Eat as much as you want, but by the hour
The classic advice from nutritionists - eat small meals, four to five times a day - is not suitable for everyone. If you notice that this diet provokes your appetite or, conversely, you eat forcefully because you don’t have time to get hungry, reduce your meals to two or three meals a day. For normal metabolism, it is much more important to have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time every day, preferably before dark. American neurophysiologists from Ohio University discovered that artificial light, irregular and late meals disrupt the functioning of the hormone melatonin, which controls sleep and wakefulness. As a result, even without overeating or reducing physical activity, we gain excess weight.
Burn excess fat with dairy products
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Three to four servings (50-100 g) of yogurt, cottage cheese, hard cheese, kefir, milk trigger the fat burning mechanism inside the cells and help you lose excess weight faster. As scientific research has shown, it's all about calcium, phosphorus and magnesium - it is this trinity of minerals that accelerates the breakdown of excess fat tissue, especially in the waist area. At the same time, the body receives a generous dose of proteins - they also contribute to slimness, strengthening muscle tissue and increasing skin elasticity. Just don't overdo it - for example, cheese contains a lot of fat and salt, and fruit yogurt contains sugar.
Eat water
Due to a lack of water, metabolism slows down, appearance and well-being worsen (dry skin and early wrinkles + insomnia), and the aging process accelerates. British dermatologist Howard Murad advises replenishing water deficiency (the norm is 2-2.5 liters per day) primarily with the help of vegetables and fruits. They are rich in antioxidants and water, which easily penetrates the body's cells without impairing blood circulation or causing swelling.
The ten most “watery” foods, according to Murad: cucumber and watermelon (95% water), tomatoes (95% water), eggplant (92% water), peaches (87% water), carrots (88% water), beans ( 77% water), baked chicken breast (65% water), grilled salmon (62% water).
Use aromatherapy
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In extreme winter conditions, the sweet and spicy smells of vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, citrus, tuberose, jasmine, patchouli, lavender, rosemary not only warm and lift your spirits, but also save you from stress. American psychologist Brian Raudenbush from Wheeling Catholic University in West Virginia, in the course of his research, discovered that the smell of mint helps people with increased appetite lose weight. 40 volunteers inhaled the smell of mint every two hours for five days in a row, and over the course of a week each ate an average of 1,800 kcal less compared to their usual diet.
Make friends with flaxseed flour
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This flour, as if to order, contains everything the body needs - omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, zinc and antioxidants, they are important for the immune system, nervous system, brain, healthy skin and hair.
Flaxseed flour has a wonderful nutty flavor and keeps you full for a long time because it's high in protein and fiber. You can use it to make porridge, pancakes and homemade bread for breakfast, use it instead of minced bread and breading for cutlets, and add it to fruit pies instead of wheat flour and eggs; it binds the dough perfectly.
Mask vegetables
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Vegetables provide fiber and vitamins. Without them, metabolism slows down, and troubles begin in the digestive tract - constipation and inflammation. If you hate vegetables, hide them, for example, in sauces. Season pasta and rice with pesto (blend dill/basil/cilantro, garlic, olive oil, grated Parmesan, pine nuts and lemon juice in a blender) or a similar sauce made from herbs, fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, leeks, hot peppers and avocado. Potato dishes and meat - a mix of green onions, sour cream, salt and hot pepper. Fish - a mixture of boiled finely grated beets, horseradish, lemon juice and spices.
And don’t forget about hot puree soups (winter winter options are pumpkin and bean) and pot soups - with potatoes, meat or fish, vegetables and wheat (see below). There are many recipes for such soups in Irish, Scandinavian and German cuisine.
Control your appetite
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Learn to determine what satisfies hunger for a long time and what increases appetite. For some, soup awakens a brutal appetite, for others - apples. For most of us, trigger foods are sweets, white bread and pasta, fried foods (potatoes, meat), processed meats and delicacies (sausage, sausages, cold cuts). They contain a lot of salt, sugar and fat - this combination changes the biochemistry of the brain and extinguishes the signal of satiety. Try to eat such foods only occasionally and practice mindful eating - this way you will be able to catch the signal of fullness and stop without overeating.
How not to gain extra pounds in winter: analysis + expert opinion
And why you can’t stay at home (even if it’s very unpleasant outside)
Journalist, writes about travel, healthy lifestyle, science and psychology, collaborates with AiF and Holidays in Russia magazine. In winter, bodies tend to expand - contrary to the laws of physics. Fat builds up around the waist not only because we move less and eat more high-calorie foods in the cold. It turned out that lack of sunlight affects people this way.
