Feeling extra hungry in winter?

Winter food

3 ‘symple’ strategies to keep you on track

Our metabolism speeds up during winter to keep us warm, so this could explain why many people say they feel extra hungry in winter. But the good news is, it doesn’t have to mean winter weight gain.

Here are my thoughts on why we gain weight in the colder months:

  • Hot food is more appealing than salads and fruit on cold days. Hot food is not the problem, choosing the wrong food is the problem.
  • Cold water is ditched for a hot drink to warm us up. Adding milky drinks to your daily routine adds a lot of calories and fat to your daily calorie intake.
  • Less daylight hours tends to mean we spend more time indoors. Being stuck at home getting bored and lonely can mean we turn to food for comfort.

Don’t let winter wreak havoc with your waistline. Here are my 3 simple strategies to help you stay on track:

  1. Plan ahead for lunches – cook extra at night and take leftovers to heat up for lunch or cook a batch of soup and freeze in portion sizes.
  2. If you are looking for a warm drink – add a wedge of lemon to warm water or drink herbal tea. Technically milky drinks are ‘food’ so limit these to one a day and opt for skim milk.
  3. You’ll find many options for warm snacks or desserts in my cookbooks. My Premium Breakfast Shakes can also be served warm and make a great snack with just 158 calories and 1.8g of fat per serve. They also contain 7g of fibre and 15g of protein which will keep you feeling fuller for longer.

A final word to help you avoid winter weight gain

A little bit of forward thinking will ensure you’re not left feeling hungry in winter. If you’re stuck at home, combat boredom by taking up a hobby, such as knitting for your local charity, doing a jigsaw puzzle or getting out into the garden.

Stay focused on your goal during the colder months and then when the weather turns warm you won’t be left with the unwanted kilos.


Want some quick, easy dinners for winter? Take a look at this article