As the days become cooler and drearier, many of us will be reaching for comfort foods to feel better, stay warm and provide extra energy.
This can lead to gaining unwanted extra kilos over winter, warns Dr Michael Mosley, who has spent decades trying to help us all eat healthily, sleep better and do more exercise.
“Winter weight gain — and Christmas holiday weight gain — is a phenomenon supported by scientific studies,” he told The West Australian.
“The shorter days mean we get less exposure to sunlight, which in turn impacts mood and energy levels.
“As we exercise less and our mood sinks, we reach for comfort foods or take out.
“These foods tend to be calorie rich and nutrient poor, laden with sugar and unhealthy fats.
“They also spike your blood sugar levels, which is then followed by a blood sugar crash, which leaves you wanting more.”
Dr Mosley, who co-founded The Fast 800 program, said to keep cold weather flab off we need to be mindful of what we are putting into our mouths.
Dr Michael Mosley shares his five tricks for preventing winter weight gain
Adopt a Mediterranean-style diet
This diet is loaded with fibre and nutrient-rich foods such as fruit, veggies and wholegrains.
It will help you lose, or maintain, weight and enjoy sustained energy, explained Dr Mosley, while also reducing your risk factors for chronic diseases.
Try to include protein, fibre and healthy fats in each meal. He said this combination helped stabilise your blood sugar levels, helping to prevent weight gain.
If you’re a female weighing around 65kg, he suggested making a green bowl for breakfast. This consists of two eggs and some sauteed veggies (such as zucchini, kale, spinach and mushrooms) and half an avocado.
It’s about 340 calories and offers a generous 16.3g of protein. Dr Mosley explained it’s the protein that will keep you full until lunchtime, helping you resist the urge to snack.
It will also pack your body full of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, minerals including selenium, copper and potassium, antioxidants and phytonutrients.
Intermittent fasting
This kind of fasting, including both time-restricted eating and the 5:2™, is a great tool for winter weight control, according to Dr Mosley.
He said when you regulated your calorie intake, it helped prevent overeating, which was common over the colder months.
Intermittent fasting also promotes fat burning and has been shown to improve metabolic health.
When combined with a relatively low-carb Mediterranean-style diet, intermittent fasting is an effective strategy to fend off winter weight gain, he added.
Healthy swaps
Try to limit calorie-dense foods that are high in simple carbs and unhealthy fats and sugars, suggested Dr Mosley.
This means avoiding meals such as creamy pasta, fried snacks and sweet treats. He said those kinds of foods would send you on a blood sugar roller-coaster, resulting in unwanted weight gain.
Instead, opt for high protein, fat and fibre alternatives that are low in carbs. Think hearty stews with lean meats and legumes, avocado and turkey wraps, or roasted vegetables with nuts and seeds.
These meals will provide warmth, satiety and nutritional balance during the colder months without spiking blood sugar.
He said it was stable blood sugar levels that would help you feel satisfied between meals, eliminating unwanted excess calories from snacking.
Get moving
If you are time-poor or struggling to muster the motivation to go outside, Dr Mosley recommended high-intensity interval training as a starting point.
This involves short bursts of exercise (30-40 seconds) followed by a period of rest (15-30 seconds).
You can do this at home and there are various workouts available like sprints, cycling, jump rope or bodyweight exercises.
Aim for two sessions of HIIT per week to target visceral fat.
Dr Mosley said to include resistance training sessions three times a week, which improved muscular strength and lowered blood sugar.
The Fast 800 program has achievable workouts you can do in your living room, he added.
Prioritise quality sleep
Eating too close to bedtime raises your body temperature, delaying sleepiness, explained Dr Mosley.
He suggested trying to finish your evening meal at least three hours before bed and fasting until the next morning to support your circadian rhythm for better sleep.
Good sleep improves weight management and overall health, he added.
Cost of living biting hard? Here’s Dr Michael Mosley’s tips for losing weight on a budget
- Meal plan in advance so that you can stay on track with your health goals.
- Make a list and stick to it.
- Include mostly whole foods that fit within the Mediterranean-style diet. Dr Mosley said The Fast 800 had meal plans if you were looking to streamline this step and an app that created an automated shopping list of the exact amounts of everything you needed.
- Avoid highly processed snacks and alcohol as they not only cause your calorie intake to skyrocket, but your grocery bills too.
- Avoid going to the grocery store while you’re hungry. You’ll cave to cravings and likely spend more, too, if your stomach is empty.
- Buy in bulk where possible to save money in the long run. Olive oil, legumes and beans, nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices are great to buy in bulk.
- Consider frozen fruit, vegetables and meats because these are an underrated way to cut costs and boost nutrient intake.
- Don’t turn your nose up at imperfect or “wonky” fruit and veggies in the fresh produce section because they contain the same nutrient profile as their more aesthetically pleasing alternatives, yet at a lower price point.
- Don’t be fooled by marketing. Often off-brand, or grocery store brand, offers the simplest and best ingredient lists — and at a fraction of the price of fancier brands. Make sure to read labels on any food you are going to purchase and check they include ingredients you are familiar with and would be happy to have in your cupboard at home.
Source Agencies
