Harder time in the winter months?
kiela64
Posts: 1,447 Member
Is anyone else struggling a lot more right now? Any tips from people who have successfully dieted during the winter?
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Replies
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I just want to say you're not alone in this!4
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I still go outside for walking in the winter, and most winters it seems like it's easier to lose weight for me.2
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Yes! I just want to snuggle under a blanket and eat comfort food. And drink red wine.
I like reading the success stories to help keep me making good decisions. And I like looking up fitness inspiration on Pinterest when I get cravings for something bad, or when I don’t want to go out to the gym because it’s cold and dark. Reading the inspirational quotes usually gets me out the door.
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Is anyone else struggling a lot more right now? Any tips from people who have successfully dieted during the winter?
Yes. Cold weather makes me want to eat rich, heavy foods. And being super-fair (ie Vit D deficient) plus being a not-a-morning person, the early darkness messes with my energy level and internal clock.
My helpful advice: I found supplementing Vit D and taking a walk on my lunch break helped.
My not helpful advice: I ended up switching to maintenance from Dec 1 - March 1, because while the above helped me not gain weight, it wasn't enough to help me lose.
Full disclosure: I only ever had 15-20 lbs to lose, so I didn't have a lot of wiggle room anyway!10 -
Is anyone else struggling a lot more right now? Any tips from people who have successfully dieted during the winter?
Yes. Cold weather makes me want to eat rich, heavy foods. And being super-fair (ie Vit D deficient) plus being a not-a-morning person, the early darkness messes with my energy level and internal clock.
My helpful advice: I found supplementing Vit D and taking a walk on my lunch break helped.
My not helpful advice: I ended up switching to maintenance from Dec 1 - March 1, because while the above helped me not gain weight, it wasn't enough to help me lose.
Full disclosure: I only ever had 15-20 lbs to lose, so I didn't have a lot of wiggle room anyway!
I’ve been unintentionally maintaining for about a month, and I’m thinking I may try to intentionally maintain. If I can stay within 5lbs of my current low weight id consider that a win. I’ve lost about 45 and have 35 left to go. It’s getting so much harder to care and be critical. I feel sad and tired and I just want to feel better, not think critically and intentionally about my eating.
I know moving more will improve my emotional state, but my gosh all my tastebuds want is anything fried and chocolatey. Everything else tastes like ash. It came on suddenly too.
I’ve started taking vitamin D again. I’m pale too. Thanks guys ❤️MonMonTails wrote: »I just want to say you're not alone in this!
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Is anyone else struggling a lot more right now? Any tips from people who have successfully dieted during the winter?
Yes. Cold weather makes me want to eat rich, heavy foods. And being super-fair (ie Vit D deficient) plus being a not-a-morning person, the early darkness messes with my energy level and internal clock.
My helpful advice: I found supplementing Vit D and taking a walk on my lunch break helped.
My not helpful advice: I ended up switching to maintenance from Dec 1 - March 1, because while the above helped me not gain weight, it wasn't enough to help me lose.
Full disclosure: I only ever had 15-20 lbs to lose, so I didn't have a lot of wiggle room anyway!
I’ve been unintentionally maintaining for about a month, and I’m thinking I may try to intentionally maintain. If I can stay within 5lbs of my current low weight id consider that a win. I’ve lost about 45 and have 35 left to go. It’s getting so much harder to care and be critical. I feel sad and tired and I just want to feel better, not think critically and intentionally about my eating.
I know moving more will improve my emotional state, but my gosh all my tastebuds want is anything fried and chocolatey. Everything else tastes like ash. It came on suddenly too.
I’ve started taking vitamin D again. I’m pale too. Thanks guys ❤️MonMonTails wrote: »I just want to say you're not alone in this!
Intentional maintenance might help you psychologically too! Eating at a deficit can be a bummer sometimes. There's no harm in giving yourself permission to coast for a month or two and then get back at it.7 -
I think it may somewhat depend on where one lives as well. For example I live in Florida it never gets truly cold where I live. It is a major news event if there is a wind chill advisory or even a warning we could get a freeze. So to me it makes no difference. I am a tad annoyed after having a burst of nice weather it is make in higher 80's today.1
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Yes, I have the same issue. It seems I have gained most of the weight back that I lost over the summer. I am trying to keep the excercise up but it gets harder when it gets colder.
