When it comes to Winter Weight Gain, Think Spring!

As the weather starts to change and the days get shorter, the impending doom of winter weight gain starts to settle in. But what if you took a different approach this year? What if you took action now to ward off that extra winter layer before it has a chance to weigh you down?

Fat loss and muscle gain, the keys to a healthier you, do not happen overnight. They happen with persistence, sometimes intervention of professional help and everyone’s favorite, time. There are no magic potions to get you slim in time for bathing suit season, certainly not safely or with any long-term staying power if you don’t plan on starting until the spring weather breaks. The only way to plan for a better, healthier you by the time the weather is warm again, is to start today.

It’s no accident that all gyms have a warm weather specials, no one goes to the gym when it’s nice out! When it’s warm outside, you will want to be enjoying time outside with your friends’ and family, enjoying all the season has to offer. Butt, to enjoy these times without the guilt, lack of energy and overall “blah” feeling that comes with being overweight and out of shape, you have to start sooner rather than later. You deserve to feel at your best and only you can determine how and when the quest to being your best, begins.

Here are some tips on how to steer clear of Winter Weight Gain, before it has a chance to slow you down!

Spend the cold, dark winter mornings…at the gym. Getting sweaty and accomplishing your goals before the day begins is a great way to jumpstart healthy activity throughout the day. Where are you otherwise? In bed, postponing the inevitable. You have to get up anyway, it’s still going to be dark or close to it and it is still going to be cold. Get up and start moving to beat the clock and start the day off on the right foot.

Use the dark hours after work to…hit the gym. Sounds like I’m repeating myself? Nope. Not everyone is meant to get up before the break of dawn or for some of us, before 10am. With a commute and getting kids off to school, it may even be impossible. In terms of activity, your body clock may just work better later in the day. Pack your gym bag the night before or put a few days of clothes and gear in your car and plan squeeze in a workout before you head home. Set a goal of at least three times per week, more if you can swing it.

Get help with Nutrition, TODAY.  Pumpkin. Need I say more? Every time you see the word pumpkin, associate it with the warm spring breeze. Start to think of which one you really want and step away from the pumpkin flavored anything! You know this is a marketing ploy to get you to buy more sugary, processed, non-nutritive “foods”, right? If you are serious about your health, the only pumpkin you should enjoy is a carved up Halloween decoration, sitting on your front steps. Get help with your diet from a professional and steer clear of anything that is going to push you further and further away from your goals.

Plan Ahead.  Football Sundays, Thanksgiving, Holiday parties. They happen every year and it’s not healthy emotionally, to plan on avoiding them. We all need social interaction and these events will be a wonderful way to spend time with our loved ones. So, you can choose to use these events as an excuse to overindulge and set yourself back or you can plan to come prepared to conquer. Eat before you go, drink only water or limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage, be the designated driver! Enlist friends and family to make healthier, lighter dishes for everyone to enjoy, not just those watching their weight. Take control of your choices, before they control you!

So when it comes to the winter weight gain we all fear, there is no time like the present. Make smart choices today and give yourself the time you need to make a change for the better. When tempted to sleep in or indulge, picture yourself in April, did you start early and conquer or did you let the Pumpkin win?

Don’t Obsess About the Numbers on the Scale.

If you are one of those people that weigh themselves every morning, stop it.  I am speaking to you on behalf of every personal trainer, nutritionist, coach, you name it! There is no logical reason to weigh yourself daily unless under the orders of a physician for a medical condition.  Our weight can vary from one day to another,  anywhere from 2-5 pounds or more. The effects our food, our activity level and even how many times we use the bathroom, can influence the numbers on the scale. If you are weight training, your muscles can retain water for 2-3 days after an intense or intense to you, workout. Even the amount of carbohydrates you ingest on a given day, can affect the scale in terms of water weight retention.  Keeping a weekly log to track your weight fluctuations, if you are in a weight loss or gain protocol, makes sense.  But hop on the scale any more frequently and you are most likely setting yourself up for confusion.  

Enter the dreaded topic for all of us, body fat percentage! Are you someone that uses a body composition or body fat scale, as either a complement to tracking their weight or their sole means of tracking their measurements?  If this sounds like you, be aware that changing your body fat percentage, can take upwards of 30 days to achieve and can be varied in your daily results even more so than with your weight. Don’t stress if you don’t see changes right away!

