When the weather is nice, I kayak several times a week and ride my bike as often as I can. Dogs go on long dog walks with the next lake as the destination for the watering midpoint, there are skate queues nearby at Hudson Mills Metro Park for Saturday or Sunday morning skating. Now that the lake is frozen there will only be a couple of kayak paddles down the Huron River in sections that aren’t frozen, biking and rollerblading just don’t work well in the cold, not to mention snow. I’ll see die-hard bikers out there, but I don’t find the wind chill on my face funny. So what happens to most people’s weight during the winter?
It’s officially winter in December and there are two or three big eating holidays together. So most people are adding a few pounds each holiday if they haven’t been physically active. This happens when we stay inside watching more things on TV while we fill our faces. Now is the time to do something about it and not wait until your clothes don’t fit or wait until spring when downsizing is a bigger task. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist or have a Ph.D. in nutrition (neither am I) to figure out the simple equation of input versus output. If there is more food input and less exercise output, what is not used is stored. This storage accumulates around its medium.
According to James O. Hill, who has an M.D. from the University of Colorado, most of us gain weight by eating just 100 to 200 extra calories a day. More than two-thirds of all adults in the US are overweight or obese. Why do I care and why do I write about it? Well, being overweight has negative health effects and that increases the cost of my health insurance and my taxes. Not to mention, it’s embarrassing to be from a country full of fat, out of shape people. As we age it becomes more difficult to lose weight as most people do less. For some, getting older means giving up exercise and giving up fun, active activities. People forget how good it feels physically to carry less weight.
People follow sophisticated diets that are difficult for many, they want you to give up everything, sugar, bread, all carbohydrates or massive reductions in food. These are changes that most people cannot sustain. Therefore, the changes must be easy and easy to maintain. Just change the equation, reduce your food intake a bit, just a few hundred calories per day, and exercise more. Find something you like to do that burns calories, or find a new activity that you may not have considered.
It’s winter, so most of the fun, calorie-burning activities will be outside. I find that working out in a health club is boring exercise and not fun. Indoors there is volleyball and basketball, racquetball, hockey, and perhaps a few others, however these involve gathering other people together and setting aside little time. These can be fun and good activities, but again they are not easy to maintain on your own. Find something you can do yourself, preferably several times a week. For winter sports that burn calories, there are many activities such as cross-country skiing (one of my favorites), hiking, snowshoeing. None of these require much skill, and they’re not that expensive if you don’t have equipment. All you need for hiking is good boots and the right clothing.
Yes, it can be cold outside, but with the right activity and the right winter clothing, being outdoors in winter can be very enjoyable. Technology has brought warmer and lighter clothing to better enjoy the cold. The secret to staying warm is not to dress too much when you’re going to have vigorous activity in the cold, if you’re just a little chilly at first, that’s a good sign. The other secret is to wear the right base layer, usually made from polypropylene, so sweat can be wicked away from your skin, keeping you warm. Dry clothes are warmer than wet clothes. If you’re not sure about the right clothing, go to an outdoor store and ask for help. I found REI sales staff knowledgeable as an example source, there are many others. Find a store that has experienced staff. This is not likely in the big box stores. Internet research is another good way to learn about outdoor gear.
Another way to stay warm in winter when exercising is to stay away from open areas if it’s windy. Go hiking, cross-country skiing, hiking, or snowshoeing in the woods. The winter wind does not enter the forest as much. Forests can be very serene and beautiful under a blanket of snow; An added benefit of exercising in the woods is that it can be an attitude adjustment. On a calm, sunny day, being outside can be nice and warm: bask in the sun and get your winter vitamin D.
Experts say don’t weigh yourself every day, however for me if I see the pounds come on and stay on the scale for a few days then I know I need to cut back or exercise more. Self-control is needed to reduce intake, but it doesn’t take much, just remember the 100 to 200 calories per day. If your clothes are too tight and you need the next larger size. Hello, you are eating too much; don’t buy the next size up, do something about it. If you are already overweight, start to change the equation, it does not have to be drastic, just consistent. The easiest way to lose weight is to find fun things to do that don’t feel like exercise, don’t make it hard to cut back on food, but are conscious about cutting calories. Do it for yourself, do it for your health, and do it to keep health care costs and taxes down. Above all, get off the couch and do something fun and active.