7 PRACTICAL TIPS to LOSE WEIGHT THIS WINTER

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Written by: Luke Douglas

[ctt template=”8″ link=”03jx5″ via=”no” ]”I will not feel deprived when I turn down junk food. I will feel empowered that I made the healthy choice.” – Make sure to follow @stylebysusana on Twitter[/ctt]

Once the winter comes knocking at our doors, we tend to hide in our cosy blankets wishing to sleep those cold days off. This is why many people end up gaining that winter weight that we all dread, come summer.

Well, try changing things up this winter – start losing weight that you might have accumulated since the summer ended and, in addition to feeling slim, you won’t have to pressure yourself into shedding pounds once the sunny days come knocking. Here are 7 practical tips with regards to losing weight this winter.

Have a Healthy Diet

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It’s relatively easy eating healthy foods during the summer – somehow, our bodies seem to crave raw veggies and fruits and we seamlessly start shedding those pounds.

Once we’ve got to the satisfactory point weight-wise, the summer is already at its end and another period of gaining weight is upon us.

Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet throughout the year is definitely the best way to go; once you’ve got used to healthy meals, your bad food cravings will start fading and your body will learn how to give you signals for that which it needs, from protein to carbs.

Eat Healthy Fats

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve definitely heard about the “healthy” fats term.

In order to absorb important nutrients from food quickly and efficiently (which results in weight loss), our bodies need the right kind of fats that help soak up vitamins A, D and E, which are necessary for nurturing the nervous system. Also known as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, these are contained in olives, almonds, avocados, anchovies, flax seeds, hemp seeds, salmon, etc.

Avoid Mixing Fats & Carbs

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In truth, avoiding fats like a plague is neither a realistic, nor a smart idea – our bodies need “regular” fats to a certain extent.

What you should definitely avoid is the worst food combination out there – fats and carbs in a single meal.

Both fats and carbs have storing potential and, when combined, can be detrimental to your weight loss goals.

It’s quite logical when you think about it – all the foods related to weight gain, KFC, McDonald’s, fish & chips meals, tacos, burritos, your average burgers and fries; all of these combine fats and carbs into one meal.

Eat Protein

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Protein is irreplaceable for an exercising body – it helps your muscles grow and is found in largest quantities in lean meats.

However, another cool property of protein is that it keeps you feeling full for a longer period than other foods while stabilising your blood sugar levels.

Avoid Drinking Excess Alcohol

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Alcoholism is a dangerous road, but a beer or two a day do not an alcoholic make.

It is hard to find an Australian who doesn’t enjoy a can of beer at the end of a workday and, although this amount of alcohol really isn’t a substantial threat to your health, it is a factor that will definitely slow down your weight loss process.

It goes the same for other alcoholic beverages – cocktails contain borderline diabetes-inducing amounts of sugar, spirits are full of calories and even wine won’t really help you shed those pounds.

Motivate Yourself to Exercise

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Well, you didn’t think you’d go through a weight loss article without reading about exercising, did you?

People who claim that exercising is enough to reach your weight loss goals are just about as wrong as those who claim that maintaining a proper diet can be a sole factor that will get you there.

However, when combined, a healthy, protein-rich diet complements quality exercise, while breaking a sweat will leave you craving for healthy foods.

The biggest problem with working out, however, is finding enough motivation to get you going and wintertime is no excuse for being a couch potato. As soon as the bad weather strikes, get some breathable gym wear to motivate you and go to your local gym.

In truth, there is no real ultimate tip that will get your exercise engines running – you need to want to get your body in shape. Keep pushing yourself in the beginning and you’ll learn to love breaking a sweat.

Shape Your Body & Soothe Your Mind at Home with Yoga

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While it’s true that yoga isn’t really about exercising (it’s about improving your lifestyle, in general), in the long term, it will help your body become more limber, toner, stretchy and firmer.

By uniting the mind, body and spirit, yoga poses and its transitions in between them will tighten all of your body parts that aren’t firm and will leave you craving for a healthier diet.

Have some patience (as it does take some time to understand and prefect the poses) and, in time, you’ll learn how yoga complements exercise in a perfect manner.

There is no reason for letting yourself go during wintertime – not only is it unhealthy, but the 3+ coldest months are a long enough period to ruin any kind of a physical progress. Maintain a healthy diet throughout the cold season and don’t refrain from working out.

CHEERS, LUKE!

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9 Comments
  • Lea H
    July 28, 2017

    Although I don’t wanna loose weight I wanna move more and this post really gave me the motivation to take it more seriously again. Thanks for sharing your tips.
    Lea, xx
    asnippetoflife.com

  • Helene Vlacho
    July 27, 2017

    It’s definitely true, in winter we tend to hide our body under the clothes and forget to keep our workout program. I want to start Yoga again and this Autumn will be a good season.

  • Jenny Bulmer
    July 27, 2017

    Good tips, winter always is loaded with heavy carbs, it’s always best to keep an eye on food intake especially at Christmas !

  • Melissa
    July 27, 2017

    These are great tips! Just started to change my eating my habits. Cutting out a lot of the bad carbs for good healthy proteins, fats and good carbs.

  • LaShaun Ade
    July 27, 2017

    Thanks for this post. Since starting yoga recently and cutting meat from my diet I’ve lost 30 lbs. Now it’s all about maintaining a healthy diet and sticking to my excerise routine. It definitely gets challenging whenever I’m on vacation or the weather is bad to motivate myself, but I look and FEEL much better so its worth it!

  • Sophia Whitham
    July 27, 2017

    I find it so much easier to eat healthily and exercise in winter, I have no idea why. Thanks for the tips! I really want to get back into yoga, it’s actually very difficult holding your body weight in some of those poses haha

    Sophia x https://sophiawhitham.co.uk

  • Leian Cornelius
    July 27, 2017

    Encouraging… I recently discovered I am gluten sensitive, so I’ve been making some major changes in my diet and fitness regime. Thanks for sharing.

  • Abi Howard
    July 26, 2017

    Very interesting post, thanks for sharing your tips! I’m not in a position where I am looking to lose weight but I will pass this on to anyone who asks for advice

  • Cynthia Salgado
    July 26, 2017

    I never had issues pushing myself to exercise, my problem has always been the food, but lately it’s the opposite! As I grow older I’m eating healthier, but neglecting exercise!