Is it harder to lose weight in the winter?
Are you also struggling to manage your weight in cold weather?
Well, keep reading this article as you are not alone to be struggling with this problem!
In winter body usually takes more time to warm and cold conditions make your job of getting out of bed and going out tough. Normal people gain up to 1 pound & overweight people can gain 5-10 pounds during winter and holidays, according to research! Physical workout is difficult to perform and eating habits get out of hand, as you crave more in winter.
These all things eventually lead to gaining more fat and calories.
Well, in this article you will learn…
- How you can reduce chances of gaining more weight in winter.
- What foods can help you overcome that?
- What workouts you can try.
- More in-depth guide into why is it so difficult to burn calories during winter.
Weight Loss In Winter
No one likes to leave the bed on cold mornings, this weather makes you lazy, it just feels like staying in bed the whole time.
As evenings arrive sooner than summer, it makes you slow and you feel like heading to bed, as work seems too much.
Roaming outside under the sun in winter is very difficult which makes you susceptible to the seasonal affective disorder, which you can develop in winter.
According to the University of Exeter, you tend to eat more during winter, because it’s ingrained in your biology, as earlier food was not easily available during winter conditions.
And all these factors make you wonder, is it harder to lose weight in the winter?
Below you will find some common reasons which make it difficult to burn calories in winter…
1.Low Fluid Intake In Winter
In cold weather, you tend to drink less water, as your body is not doing any physical work hence not feeling thirsty.
But you can very easily get dehydrated by not drinking enough water throughout the day, and you will feel hungry most of the time.
Therefore, you will start consuming more calories and drinking less water will cause you to put on more weight.
2.No Workouts
Most people don’t feel like leaving the beds because of the warmness it provides during the chilling weather.
You just like to stay wherever you are for the most part of the day, and this can lead to gaining weight.
3.Oversleep
It feels great to stay in bed during winter morning or in the afternoon! Who wants to get out of bed, to do any work…!
Your body resists any kind of work and you tend to feel lazy, sleepy for most art of the day.
And this results in excess sleep during winter and increases your chances of gaining more weight and not burning any calories.
4.Lack Of Sunlight
One of the common problems many people face is that they are not able to go out and be in the sun for a long duration in winter.
Vitamin D is very important for your body and it creates, when you venture out in the direct sun.
Lack of sunlight also affects your mood and makes you susceptible to anxiousness, loss of temper and slow down your mind.
Read More: People tend to eat more during winter
Is It Difficult To Reduce Weight In Winter
Losing weight during winter is difficult if you are already overweight and struggling to maintain body weight.
You can’t lose weight overnight, but what you can do is keep yourself motivated and follow a strict diet and workout routine.
In winter your body avoids any kind of work because of the weather condition, sleepiness, laziness and staying in bed are some of the common traits of winter.
But, is it really difficult to burn calories in winter?
Let’s dig in….
- In winter people don’t like to eat green veggies instead they eat more hot chocolates, sweets, pancakes etc.
- Chilly weather means you are not gonna venture out for any kind of workout.
- Overweight people already find it difficult to burn calories and stacking up on junk and sweet foods kill chances of any kind of fat loss.
- Lots of working people tend to often neglect workout in the winter because of lack of time and weather conditions makes it another excuse for them.
- Lack of exercise, drinking insufficient water and slow metabolism in winter makes it very difficult in losing weight.
- People stay for long hours in bed, which is also one reason for gaining more weight.
How To Lose Weight In Winter Without Exercise
Everyone dreams of having a fit and great looking body, but very few people work for it.
Yes, that’s true very few want to work for it and achieve that amzign health and fit body.
Most guys don’t like to workout or venture out into any kind of physical activities to improve their health.
Well, here i will share some tips as to how to lose weight in winter without exercise…
1.Enough Sleep
Usually, most people oversleep in winter and that is bad for your body weight, but if you are maintaining a healthy lifestyle and going to bed daily at a fixed time, it can help in keeping your weight in check.
Even if you are not doing any kind of workout and are only involved in the household or official work, sleep is necessary for your body to restore all the energy you have lost.
Good sleep helps to energize your body by burning calories during sleep and increases your metabolism also.
2.Indoor Activities
Weather conditions in winter make it difficult for you to venture out and do any kind of workout.
So instead you can do some light weight exercise at home and burn some calories.
Only 30 minutes of physical workout can increase your rate of burning calories and will help to maintain your weight.
According to health experts doing 30-40 minutes of any kind of physical workout like walking, stair climbing, jumping jacks etc can increase your blood circulation levels and you will receive more oxygen.
3.Start Eating Whole Foods
Losing weight is incomplete without eating healthy,whole foods and green veggies.
Controlling your diet is important but you can lose weight by simply removing sugary, processed foods, oily and salty foods from your diet.
Instead try green veggies like kale, spinach, carrots and whole foods like oats, cereals are high in fibre and keep you full for long periods.
