Cold weather eating urges – first published 7 november 2012

As someone who has always struggled with my weight winter is a testing time. The cold weather brings on cravings for stodgy comfort food while, at the same time, there is less opportunity for exercise. Let’s face it, we’d all like to snuggle up in front of the fire with a big box of chocolates or a bowl of sticky hot pudding and custard. Doing that for three months of the year would really pile on the pounds though so it’s something most of us fight. This post from the archives is all about why it happens and how I try to beat the cravings.

7 November 2012

This cold weather makes me hungry. It seems to me I’m having to fight the urge to eat all the time, especially carbs. I know I’m not alone because half the girls on the WLR boards are saying the same. With so many people feeling this way I felt sure there was some kind of inbuilt need to stock up and hibernate at this time of year. I wouldn’t mind a good hibernation to be honest. To answer the question once and for all I Googled it and, apparently, it’s a medical fact that cold weather increases appetite, particularly for carbohydrates, because our bodies are trying to lay down a nice insulating layer of fat to keep us warm. I wish my body was clever enough to work out I’ve already got quite enough fat for that thank you very much.

There’s no easy answer but I’m trying hard to overcome it or at least accept it for what it is, primeval instincts preparing for a long sleep that’s not going to happen. For one I’m trying to make sure I stock up on low calorie comfort food, nice healthy stews and soups, using all the wonderful seasonal vegetables about at this time of year and some extra spices to warm me up. At the weekend I’m going to work on some low calorie hot puddings too, maybe a fruity sponge I can pop in the microwave. Giving in to the cravings but without the extra calories or in small doses is my way of stopping a massive blow out because I feel deprived and miserable. I’m making sure I spread my healthy snacks out throughout the day too so I’ve always got something to look forward to. Hopefully listening to my body and trying to tailor my snacks to the things I crave but in a more controlled way will help too.

Although the cold weather speeds up the metabolism, burning more calories to keep warm, it’s also harder to get motivated to exercise, especially in bad weather, which more than cancels out any benefit. It’s a double whammy, eating more, exercising less the result is obvious, more flab. Despite the new waterproof trousers, bad weather means walking to work isn’t always an option but, when I do, the cold helps me to push myself that bit harder. On the days I don’t I’m just going to have to make up for it with some Pump it Up or the treadmill, even if I do feel like curling up in front of the fire. At least the jumping around will warm me up and maybe my heating bills will go down too which can only be a bonus.

Even with all my plans I suppose it’s inevitable I’ll eat a little more and exercise a little less in the cold than I do in the summer. As long as I can keep it to just a little more and a little less. If my weight loss slows I suppose I’ll have to accept it but I’m determined to do all I can to keep losing. It’s a case of damage limitations, allowing myself a few extra calories rather than go completely off the rails. The main thing is not to give up, not to give in to every urge to eat and not to get disheartened. After all, it won’t be cold forever and if I can get through the next few months without a huge gain, I’ll be doing a lot better than I’ve done in the past.

When I turned the TV on this morning, after a bit of a restless night dreaming about work and the things that should have gone out to the ship yesterday, President Obama was giving his victory speech. I don’t understand American politics at all but have to say he’s very charismatic, it made me wish we had someone like that in charge here. Then there was an item about morbid obesity and people who have to use services like the fire brigade to get them out of their houses when they have a medical emergency. It’s quite a horrifying thought. Part of me wonders how someone lets things get that out of control, another part knows all to well.

The sad thing was that the woman interviewed felt she wasn’t getting enough help. I’m not sure where I stand on that one. There’s an awful lot of help available if you really want to lose weight, it would be almost impossible not to see all the TV shows devoted to it, the books, magazines and web sites but I know from personal experience that GP’s are often not as aware as they could be. Years ago, when I asked mine for help, I was told, “it’s quite simple, eat less”. It’s easy to blame everyone but yourself when you’re in that situation but ultimately, the motivation and the will to change has to come from within. The larger you are the harder it is to see a way out though. It’s a good reminder of what can happen if I don’t watch the comfort eating.

Today I had another dry bright walk to work and, although it was cold enough to make me speed up, there wasn’t a frost. I purposely took the route past the flats where a sunflower has somehow managed to grow in the crack between the building and the paving because I wondered whether it’d survived the cold and ice. I fully expected to see it all shrivelled and dead but, as I rounded the corner, there it was as bright and beautiful as ever. For a plant I’d usually associate with the summer months this one seems to be doing very well. It certainly brightens up a cold walk and makes me smile.

All the way to work I was getting more and more worried about the films and magazines that were supposed to be picked up yesterday. I was convinced the box would still be there this morning and I’d have to spend the day trying to find a way to get them to the airport before the flight. Worse still I was worried I wouldn’t be able to and I’d have to call Arabella to let her know. That option didn’t bear thinking about. The first thing I noticed when I walked up to my desk was an empty space where the box had been sitting. Apparently, Howard had picked them up late last night. To say I was relieved would be an understatement. The rest of the day was fairly productive, I managed to get quite a pile of contracts out, right up to April. One from last week has even come back signed.

I have to confess I didn’t walk home tonight though, Gigi had her car and offered me a lift. For about ten seconds I considered saying no and walking but, even though she didn’t twist my arm behind my back or anything, I didn’t. To make up for it I really should do some exercise tonight and resist the urge to break out the chocolate.