Staying Fit: Winter Edition
With the temperature on a steady decline this time of year, most of us (including myself) tend to get lazy and hibernate inside our homes. We come up with any excuse for not working out during these months from, “It’s too cold” to “My couch feels too good.” Excuses like these will get you in trouble because before you know it, you’ll stand on the scale and be 15-20 pounds heavier. Downfalls like this are never good because it takes more work to get back in shape than it would if you never got out of shape. Don’t be discouraged, I got a few tips to help you stay in shape during this “cozy” season without going to the gym.
- Portion Control. This is probably the most important step when controlling your weight, not just in winter, but year around. I’m not going to talk your ear off and tell you to actually measure the amounts of foods to take in, but you should be able to do this by eye. If you eat 2-3 big meals per day, break it down into about 4-5 small meals per day. This way you will never be hungry and your metabolism will speed up, which helps to burn fat faster.
- Don’t be lazy. Every time you are going somewhere, do the unlazy thing and walk. Walk on your break at work, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to the mailbox or anything like that. You have to go to these places anyway, you might as well walk and burn some calories.
- Proper Sleep. This is something I have a problem with myself. If possible, you need to get 6-8 hours a night. I know with having a 9-5 and a life outside of that this doesn’t seem realistic, but this is what you need to be well rested. Getting 6-8 hours of sleep will give you enough energy to exercise and just enough energy in general. I’m not saying that you need to be in bed by 9 o’ clock every night, but try starting off going to bed 10 minutes earlier until a pattern develops.
- Alcohol consumption. I know that when it is cold outside there is nothing better than having several “stiff” drinks on the regular to warm you up, but too much adds too many calories. There is a reason why bodybuilders don’t drink at all during competition season, alcohol makes you gain weight like unhealthy food. Not to mention, it makes you feel sick and sluggish the next day. Everybody has their vice but when it comes to this one, limit yourself to 1-2 drinks per week.
I hope these tips can get you through the “lazy” winter time. Everything takes work, just do what little you can. Remember, a little something is better than nothing.