And this stops you from overeating and helps you lose weight during winter also.
4.Drink More Water
In winter you don’t feel like drinking more water because of the weather conditions, and this leads to drinking less water.
Drinking around 6-8 ounce of water per day helps you to keep yourself hydrated and water also helps to improve the functioning of cells and tissues.
Drinking more water also means it will stop you from overeating as you feel full already and thus it can help in maintaining your body weight.
Is It Difficult To Lose Weight
Well, it’s a good question! And I think you also know the answer…
As you have guessed already! I will only say that it depends on your body type, age and stamina.
There are 3 factors which decide whether you will be able to lose weight or not and they are-
- Bodyweight
- Age
- Being Regular
You must have seen overweight people successfully lose weight in 6 months or so, by workout and by following a strict diet.
Whereas there are many who have tried everything but haven’t lost a single pound!
So, why does this happen, is it difficult to lose weight, let’s find out …
# Trying To Lose Weight In Short Period
Many people see weight loss videos on Instagram, YouTube or Facebook.
And they think they can replicate their weight loss success in a short period.
They fail to understand that those people have been working on their bodies for many years.
And that’s why they have well-toned bodies.
You must have a long term goal depending on how overweight you are and then decide your workout and diet combination.
Simply following random advice from any coach will not give you a result, instead, try to go slowly in the beginning.
Let your body adjust to the changes you are making and then you will see results very soon.
# Exercise Is Not Everything
You are working out daily at home or in the gym, walking and running.
Following all the standard workout routines you need to lose weight, but still not losing a single pound!
It happens because you are only focused on workouts.
And not on some other vital things which help in the weight loss process.
Try to supplement exercise with a proper and healthy diet, drink lots of water.
And get ample rest throughout the day to feel energized and to relax your muscles.
Excess workout can lead to a loss in muscle mass and you need to include fruits, green veggies and nuts in your diet to keep your body healthy.
# Stress Factor & Workload
People working in day jobs and even women involved in household chores are not able to manage work and time.
And this has a negative impact on your health because your body is already not exhausted and you are involved in workouts and diet.
To perform workouts daily you need to have adequate sleep, rest and peace of mind.
Working after an intense and hard day’s work will not give you any kind of result and you will only lose your time and get demotivated.
Weight Loss In Winter Vs Summer
Do you think you lose more weight in winter than in summer?
But although you sweat a lot in summer that should mean you’re burning calories in summer!
Aren’t you confused?
Now back to the topic, is there any favourite weather conditions that aids in losing weight?
Here you will find some facts backed by science that will give you an answer.
1.Change In Metabolism Rate
According to health experts in winter you don’t exercise a lot with respect to summer.
Change in weather doesn’t affect metabolism rate, but your metabolism increases during workouts.
And in winter you don’t work out often, so you have to avoid foods high in calories.
So it is advisable to keep working out in winter to maintain body weight, metabolism slows during that period.
2.Heat Helps In Burning More Calories
Well, to some extent, working out in the heat or simply walking or running in high-temperature burns more calorie than winter.
But in winter also your body creates brown fat (Brown adipose tissue) which helps to burn calories, as your body experiences cold, it starts producing brown fat.
Brown fat helps to increase your metabolism which maintains the body temperature and in this process burns calories.
3.What Foods To Eat
In summer you tend to have cucumber, carrot, juice, lemon water as the weather conditions make you drink and eat these healthy foods.
During summer you drink more water, but in winter you don’t and you can overeat because of that.
You can include foods high in protein in winter as it will help to maintain your body temperature and will burn fat also.
Foods high in protein also keep you full for long periods.
Home Remedies For Weight Loss In Winters
There are many things which are vital for losing fat, like diet, exercise, rest etc.
Winter makes it hard to keep your body in shape and as you feel lazy and indulge yourself in junk and processed foods.
But, there are ways by which you can control your weight and lose excess fat efficiently without doing anything extra.
Here are some tips and remedies for you to burn more calorie sin winter-
- Try to have whole fruits and avoid having juice as it contains a little more sugar than whole fruit.
- Whole fruit has more fibre which keeps you full for long periods.
- In winter you remain indoors most of the time and don’t drink enough water, which leads to having more high-calorie food.
- So try to take 6-8 glasses of water per day to keep your satiety under control.
- Take hot water with lemon or honey, according to health experts this helps to tone your tummy fat and is good for metabolism and digestion also.
- Replace foods high in calories with green veggies or seasonal vegetables.
- Like radish, carrots, spinach, broccoli, these foods are high in fibre and low in calorie.
- Do some kind of indoor physical activity with your family member or play with your kids for 20-30 minutes.
- And this will increase your blood circulation and will burn some extra calories.
The Bottom Line
So finally, you must have understood why is it harder to lose weight in the winter and how can you overcome that.
Losing weight in winter only requires a little bit of a controlled diet and doing some normal physical activities.
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Cheers!