If you have ever seen a drastic weight loss from an obese person, shortly after starting a diet and workout regime, take note of the length of time at which that reduction lasts. Most often, a significant reduction in weight loss or body fat percentage comes easier and faster to those already overweight, as the body begins the shedding or detoxifying process. This process will be a reaction to the sudden change in status quo and will not last forever.  Eventually a weight loss regime will stabilize and the body will level off at a stable weight and fat to muscle ratio. Maintaining that level or a healthy level for that matter is another topic entirely!

Just don’t stress about the numbers on the scale, any scale or any numbers. 

Keep a healthy distance from your bathroom scale outside of once per week at the same time, wearing the same amount of clothing every time.  Keep in perspective that if you are overweight, you are looking for consistent downward trend over time or anywhere from .5 to 2 pounds per week lost, if actively engaged in a healthy exercise and nutrition plan. The numbers on the scale should never define you. We all know this we just forget it too easily when staring down at those cold, heartless digits staring back at you.  Just don’t forget this tidbit of information everyday or you really will inhibit your weight management success and more importantly, you’ll lose your focus on a healthy weight and positive relationship with yourself!

Get Up and Move to Increase your Creativity

Did you ever have a problem to solve and think you just needed to get some fresh air?

As it turns out, a recent article out of Stanford University proves going for a short, brisk

walk will, in fact, help to get your mental wheels turning! The article actually found

creativity was boosted over 60% when walking versus sitting.


If you’ve ever heard the idea that doing exercise makes you feel good, this study is all

the more evidence to support that idea. Wouldn’t you agree that it feels good when you

are solving problems or gaining clarity on a situation? Wouldn’t it be ideal if we could

break up our 8-10 hour workday and instead of sitting in meeting rooms, went for a walk

and hashed out whatever problem we are working on? Sure, not every meeting or every

working situation allows for a walking break. But, we surely can do a better job finding

ways to get up and move throughout our lives.

Here are some tips to increase your daily activity:

SET REMINDERS- If you use Outlook or another mail client, set reminders for yourself

intermittently or during the times you know you tend to fade into the workday haze, to

get up and go for a walk. Use your favorite motivating quote in the reminder!

FIND A POINT TO VISIT DAILY OR MULTIPLE TIMES PER DAY- If you have a water

bottle, pick the furthest away water cooler and refill your bottle! Do you have a great

view from a section of your office? Head to that spot and take a few breaths before you

sit back down at your desk.

MAKE A WALKING ROUTE- Grab a pedometer, there are affordable ones at every big

box store and track a 1-mile walking route. One Mile averages about 2500 steps or so

and is a great timeframe and distance to clear your mind.

WALKING MEETINGS WITH COWORKERS- Schedule walking meetings and get

everyone up and moving for a change! Don’t do just any meeting, prepare for the right

meeting where notes or computers are not needed. Ask for feedback on the meeting

held as a group walk and make improvements as you get acclimated.

SET A STEPS GOAL- There are so many tracking devices available, including free

apps on your smartphone or a belt clip pedometer.  Set a goal, share the goal with a

trusted friend and step out daily to increase your steps!

All of these tips are possible to do in a day, given your worksite is both walkable and

your position and leadership within your organization is supportive of a healthy lifestyle.

 The Summer is here and the sun is shining, get up and move before Winter sneaks up

on us again!

Be the Biggest Winner in Your Weight Loss Journey

We are a quick fix nation. Open 24 hours, next day shipping, ready in under an hour. Some things like our health and our fitness, do not come with any sort of realistic overnight solution. Instead of resisting this information, embrace it. The idea that there is no quick fix, is one that if accepted as reality, can be both freeing and motivating.

The recent articles exposing the Biggest Loser, as a failed quick fix that nearly destroyed the metabolism of its participants, it’s not nearly as unique as the show itself. What is most upsetting for those of us that work in the field every day is the outcry of shock and disbelief by the public, as a result of the article. The facts relating to the failure in rapid weight loss sustainability is no surprise to science.

