The cold weather makes you feel sluggish, doesn’t it? You start off with a headache coming on, and before you know it, you’re hunched over, shivering, and hoping the couch will welcome you with a blanket.
Does being cold help you lose weight? Perhaps surprisingly, the answer is yes. While there are various reasons why being cold might help you lose weight, there are also some things you can do to prevent it.
Keep Your Body Warm
One of the simplest ways to lose weight is to keep your body warm. You don’t need to completely overhaul your diet to do this – simply make sure you keep your body warm. This can be easily achieved by wearing lots of warm clothes when you go outside (remembering to cover up your head and neck in case of the head colds that are more common in the winter) and by being sure your home is warm. Of course, you don’t need to go overboard and turn up the heating, either – simply make sure the radiators in your home are working and that there’s plenty of hot water available. Your body temperature will then rise, helping you to feel more enerated and active.
On the subject of keeping your body warm, it’s also worth remembering that the air around you is also contributing to your overall appearance. Dirty air leads to you looking grubby and dull, so if your home is poorly ventilated or if you have to keep opening up the windows, then it’s definitely time for an air filter.
Stimulate Your Appetite
A lot of people have a sweet tooth – in fact, many diet plans revolve around restricting your intake of sugary food. While this might be beneficial for your waistline in the long term, in the short term, you might find that a high sugar intake helps you to feel more energetic and thus less prone to staying at home.
The point is that when you feel sluggish, it can be difficult to start moving around again. The simplest way to stir yourself up is by eating something sugary. This might seem like a quick fix, but over time, this could lead you to consuming too many calories and thus, putting on weight. It’s important to watch your calorie intake, but sometimes, you just need a pick-me-up and a sweet can certainly do that. Just make sure that these are low-calorie and low-fat options.
Reduce Water Retention
Any time you’re dehydrated, it’s time to lose weight. You might be surprised that you’re retaining water even when you’re not feeling thirsty – this is known as water retention. This occurs when your body doesn’t need as much water as it’s currently holding. If you’re finding that you’re retaining water even when you’re not feeling any thirst, then it might be time to reduce your water intake (and, accordingly, your energy intake).
It’s important to remember that you don’t always need to drink water to stay hydrated. Your body will retain water in the form of urine, so you’re almost certainly getting sufficient hydration without drinking a bottle of water every day. This being said, if you’re feeling thirsty, then drink some water – but don’t exceed what your body needs. If you do drink too much water, it can also cause you to retain pounds in other ways (for example, it could make you more prone to constipation).
Being cold doesn’t harm your waistline – in fact, it might just put you on the right track to losing weight. However, it’s crucial that you don’t overdo it and become a hermit – instead, make sure you take part in outdoor activities as often as you can.