Time to Lose the Winter Weight

Spring is here. Winter is over and its time to lose the few pounds you picked up through the holidays.

Winter is a tough time to lose weight. Your activity level is down a little and your socializing is up a little. The shift in calories gets noticed when the clothes are just a little tighter after the holidays.

It’s time to change that.

It’s easy to make a few changes in the diet. You can tighten up a few things without making any drastic changes.

  • Cut back on the alcohol. The holidays are a time for celebration and the alcohol flows a little more liberally.  Dial it back a little in the spring. Either limit the days where you consume alcohol or cut the amount you drink.
  • Eat more salad greens. Eating a salad at the beginning of a meal can reduce your caloric intake and it gives you plenty of vitamins and minerals. And don’t you just feel healthier eating salad!
  • Trim the fats. Cut back on your gratuitous fat intake. This means the french fries, butter, buttered popcorn and fried foods. You know, the obvious fatty things you like to splurge on sometimes.
  • Cut back on desserts. The desserts show up more in the winter than any other time of year. Cut back on the desserts and even try to go without for several days. Reducing the processed sugar in your diet is not only good for the waistline but better for your health.
  • Stay hydrated. Drink more water. Its easy to forget to drink enough water.

You can make positive changes in your activity levels as well. With the colder weather we tend to slow down and do less activity – especially outdoors. Burning more calories partners perfect with reducing the calories in your diet.

Here’s a few activity tips for your springtime:

  1. Get outside more. Plan more outdoor activities. Add a hike to your weekly routine. Walk your dog longer. Walk to the store once or twice a week instead of driving. Go to the beach. It’s a little chilly still but walking in the sand is great exercise and you’ll get revved up for summer.
  2. Add another day of activity. If you’ve been exercising three or four days a week, add another day. It doesn’t have to be exercise per se.  Go bowling or play tennis. Find an outdoor activity that’s fun and physically active.
  3. Stretch more. Add more stretching to your routine. Spend an extra ten minutes per workout on your stretching. It’s great for your muscles, ligaments and tendons and keeps your blood flowing.