Turn your face to the sun
Artificial lighting is unable to replace sunlight in terms of its effect on the body. Lack of sunlight causes a decrease in the production of serotonin - the hormone of joy. And this automatically makes you want to eat something fatty or sweet to comfort yourself.
Therefore, in winter, if you have the opportunity to walk a few stops or take a walk in the park, be sure to do it!
In cold weather, the whole body is covered, all that remains is to expose your face to the sun. We need a small dose of ultraviolet radiation, scientists have found. And even if there is no sun and there is grayness in the sky, which spoils the mood, a certain amount of sunlight breaks through the clouds. They need to be caught!
Sleeping Beauty Weight Loss Recipe
It is the sun that regulates our biological clock and contributes to the normal production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
Walking in the fresh air helps you sleep well at night. Oddly enough, it is the lack of sunlight that causes nighttime insomnia. And lack of sleep, in turn, leads to excess weight gain. A person unconsciously begins to eat more than necessary in order to put in order the nervous system that has been shaken during a sleepless night. In addition, lack of sleep increases the level of hormones that affect appetite.
Conclusion: if you don’t want to gain weight over the winter, get enough sleep!
You can speed up the process of losing weight, or at least not gain extra pounds, if you train yourself to sleep at least eight hours a day.
Harvard scientists conducted an experiment on volunteers and found that people who spend 8.5 hours in bed lose weight twice as fast as those who sleep 5.5 hours - with the same calorie intake.
Wear bright clothes in winter
Black and gray are, of course, much more practical. However, according to nutritionists, in winter we simply need bright, rich colors to feel comfortable and have a good mood. This psychological trick will also help the body produce sufficient amounts of serotonin. As mentioned above, the joy hormone helps us control weight.
Give up coffee, lean on pepper
It is even more important to adhere to healthy eating rules in winter. Nutritionists advise limiting coffee consumption in cold weather, since excess caffeine causes the body to accumulate fat. Instead of coffee and sweet drinks, it is recommended to switch to herbal teas and infusions with a limited amount of sugar. We must also remember that the body needs at least a couple of glasses of plain, clean water every day, without any additives. Replace at least part of your favorite sugary drinks with plain water - and within a week you will notice that you have begun to lose weight.
A healthy diet for every day in winter necessarily includes fiber. Nutritionists recommend in cold weather to give preference to green vegetables and fruits (feijoa, avocado, broccoli, any greens, salads) and orange (oranges, tangerines, pumpkin, mangoes, bell peppers). The foods listed above are low in calories, they promote good metabolism and improve your mood. In addition, they are all full of vitamins.
Spicy foods also help burn fat. Learn Mexican or Indian recipes. The record holder among weight loss products is chili pepper. But don’t overdo it, otherwise you will have heart problems.
Winter is a time of activity
On gloomy winter evenings you are tempted to sit on a wide windowsill, cover yourself with a warm blanket and read a book, drinking cocoa with marshmallows and biting into a chocolate bar. From time to time, of course, you can allow yourself such a cozy pastime. But if this becomes a habit, then in the spring all tight-fitting clothes will become tight.
Use your free time in winter for active recreation, activities or self-development. It's no secret that sometimes your hand reaches for cookies out of boredom. So don't give boredom a chance!
You can do fitness. And you can learn new skills. For example, learning to dance salsa or flamenco: finding such lessons and clubs today is not a problem. It is estimated that one hour of salsa will burn 380 calories, and one hour of ballroom dancing will burn 350 calories.
If you don't like dancing, any activity will do. In winter, skating rinks and swimming pools are open, and no one will forbid you to ride a cheesecake slide down the hill with your children.
Yulia Glyantseva, personal trainer of the Zhulebino Fitness Territory club, nutritionist:
The fact is, sunlight affects the production of vitamin D in our body. And this useful element stimulates the thyroid gland. The activity of hormones in this organ stimulates metabolic processes in our body.
We can control the condition of our body and stay fit through exercise and a balanced diet.
When summer ends, most people experience the off-season blues. The time of vacations and picnics passes, we have to return to work, school, and everyday routine, we walk less, and engage in physical activity less often. In cold weather, our body asks to warm it up and pamper it with “snacks”. And here, energy-intensive foods containing a lot of fast carbohydrates and fats are unconsciously used, the body is preparing to accumulate energy and survive until the new warm season.
Indeed, it makes sense to reconsider your diet in terms of increasing calorie content, while always maintaining physical activity.
Also, give yourself the financial and time opportunity to go on vacation to warm countries for at least a week, this will lift your spirits and give you the strength to hold out until the new beach season!
