Let’s face the cold hard truth… When the days get shorter and colder, motivation to lose weight wanes. We crave hearty foods, comfort foods. We crave more sugary treats. We might even find that our hunger increases. And it makes sense. Bears aren’t the only animals that just want to hibernate for the winter and squirrels may not be the only animals that want to pack their nest full of food for the winter. So the question is… how do we overcome these urges and stay on track with our health and wellness? The short answer is using our mind to our advantage.
Here are my top 5 hot tips for staying on track with our health goals:
Invest some time and energy into new recipes.
Allow our mind to get excited about something new! Lean into the cravings for hearty foods and comfort foods and find recipes that both satisfy those desires and align with our health goals.
Here are some examples: hearty soups and stews, warm salads instead of crisp salads, hot cozy teas, roasted veggies, baked fruit, oatmeal, yummy coffees.
Create a vision of how you want to feel after grocery shopping.
This time of year there are holiday foods in the store. More sweets, Christmas tree shaped crackers and cookies, party trays, special flavors of ice cream, etc. When we’re working to manage cravings, a trip to the grocery store can be a struggle.
Take a few minutes before going into the store to create a vision of yourself going into the store and shopping with confidence. Envision that version of you feeling in control of your impulses while shopping and then loading your groceries into the car feeling satisfied and at peace. Having that vision front and center in our mind’s eye when we’re shopping can change the whole experience! Instead of feeling tension, we can feel certain. This helps us stick to our plan and resist impulse buys.
Don’t go shopping hungry.
Whether you physically go into the store or order online, make a point to never go in hungry. This just creates a firestorm of food thoughts in our mind and makes sticking to our goals harder than it has to be.
Clean up your environment.
I know this is easier said than done but not having the temptations readily available can cut down on the food noise. Remind yourself that you have unconditional permission to eat whatever you want and that you are choosing to be selective about your options. This allows us to really enjoy some sweet treats, heartier foods, comfort foods sometimes but we perhaps save it for when we eat out or once a week on the weekend. This can go a long way to promote balance.
If you have others in the house and you can’t keep the tempting foods out completely, make it less visible. Place those items in a place that is out of plain sight and harder to access. This helps cut down on the food noise about those items and also gives us a moment to pause and talk to ourselves about our choices rather than just quickly reacting to the food thought. Some self-talk can happen when we have to take steps to access these food items!
Don’t stock up.
Unless you’re in an environment where you can't easily get out and grocery shop due to weather or distance, consider trimming down your list. Instead of stocking up with a ton of food from Costco, think about making two shorter lists for the week from your non-bulk grocery store. If you are one that recognizes that you are legitimately hungrier in the cold months, it can be wise to not have a house full of food all week. A kitchen full of food can create more thoughts, more food noise, and make it harder to stay on track with whatever our goals are. Instead, try to stop by the store twice during the week so you have only what you need for a few days at a time.
One final note. I must mention SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder. Many struggle with this when the days get colder and darker.. You may also know it as seasonal depression. The colder, darker days have a negative effect on our mood, our mindset, and our emotions. Symptoms of SAD can be fatigue, hopelessness, depression, and social withdrawal. Food can be a coping mechanism for these emotions, but food is not qualified to meet our emotional needs. If you suffer with SAD, light therapy, vitamin D, exercise can help symptoms quickly. Psychotherapy can have a huge impact on SAD, so do not be shy about seeking professional help.
Cold, dark days don’t just affect our hunger. It affects our motivation to exercise. Click HERE for my hot tips on how to create motivation to stay with our fitness!
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