Maintaining Weight in Winter

Winter presents us with a significant challenge in trying to maintain our weight.

Why?

There are several reasons for the difficulties that winter brings: biochemical, physiological, and environmental. In winter, there are fewer daylight hours, which leads to an increased production of a substance in our body called melatonin.

High melatonin levels cause us to feel sadness, fatigue, and increased anxiety. The longer the dark hours, the more melatonin is produced.

Seasonal winter depression (SAD) is a known phenomenon, stemming partly from elevated melatonin, and is treated with light exposure.

Another substance involved is serotonin, which is the precursor from which melatonin is made. This means that as melatonin levels rise, serotonin levels drop. What does this actually mean?

Serotonin is a chemical that affects our mood as well as feelings of hunger and fullness. The higher our serotonin levels, the better our mood and the fuller we feel.

Serotonin is influenced by the food we eat: consuming carbohydrates increases serotonin, while consuming proteins decreases it.

And what happens in winter? As melatonin rises, serotonin falls, so we often experience feelings of gloom along with increased hunger, especially for carbohydrates and sweets (to boost serotonin levels in the body).

To make matters worse, it is known that serotonin levels are naturally lower in women and in people struggling with obesity, intensifying their cravings for sweets and carbs even further.

Another factor is the cold itself, which increases our appetite to supply the energy needed to warm the body.

Added to this is the fact that in winter, we stay indoors more and lack the desire to exercise or walk outside. We drink more hot beverages accompanied by cookies. We wear loose, covering clothes, making it easier to ignore the kilograms slowly creeping up.

Despite the challenge winter poses, there are ways to cope and we shouldn't give up.

Tips for maintaining weight during the winter season:

1. To lower melatonin levels, it is recommended to use bright bulbs at home and step outside into the sunlight whenever possible.
2. To overcome the drop in serotonin, make sure to eat complex carbohydrates throughout the day, such as whole wheat bread, pasta, bulgur, rice cakes...
3. Recommended physical activity in winter:
1. At home - jumping rope, dancing, climbing stairs, workouts with a DVD...
2. Outdoors - gym, walking bundled in a coat and scarf, folk dancing...
4. Provide body-warming foods such as oatmeal or low-calorie soup.
   Be careful with the type of soups, as soup can also contain many calories—creamed soup, legume soup, sweet potato soup, corn soup, potato soup, and our favorite additions: soup mandels (croutons) or regular croutons.
   For cold foods, it is recommended to remove them from the refrigerator about an hour before eating—vegetables, cheeses, dairy products, etc.
5. It is recommended to use warming spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, cumin, sweet paprika, and of course, hot pepper.
6. Don't forget to keep temptations away from home...
7. Examples of cake alternatives:
1. A slice of bread with diet jam
2. 2 crispbreads (e.g. Patit) with white cheese and jam
8. To prevent large temperature differences between our body and the surroundings, keep your environment well-heated.

Pay attention!

Hot drinks can add a non-negligible caloric load: if you add a teaspoon of sugar and some milk, you can reach 50 calories per cup without noticing.