Weight Loss Secrets

Gaining winter weight seems to be a consistent problem even when we continue to exercise and eat well.

This may be due to the fact that our body may be working against us trying hard to stay warm during cold months by hanging onto accumulated holiday fat. This natural survival instinct may not be the real problem, though. It very well may be that we are not quite as conscientious as we think we are in our eating ‘habits’. (for healthy recipes, herbal remedies, financial and physical fitness strategies during a recession, 12 Weight Loss Secrets, and more, please check the category’ sections of betweenclosefriends.com)

Because the cold weather gives us yet another excuse to skip our well-intentioned workouts, this could be the true reason for our increasing sluggish metabolism.

In actual fact, those fat laden ‘comfort food snacks’ (such as mixed nuts and leftover cookies), may be what we are reaching for instead of more nutritious and low-calorie fresh fruits and vegetables. Squeeze in extra nutrition each day by snacking on healthy fresh fruit and raw vegetables every chance you get as an unconscious way of paring away some of those extra pounds effortlessly.

In addition, our overall mood may be affected due to the long winter months’ daylight hours being shorter, which further advances our inclination to hibernate and put on those extra pounds.

Here are 4 more quick and easy strategies to help keep your figure lean.

1. Boost your activity. Enjoy the winter, and embrace the opportunity to learn and enjoy a new sport such as cross country skiing or ice skating. Weight training will also keep your metabolism revved by building fat-replacing muscle.

2. Tame your appetite. Juicy oranges and tasty winter squashes are bountiful right now, so take advantage of these low-calorie gems for nutritious meals and snacks. At parties, socialize by participate in games rather than chatting by (and eating) the hors d’oeuvres. (taste tempting recipes available in the ‘recipe’ section of betweenclosefriends.com blog)

3. Energize your mind. Go outside when the sun is shining, particularly during the midafternoon. Exposing your skin to winter’s sunshine may help calm your food cravings because sunshine will increase the levels of the chemical serotonin in your brain, and provide you with needed Vitamin D.

And, finally…..

4. Take the pause that reduces! During the first 10 minutes of every meal, eat slowly and your brain will automatically help you to control your weight. Research has shown that the ‘appetite switch’ is turned off after 10 minutes of beginning to eat a meal, greatly reducing the urge to continue eating. Bide your time by eating slowly: enjoy your meal, savour the flavour, and you find yourself full with a smaller portion.

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