Harder time in the winter months?
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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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If you think you may have SAD go see your doctor. A therapy lamp does help. It is sooo tempting to hibernate when the weather is cold and grey, but I find it helpful to try to get up and outside as many days as possible and as many have said find some daylight time to get out for a walk if possible. I usually go off the rails in November - so I have switched myself to maintenance. Even if I am at maintenance for 3 or 4 months it is better that giving up and gaining it all back.1
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I actually don't mind the cold at all. The things i don't like about winter are: I have to scrape my car windows every morning, and it gets dark so early. The darkness is quite depressing.1
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Something that I love about my small town is that from Nov-March our high school offers indoor walking from 5-7pm on weekdays. You might want to see if your community has something similar or could start something if there's enough interest.
As far as eating goes, I love seasonal flavors (bring on the pumpkin, spices, soups, and stews!). I try to challenge myself on making my favorites a little healthier without sacrificing flavor, otherwise, what's the point? I would rather have one full fat muffin over five nonfat ones if they don't taste good. Sub ground turkey/chicken for beef in recipes, sub at least half of vegetable oil in baked goods for applesauce, etc. If you're on keto, try using almond flour, coconut flour, or carbquick instead of regular flour (or do half and half).0
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