How to avoid gaining weight this winter

It’s cold and winter still has a long way to go before we all start feeling sunny again. Winter’s that time of year where it’s so easy to do a lot more eating and a lot less exercise, so it’s no surprise that a study released by the NSW Food Authority and NSW Health show that 38% or women and 53% of men will gain up to 5 kilograms over winter. Yikes – that’s a lot of weight and it’s not as easy to take off as it is to put on.

So how can you avoid the winter weight gain? Here are a few tips to help you keep those kilos away:

Ditch the fast food and takeaway – or at least make smarter choices. 90% of respondents say they eat more fast foods and takeaways over winter because they make them feel warmer and happier.

Make your own. Love a nice Indian Butter Chicken? Check out this recipe with just 375 calories and other great healthy recipes over at weightloss.com.au.

Cauliflower is your friend. If you haven’t yet experienced the cauliflower revolution it’s time to start! The versatile vegetable can do just about anything - from cauliflower rice to pizza bases, you can still enjoy comfort food that tastes like real comfort food without stacking on those kilos.

Move every day. Ultimately, if you consume more calories than you burn up, you’re going to put on weight. If you burn more than you consume, you’re gong to lose weight. Adding some movement into your day helps you burn up those unwanted calories so make sure you make time for it. For some great exercises you can do at home without needing to venture out into the cold, check out My Healthy Tips, Men’s Fitness (not just for the boys) or Women’s Health Mag (not just for the girls).

Avoid foods claiming to be low fat – they’re usually loaded with sugar and heaps of other nasties. Try adding some good fats to your diet like avocado or a handful of nuts. For a great snack thats loaded with flavour, mash up an avocado and add cottage cheese (or ricotta or feta), chopped spring onion and diced tomato – there’s a super-yum guacamole that you can spread on some vita wheats or use as a dip with vegetable sticks.

Plan ahead. Probably the biggest downfall for all of us is getting home after a big day at work and not having the energy to think about dinner. That’s when it becomes oh so tempting to let your fingers do the walking and dial up a takeout. Planning ahead doesn’t take much – make time over the weekend to cook up some dishes that you can freeze for your mid-week takeout substitute.

Stock your pantry. It’s a good idea to always make sure you have enough ingredients on hand for a tasty, healthy meal that’s quick to make. Check out these great recipes showing what nutritionists eat when they only have 5 minutes to prepare a meal.

It’s not hard to avoid weight gain over winter, you just need to make sure you’re prepared.

Why not keep the kilos at bay over winter and then reward yourself with an early spring holiday to show off your pre-summer body! Can’t afford to get away? Yes you can – just check out our flexible mini loans that are simple, easy and quick. Once your loan is approved, we can usually get a payment into your bank account within 24 hours - so you can start booking those flights straight away!