Winter weight gain seems to be a common occurrence among people these days.
Each winter, people everywhere seem to add a few unwanted pounds.
The problem is, we never seem to get rid of all of the extra weight and each year we naturally become a little heavier.
Each year we age, the extra pounds become harder to lose.
So, why does this happen and what can we do about it? There are many reason people tend to gain weight in the winter.
First, the human body seems to naturally adapt to the cold winter months by storing excessive fat.
This is similar to many animals who naturally put on extra fat to help with winter survival.
The extra layers of fat that are put on in the winter are naturally meant to protect us against the cold while at the same time provide the fuel needed to make it through late winter and early spring.
With the fall harvests, come the stocks of food that lead to eating more when things are plentiful.
With this abundance of foods we more than likely, unconsciously choose foods that are higher in fat content.
Winter weight gain can also be influenced by hormone levels.
Appetite and food cravings can be linked to the interaction of hormones and other chemicals within the brain.
There are also some neurotransmitters that have an influence on our eating habits.
Low levels of these neurotransmitters are often present in people who are overweight resulting in excessive eating, sleep disorders, and even depression.
Another factor contributing to winter weight gain is the shortening of the days during the late fall and winter months which can bring about seasonally affected disorders due to lack of activity.
Naturally the quick fix we find for our winter depression is to eat foods high in carbohydrates and sugars to boost our energy levels.
Unfortunately, these poor eating habits lead to weight gain which actually can lead to more depression and a cycle of bad habits that can be hard to break.
As you can see, there are numerous reasons we tend to eat more high carbohydrate foods and junk foods in the winter, and unfortunately there are high levels of fats present in most of these foods.
What we can do to curb these poor eating habits is to regimen our habits and direct them toward foods that are high in fiber and low in fat content.
To do this we should eat more whole grain food items like bread and rice, as well as more fresh fruits.
It is also important to include exercise into our daily plans.
Just as winter has an affect on our eating habits it also affects our activity level.
This is a natural tendency for people when the weather gets cold.
Thankfully, we do not live in primitive times.
Our homes are heated and we can get food as we need it.
There is no need to store body fat for survival.
Get yourself a gym membership or a treadmill for your home.
Use that built-up energy now instead of carrying it around your waste.
Get yourself moving and burn those carbs now instead of carrying the weight til spring.