild touch of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Losing the sunlight along with my Vitamin D deficiency makes it a bit harder. I haven't noticed the change in appetite, but I think it could be related to the fact that the dreary winter can impact a person's mood, which in turn makes them want to eat more for comfort.

    I've read a couple of threads on this. So, you are not alone. Hang in there. :)
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    This time of year I get to reap lovely fall veggies from the garden, supplemented by the local co-op. Almost daily, there is a pot of greens or a big soup on stove and a pan of something roasting in the oven. I love to mix chunks of yam, apple, golden beets, rutabaga, elephant garlic, Brussels, etc. A drizzle of avocado oil and a sprinkle of salt, a big pan, a hot oven, and I have comfort food!
  • BruinsGal_91
    BruinsGal_91 Posts: 1,400 Member
    vikinglander wrote: »
    Winter is a yang season...cold and dark...our bodies want warm, dark, rich foods for their caloric value...most animals take on extra calories in autumn to build reserves for the coming winter, especially if they hibernate!...In times past, we packed in all the calories we could when they were available, and starved and leaned out over the winter until the herd animals returned and the plants bloomed again. What do you think the winter holiday feasting is all about? Just go with it...rejoice in being an earthling!

    Tell me about it! I nearly put my back out picking up my neighbour's cat to give him a cuddle.

    As I look out of my window right now, it's snowing (the joys of living in New England) and there is no way on earth I will be satisfied with a salad. I do what other people have suggested, which is use my slow cooker for chilli and stews. And rather then steam my veg, I will roast them. Any leftovers get whizzed up in the blender for soup.
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
    edited December 2016
    I have the same issues. During the winter I tend to want heartier fare and also have the same resistance to eating cold salads.

    The advantage with the summer stuff is that it's easier for me to find things that are lower in calories but offer some bulk. And they require less or no cooking.

    It's not that I can't do that with winter produce and heartier foods, it's just it's a little harder.
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