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I do find that I am 'hungrier' in winter as it is harder to fill up on salads etc - I want to eat warm food. I do find that home made chunky veggie soups help, and I also bulk out casseroles with lots of veg. Outside exercise is much less appealing for me when it's wet n windy and my summer standby of quite heavy gardening is not happening. We walk and hike a lot and my hubby accepts no excuses (except I am pretty poorly this week). We wrap up warm and accept that sometimes we will get pretty wet. I hate the gym but do use an indoor pool when possible and use aerobics videos if weather outside is really sh1t.
Good luck - stick with it - it is possible to lose in winter
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I don't know about the eating part, yet, but since my only form of exercise is walking, this part is going to be A LOT harder. I leave in the dark, and when I get back home, it's almost dark again. That means I'll have to walk 7-10 km in my suburb, in the dark, possibly in the rain - and I absolutely loathe it. No more long walks in the woods, except on the weekend, if the weather is ok. Yes, I'm a wimp, I hate walking in cold and/or rainy and/or windy weather.
For me that means, for now I've decided to switch to maintenance. That gives me more calories to eat without having to force myself to exercise if I really don't feel like it. If I stay below the limit, great, if I don't, also fine. That will most likely mean losing weight quite a bit slower, but so be it. It just takes a whole lot of pressure off me.4 -
Last time I started I lost 30 pounds and then it hit -10, -15 F here and I switched to eating big tacos and pastas all the time to warm myself and sabotaged my progress.
We haven’t gotten extremely cold here yet, but an indoor gym and I have a few different types of Chai teas have kept me mostly on track. I found with the tea it warms up my hands and belly but at the end of the day it’s just hot water and leaves so it helps keep me on track with the rest of my goals.5 -
Thank you all for sharing ❤️ right now it isn’t too cold yet, still about 5C. Just chilly. What’s getting to me I think is the darkness. It’s dark at about 4pm and typically fairly dark and gloomy grey all day long. I feel chilled and cold but it’s not freezing yet. I know it’s coming though!2
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I find it hard and i'm not even in a "proper" cold place like you guys in the States. I usually stay in maintenance over the coldest months. It's just depressing enough to be cold and in the dark and also starving? no thanks. Get out in the sun as much as possible too.1
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having to switch habits here. now that its dark earlier in evenings i'm making myself get up a littler earlier in the morning to get some basic workouts in.1
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Yes! A couple things I read that I might try to get through this are investing in an SAD light therapy lamp and going for walks during lunch when the sun is out. I tried the walk in the sun a couple days ago and, even though I needed to bundle up a little more, it really helped my mood improve and I was actually able to concentrate on my work afterward! I am also going to drink more hot tea when I've just had something to eat and feel like stuffing my face again. I think I just want warmth so tea and dressing in more warm, cozy clothing might help, too.2
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Today was a little bit better! I had a lot of trouble getting out of bed and I seriously considered holing up and just eating and watching Netflix all day. But I got out and I did 2 tasks - one was finally getting to the gym (just got my membership back and I went swimming!). Then I saw my SO. I’ve also been trying to spend time on knitting, a hobby I haven’t done much in a long time. It’s helped me stop eating quite so much now (still overeating but less compulsive binging). I still feel sad in my chest but I’m taking vitamin D now and I’m hoping these things will help 🤞also today was the first time I had the energy to log in a while.2
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You are not alone. It is not just the cold but the darkness. It gets lighter later. I no longer get up at 6am. I stay in bed til almost 9.
I don't work in the yard until 8 pm anymore. It's dark by 4:30. So we just lost over 6 hours a day of activify. Not to mention trying to squeeze in a work out while playing beat the clock. those of us with seasonal affective disorder this time of year is devastating in many ways. I have to eat much less and avoid alcohol and holiday functions of i don't feel the strength to avoid the cookie cart and the hot buttered rum.
I try to take a winter vacation some place warm and sunny and take long walks on the beach and swim.
Hang in there
Ssfantaseea1 -
ssfantasea wrote: »You are not alone. It is not just the cold but the darkness. It gets lighter later. I no longer get up at 6am. I stay in bed til almost 9.
I don't work in the yard until 8 pm anymore. It's dark by 4:30. So we just lost over 6 hours a day of activify. Not to mention trying to squeeze in a work out while playing beat the clock. those of us with seasonal affective disorder this time of year is devastating in many ways. I have to eat much less and avoid alcohol and holiday functions of i don't feel the strength to avoid the cookie cart and the hot buttered rum.
I try to take a winter vacation some place warm and sunny and take long walks on the beach and swim.
