Soooo Does anyone else lose exercise motivation in winter???

Rayanne203
Rayanne203 Posts: 207 Member
edited October 2024 in Motivation and Support
So yeash I started my weight loss journey at 199 pounds I am now at 154, and losing motivation, Cold weather is the culprit! It makes me wanna snuggle up on the couch and eat nothing but carbs! I just cant find it in me to drink cold water and eat a salad on chilly days like today. All I want are warm conforting foods. I also havn't worked out in 2 weeks :'( I feel like I'm falling into old habbits I dont know what to do :( does anyone else feel this way???

Replies

  • dcmat
    dcmat Posts: 1,723 Member
    My motivation is my staff...I can be so grumpy if I don't get a burn cycling into work! Also, now trying to hit 10K miles for the year.
  • Jovialation
    Jovialation Posts: 7,632 Member
    same here....I work out in my basement because its got more room and has carpet.
    so in winter I do not want to be down there.

    Chug a coffee or tea before you work out, thats the only thing that gets me moving when cold!
  • capriciousmoon
    capriciousmoon Posts: 1,263 Member
    Cold weather is when you switch out your salads for soups with lots of veggies and beans. If cold water is hard you can always drink tea, it counts.
  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
    Pretty sure most people do, the darkness and bitter weather get you down, make you sleepy and such. There's studies about seasonal somethin somethin disorder.

    I think your best bet is keep a routine, try to get up at a regular time and get your workout in, strive more towards that , THEN starting your day, as opposed to letting the weather/day depict what you're gonna do.

    there's few things you can count or rely on, weather isn't one of them...but YOUR goals, hardwork and determination is one
  • Jovialation
    Jovialation Posts: 7,632 Member
    Seasonal Affective Disorder, btw.


    I think they named it that just to call it "SAD"
    boo
  • Hoppymom
    Hoppymom Posts: 1,158 Member
    Hope not I just joined a gym a month ago. I did have a bumpy week-end due to being out of town but the plan is to maintain my 4-5 nights a week at the gym. Good luck everyone!
  • andforpoise
    andforpoise Posts: 185
    I totally do! But I use tea tasting to my advantage. Tea is warm and comforting and you can get almost any flavour imaginable! There's this company called David's Tea that even once had a popcorn flavoured tea, strange eh?

    I found myself strolling through Walmart the other day looking for carb-infested food...almost bought a box of Velveeta pasta but resisted...thought about frozen pizzas...resisted those too :P Another good way to beat the temptation is to make warm meals in a slow cooker! I did that during the chillier part of spring and it worked well and there are so many healthy slow cooker recipes out there! In fact, there are probably thousands of cookbooks dedicated to the topic (I have one by the brand "Company's Coming" that I really like).

    Those are my tips! Keep on trucking! :)
  • happy_vegan
    happy_vegan Posts: 200 Member
    something i realized the other day is that instead of fresh veg, i can heat up frozen veg and so even though it's something warm it's still very low calorie..good for snacking.
    i can always use a few small tricks like that to help keep me going. i hate a cold belly in winter too.
  • jocewar
    jocewar Posts: 27 Member
    I know what you mean! We live in the land of fricken cold, so its really hard to get motivated. But I just go shopping and try on clothes that I never dreamt about fitting before and can now, and that gives me motivation (for a week or so ha ha).
  • Rain_Howard
    Rain_Howard Posts: 155
    Have your vitamin D checked and if needed take some to keep it up over the winter. If it's drastically low they can give you a shot.
    Light boxes are wonderful if you can afford them. If not, find a friend that grows pot and snag a grow light from them and hang it where you sit the most. Will make a massive difference.
  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
    Yep, it's cold outside so it's harder to make myself walk (and we haven't hit COLD yet!!) and I am drinking the water and freezing for it. Tea is more of an effort, but I do love it. I do also sweeten it, so I don't drink very much tea. :( I am finding that I have to eat less to stay under goal because I'm *not* exercising as much, yet the winter foods are more calorie dense. I'm trying to go with more cooked veggies. I do love soups and can't make creamed soups due to my kids' milk allergies, so soups are a nice, low-cal meal, too. I love hot peppers and they tend to warm me up at least a little. If I can get warm enough, I can make myself get up and exercise. That warms me up and keeps me good for awhile, too.