The body simply cannot keep up with rapid weight loss and the damage that ensues when we put stress on our systems. Have you ever heard of feast or famine? The participants in the show, went from 0-100mph in their fitness, all while decreasing their caloric intake dramatically. These were people that were well over the caloric threshold they needed daily, for years. Their bodies were used to caloric overages, well above and beyond what they needed to survive and thrive in their daily lives. When a body goes into starvation mode, fewer calories than it needs to survive or significantly less than it is used to, it will hold on to whatever it can and store it. Great for a TV series length of time, terrible for real life.

Participants went home after the show to their real lives. Real lives do not, unless you are a professional athlete, include hours and hours per day of intense, physical exercise and typically, don’t come with a personal chef. The average American struggles to fit in fitness and manage a healthy diet. Those that have struggled for years to find a healthy balance are even more susceptible to revert back to their old, comfortable habits.

So what do you do if you are one of the average Americans, just trying to look and feel better? How do you finally win your weight loss journey? Start with embracing the idea that to change your body and your habits, you will need to invest more time in yourself. Be selfish. Just because it won’t happen or shouldn’t happen overnight, doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying for. If you feel like spending 3-6 months to change your body the healthy way, isn’t worth the time commitment, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

How to be the biggest winner in your weight loss journey is actually very simple and can be enjoyable! Eat whole foods, eat what you need and no more, and limit your treats to 1 time per week. When it comes to exercise, because you can’t just manage your nutrition without addressing activity, get active for at minimum, 30 minutes a day. Vary your exercise in style, intensity and duration as you become fitter. When working within realistic goals, you will achieve success in the form of 1-2 pounds per week, consistently and over time.

No idea where to start with either restricting yourself or choosing whole foods? You’re not alone. Change is not easy, especially when it comes to potentially depriving ourselves. Setting goals with the help of a professional, after getting a clear picture of your overall health with your annual physical, is the best place to start. Start the summer season with a plan to enjoy the feast that nature provides in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables harvested in the summer months. Try to plan outings revolving around fitness with your family and work diligently on making regular activity in the form of specific and measured fitness, a part of your daily schedule. The summer is not a loss if you haven’t reached your goals yet; it’s a fresh new start filled with opportunity.

What is your Motivation?

Did the Spring days sprinkled in over the last month or so inspire you to get moving? Isn’t it interesting what the smell of flowers in the air or birds chirping outside your window in the morning will do for your motivation to get up and get active? Do you ever wish you could bottle up that fresh sense of renewal Spring provides and use it when you need it most? Well, you can!

Many of us don’t have a problem finding the motivation to move those first few times, especially during the change of seasons from Winter to Spring. But, staying motivated when life gets in the way, the weather goes back to its evil ways or when you just haven’t seen the results yet, therein is where the challenge lies.  There are many opportunities available for next to no cost aimed to help you get and STAY motivated long enough to reach your fitness goals.

Join Forces. One of the best ways to get and stay motivated in reaching a fitness goal is having a partner to rely on. Although well-intentioned, it doesn’t always work out for the best to make your partner in life, your spouse, for example, your workout partner. Choose to couple with someone like minded and with similar fitness goals. For example, someone in your same age bracket with similar schedules, working from the same current fitness level would be a great fit. Set the expectations as to when you’ll meet, how often and what your plan will be when the other can’t make it one day.

Positive Imagery. Set positive messages on sticky notes or post images that will remind you of your goals. A vision board is an excellent way to stay reminded of your goals or dreams. Even small reminders in the car, around the house or on your desk at work can be beneficial. I’ve worked with many customers that swear by images as reminders of why they are working so hard to keep them moving!

Make it a Habit. Rearrange your schedule where you can to make your new fitness goal a reality. Set it up so mornings are convenient for fitness, on certain days of the week. Coordinate daycare drop offs, have lunches made the night before or bring your clothes to shower at the gym. Set the coffee to automatic, reward yourself after the workout or plan a breakfast you enjoy that’s easy to prepare or made for you, as a reward for a job well done.

Whatever your goals, know that there are useful tools available for little or no cost to support you along the way. Take note of what works for you and what YOU will work for to reach your health and fitness goals.