Now that fall is underway and winter is around the corner, it’s natural to start looking at those big bulky sweaters as a wonderful way to hide the fact that we decided to have a hot chocolate with marshmallows instead of a green tea and we decided to curl up under a blanket as our exercise for two days in a row.
That said, if you choose to avoid gaining weight this fall and winter, it will mean that you’ll be much happier with yourself when spring rolls around. Not to mention the fact that you’ll have a healthier body, too.
So if you’d rather avoid gaining weight this season, then you’ll want to pay attention to some fantastic helpful tips that will help you to enjoy yourself without letting another pumpkin spice latte stand in the way of reaching your weight loss goals.
Top Tips to Avoid Gaining Weight This Season
- Be mindful – Fall comes with Thanksgiving and all the comfort foods that surround it, as well as the beginning of preparations for Christmas, which isn’t far behind. Though you may feel as though there is no way to avoid pumpkin pies, eggnog and an endless sea of mashed potatoes with turkey gravy, this doesn’t mean that all is lost.
- Plan Ahead – Since you know you’ll face heavy foods that are impossible to resist, start by planning healthful, weight loss-friendly meals. That way, when the sweetheart at the office offers you one of the butter tarts she made, you won’t have to feel nearly as guilty about accepting.
- When you do decide to go for a treat, watch your portion size – The most pleasure actually comes from the first two bites. Anything after that isn’t as enjoyable. Give yourself a few fantastic bites to savor and focus the rest of your food intake on healthful options.
- Give priority to your workout – At the same time, focus on keeping up your activity level to avoid gaining weight, even if it’s just a matter of fitting in a ten minute brisk walk whenever you can. Use it to enjoy the sights and sounds of fall. Kick some leaves!
- Prep healthful foods in advance – When you get the chance to prep one healthful meal, use that same time to keep chopping those veggies so that you’ll always have healthful, nutrient dense, lower calorie snacks and meals ready to grab when you need them. Even better, double the size of the meals you prepare so you can freeze portions and have ready-made weight loss friendly meals all set to go. If it’s just as easy as take-out or a frozen dinner, you’re more likely to eat it!
Why is Fall the Perfect Time to Set Healthy Habits?
Fortunately, fall presents the perfect opportunity to adopt new and healthy lifestyle habits. If you want to avoid gaining weight over the holidays or the colder season, this is the perfect opportunity to get started. Moreover, despite all the available treats and holidays throughout the fall, there are ample opportunities to overcome a few indulgences along the way.
Consider the following reasons that this season naturally offers great opportunities to get on track with your healthy lifestyle and avoid gaining weight.
- The Perfect Temperature – Yes, the weather has started to move toward the cool side. It’s no longer the ideal weather for shorts and outdoor pools. However, it is now the perfect time to get outside and do something highly active like a cardio workout. It’s not too cool to head out for a full workout, but it’s no longer so hot that you get overheated as soon as you head outside. It’s as though the weather is giving you a break to do more workouts and burn off any extra calories you’ve consumed (as well as a few extra you know you’ll be having later on).
- A Bountiful Harvest – This time of year has ample opportunity to buy local, flavorful and seasonal foods. Head to local festivals, farmers markets, or even your grocery store. You’ll find that there is a bigger selection of local vegetables such as squash, beets, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, and fruits such as apples. These are all foods that are extremely good for you and low calorie as well as very filling. This makes it easy to enjoy substantial meals without a high calorie consequence.
- More Space – With kids back in school and tourists moving around in smaller numbers, there is a lot more space for you to do your workouts. Whether you want to go to the gym or head out along a hiking trail to see the gorgeous fall colors, you can avoid gaining weight without having to deal with summer’s crowds. Knowing you will have the space you need to move around can also make it far easier to get motivated to work out each day.
