Why We Gain Weight In Winter

Many people fall victim to winter weight gain. Those pounds creep up on us every winter and do not go away completely in summer. The sad result is a consistent annual weight gain, which adds up over the years. Easy to gain but hard to lose! Now the question arises how does this occur and what can we do to counteract it.

There are a number of reasons for this sad state of affairs. As the cold weather approaches we seem to have a built in mechanism to store fat. This is a common occurrence for a number of animals and would very likely have been critical to our ancestors' survival. When the body stores extra layers of fat it will protect us from chilly temperatures and can also be used when food is scarce in late winter. When food is abundant we often eat more, which would aid in this process. Instinctively we often select high fat foods at this time.

Weight gain can also be triggered by hormone levels. Appetite changes and cravings are sometimes determined by hormones and different chemical reactions in the brain. Neurotransmitters also play their part in determining our eating habits. Obese people can display decreased levels of these neurotransmitters which result in sleep problems, depression and eating too much.

Seasonally affected disorder can occur during shorter days when there is less light, which results in depression and excessive eating. Due to the fact that high carbohydrate foods and those that are high in sugar give a brief boost of energy these food s are often used by people to counteract the winter blues. Unfortunately this leads to a junk food cycle that is hard to break.

As you can see there are a variety of reasons why we eat more junk and carbohydrates in winter. The best solution is to replace junk with low fat high fiber carbohydrates. Examples of this would be whole grain foods, fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating these foods will also make you feel better as they are full of fiber which aids digestion. This in turn will speed up your metabolism and help you to burn more fat. You will also feel better when your digestion is working well.

Exercise is also a factor. Winter time is when we are least active. One reason is cold weather. But we are living in the modern age now where food can be bought in stores and there is central heating in our homes. It is no longer necessary for survival to store fat in winter months. So invest in a stationary bike, or sign up with your local gym. Burn off your fat now, no need to procrastinate until spring. You can avoid the winter weight gain by taking some exercise today. Skipping can also help you burn a surprising amount of fat. Indoor swimming pools can also be a fun form of exercise. You can also join a racquet ball club for some vigorous exercise.

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