Keep off the winter weight: how to do it| MAN v FAT

Summer is formally over and the chilly nights are drawing in. Many of us overlook about that summer season physique we labored so exhausting for now that we will pile on the layers of clothes, but it surely’s price fascinated about how you possibly can hold off the winter weight.

As tempting as it’s to keep indoors all winter mainlining stew and stodgy puddings, don’t use the chilly climate as an excuse to neglect your wholesome way of life.

After all, if you happen to’ve labored exhausting to lose the weight for the summer season you’ll be fairly pissed off if in case you have to do it yet again for the subsequent time the solar graces Britain with its presence and also you need to mud off the Speedos.

We sat down with some dietary consultants to discover out the dos and don’ts of preserving that winter stomach at bay.

How to hold off the winter weight

DO:

Is this the happiest anybody has ever been whereas holding weights?

Keep exercising

Don’t use chilly climate as an excuse to cease exercising, as tempting as it’s when it’s raining exterior and your mattress is sooooo cosy. Alix Woods, who’s a nutritionist at Quest Nutra Pharma, says: “If you’re struggling to make it to the gym or you’re just too cold to leave your heated house, there are loads of fitness apps you can download to give you a good workout.”

And what exercises do you have to be doing? “Do 30 minutes of interval training 3-4 times a week. High-intenisty interval training (HIIT) allows the body to burn more calories over a shorter time than steady cardiovascular exercise such as long-distance running. This is due to the alternate periods of high-intensity training and low-intensity recovery times.” We like doing HIIT exercises purely as a result of it’s over in half-hour, so there’s that too.

Whatever you’re into, stick with it.

Eat protein

Nutritionist and creator of Fat Around The Middle Dr Marilyn Glenville says: “Protein slows down the rate that stomach processes food and delays the passage of the carbohydrates with it. As soon as you add a protein (be it animal or vegetable) to a carbohydrate, you change it into a slower releasing carbohydrate, that helps to balance your sugar levels.”

High protein meals embody eggs, hen, peanut butter, tofu and Greek yoghurt and you could possibly additionally increase your consumption with a protein powder stirred right into a smoothie.

Switch white for wholemeal

Marilyn suggests that you just swap to complete grain options that launch power slowly. “The carbohydrates in wholemeal bread are broken down slowly over several hours and so do not give any sudden flooding of sugars into the bloodstream. This gradual release helps you to feel full for longer, suppressing your appetite and making it less likely that you’ll crave sweet foods because you are not on the blood sugar rollercoaster.”

Get sufficient sleep

Getting sufficient sleep is admittedly vital, even when it comes to your waistline. It’s simple sufficient to say ‘get more sleep’ however everyone knows it’s not so simple as that (oh, but when it had been…). Boost your possibilities of drifting off right into a peaceable slumber by placing your telephone away for not less than an hour earlier than mattress in order that your mind isn’t too stimulated. It may assist to prime up your magnesium ranges, both by taking a complement or by incorporating magnesium-rich meals into your weight loss plan. Try consuming a banana earlier than mattress.

Don’t:

Eat for consolation

OK, so don’t eat for consolation an excessive amount of. It doesn’t matter what anybody says about how we must always discover different methods of consolation: generally meals simply is comforting. You can’t beat sausages with an enormous mound of mashed potatoes (and a cuppa on the aspect) when it’s depressing exterior and also you’ve simply are available from work.

Marilyn says: “We need to remember to consume a varied and colourful diet and although comfort food has its part to play in our diets when it gets colder, we should remember to incorporate lighter meals too”. Stew is an efficient one which is reassuring however doesn’t have to be fattening – this hearty beef stew is stuffed with protein-packed beef and you may pack it stuffed with veggies: leek, carrots, swede and potatoes would all work very well.

Eat on the run

Marilyn explains, “It gives your body the message that time is scarce, you are under pressure and stressed. Furthermore, your digestive system will be less efficient. Make a point of sitting down and eating your food as calmly as possible.” You don’t have to be meditating over your soup or something, simply take the time to pause and revel in your meal.

Deny your self the great things

There are some issues which you solely need to eat throughout the winter months they usually’re not all going to be saintly. Pies, each type of steam pudding slathered in thick custard, beans on toast and don’t even get me began on Christmas meals. It’s all stuff you’re not going to fancy when the solar is shining so make the most of it. Just don’t go nuts. You know the drill: every part moderately.