    I like the idea of trying on goal clothes to keep the motivation going!
  • Kimblesnbits
    Kimblesnbits Posts: 321 Member
    TOTALLY! I just wanna cuddle up under the blankets and watch tv all day long! But, trying not to do that everyday after i get home from work! It's so tough tho!
  • deeharley
    deeharley Posts: 1,208 Member
    I've been thinking this. Not with the exercise so much - I've got my routine down and I get to the gym plenty still, but with the eating . . . Oh My WORD!! I feel like I black out and wake up with candy wrappers and pizza boxes all around me. I know that's not really how it is, I'm still making choices, but there are days that I could eat from the moment I wake up until I go to bed.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Yes, thank goodness summer is nearly here!!!!
  • Rayanne203
    Rayanne203 Posts: 207 Member
    HAHAHAHAHA I know what you mean about the blacking out with candy wrappers and pizza boxes around you LOL
    I've been thinking this. Not with the exercise so much - I've got my routine down and I get to the gym plenty still, but with the eating . . . Oh My WORD!! I feel like I black out and wake up with candy wrappers and pizza boxes all around me. I know that's not really how it is, I'm still making choices, but there are days that I could eat from the moment I wake up until I go to bed.

    Thank you so much for all your great inisght I really need to get back into my old routine and with all your great tips I now have some decent ideas. Thank you

    It's also nice to know I am not the only one...lol
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,040 Member
    Physiologically, just like other animals, our bodies are programmed to conserve energy during winter months. Even from thousands of years ago, we still genetically have it in us to conserve energy because of lack of food during the cold winter months.
    So it's not strange to "not want" to exercise as it gets colder. Of course now, we do have the technology to keep warm during winter and have more than enough food, so you it just takes some habitual training to keep up that exercise all year around.
  • rrgrove
    rrgrove Posts: 73
    ive seen alot of people on here saying the same thing i feel the same way but im trying to find alot of friends who are motivated and seeing there post everyday is really helping me stay on track
  • luhluhlaura
    luhluhlaura Posts: 278 Member
    Yesterday night we had the first big storm of the season...I live in california so it doesn't get too cold here, but...I'm a wimp. I get cold so easily and I hate rain. I can feel myself starting to crave warm, sugary carbs and hot cappuccinos every day. I seriously just want to eat pastries all day lol.

    But last winter I ate so badly and stopped working out--and I gained back most of the weight I had lost that summer! Not cool. So come springtime, I was embarrassed and didn't want to wear pretty skirts and shorts.
    So my motivation now is how great I'm gonna feel when springtime comes around and I get to take off the jeans and reveal a hot toned bod! :wink:
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I guess I am just weird, but I lose motivation in the summer, not the winter. For me, I am motivated in the winter to get in great shape so I can look awesome in a bikini. When summer's already here, I either have the body or I don't, so I am not as motivated. I keep going, though, cause I guess in the back of my mind I'm thinking of those jeans I want to wear in the winter.
  • AvocadoPit
    AvocadoPit Posts: 22 Member
    This is so me! Glad to see I am not alone! This is actually the reason why I rejoined this site! Even worse than the cold tho,is the darkness. Where I live it doesn't get light until like 8 in the morning and dark again at like 4 in the afternood. And at its darkest, sun is only up for maybe 4 hours in the middle of the day. And I just cant go running/ go for walks or anything in the dark. And I am in school when it is light. Big bummer.

    Plus you want the hearty warm comfort food. For me, soups is really good for this. A really warm soup in wintertime? not many things can beat that! Easy to make low cal too! So that is my tip, if it helps.
  • rajivdubey
    rajivdubey Posts: 382 Member
    I already have hard time getting up! But something keeps me going....it has to be some bit of motivation and encouragement from people around you!

    We are all in the same boat!!
  • meggers123
    meggers123 Posts: 711 Member
    Even worse than the cold tho,is the darkness. Where I live it doesn't get light until like 8 in the morning and dark again at like 4 in the afternood. And at its darkest, sun is only up for maybe 4 hours in the middle of the day. And I just cant go running/ go for walks or anything in the dark.

    I hate this too! I just can't find the motivation to go running or biking when it's dark and freezing. And the best part of the day (sunlight!) is wasted on work. :grumble:
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