Hang in there
Ssfantaseea
Oh how I envy you people who are able to do that. I still have to be at work at 6.45 am at the latest, so no staying in bed. Also, too poor to even think of a winter vacation somewhere nice and warm - post some pictures if you do go, I'll live vicariously through them! 4 -
For me it's the other way around, there's less to do outside in winter so I can spend all my time in the gym lol.....And it's nice and empty cause most people can't be bothered in winter:D2
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jdubois5351 wrote: »ssfantasea wrote: »You are not alone. It is not just the cold but the darkness. It gets lighter later. I no longer get up at 6am. I stay in bed til almost 9.
I don't work in the yard until 8 pm anymore. It's dark by 4:30. So we just lost over 6 hours a day of activify. Not to mention trying to squeeze in a work out while playing beat the clock. those of us with seasonal affective disorder this time of year is devastating in many ways. I have to eat much less and avoid alcohol and holiday functions of i don't feel the strength to avoid the cookie cart and the hot buttered rum.
I try to take a winter vacation some place warm and sunny and take long walks on the beach and swim.
Hang in there
Ssfantaseea
Oh how I envy you people who are able to do that. I still have to be at work at 6.45 am at the latest, so no staying in bed. Also, too poor to even think of a winter vacation somewhere nice and warm - post some pictures if you do go, I'll live vicariously through them!
Same! My shifts vary but with my commute my earliest shift needs me up by 5:30am.1 -
Thankyou for starting this thread. I'm really struggling right now; I can't stop eating. We had a long heatwave this year, so the autumn still felt like summer, then suddenly it was like someone had drawn the shades and we were in winter. Adjusting is hard, plus I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder and it's hitting me for the first time in years, which is ironic, seeing as I'm actually the healthiest I've been in years. I'm ordering a SAD lamp and trying not to dwell too much on the overeating; it's an evolutionary leftover from when humans in the northern hemisphere had to lay down extra fat to survive harsh winters. I set my weight loss goal to .5lbs a week, but I may have to set it to maintenance to survive Christmas. I think I'll be able to get back to my normal eating in January, but the next couple of months are going to be hard. I keep reminding myself that even if I do put on a few pounds, I'll be able to take them off again, and that my journey is lifelong, so I don't have to beat myself up for having an 8 to 12 week blip. It doesn't stop me from beating myself up, but at least I know with absolute certainty that it won't last forever. So thankyou again for helping me see that this is normal and there's no need for me to panic. It just is what it is, and I'll get through it.5
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OP, you obviously are having trouble. You do not even know in which province you live. You have been here for 3 years and are just now asking for ideas to get thru winter? I run year 'round. I walk, too. Showshoeing is pretty fun in winter. There are tons of exercise videos on youtube that you can exercise with/to when the weather is crummy. NO excuses. Either you seriously want to lose the weight or you do not. I am 60 years old, lost 70ish pounds in less than a year and have kept them off for more than 3 years.5
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Yes I can relate, crave more comfort food in the Winter and the way it gets dark earlier is depressing, still trying to learn ways to cope and not eat, you are not alone1
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Definitely. And with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, it won’t get any better. But, as long as you don’t overdo it, you can get back on track and still enjoy the holiday season.1
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I am having a hard time getting to sleep early enough to wake up at 5:30 to go to the pool. Time change has messed me up! I should love it, dark early so I can go to bed earlier.. but nope my body is still stuck in DST.0
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Ugh! This time of year is so difficult for weight loss; colder, less sunlight, holiday food, hectic schedules... I attempted a big push before Thanksgiving, with a goal of maintaining through Christmas. I will have 35 lbs to lose in 2019. Things that help me:
- Weekly meal planning
- Trying to stick to one cheat meal a week
- Limiting alcohol intake to weekend
- Tracking my food intake (even when it’s ugly)
- Exercise 5 times a week
- Regularly trying on my goal clothes
- Reaching out to my weight loss peeps
Hopefully that is some help. I appreciate the dialog and success stories on this site. As Dory likes to say, “ Just keep swimming”...
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OP thanks for this thread. We just got the first snow of the season today... and I need to move to a warmer climate. I've managed okay today but I thought about food all day! I forget about knitting thanks! I'll have to get mine out! You are not alone for sure!
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Also, posting this on the fridge during the holidays helps...0 -
I struggle in the dark. I get SAD so it slows me down and messes me up. My partial solution is to try and get as active as I can. I go for walks at lunch time and then try and get outside in the evening. Although I do it for psychological reason end up getting fitter and losing a little weight through it :-)1
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