The Seasonal Guide to Weight Loss: Now’s the Time to Start
No matter the season, there is always an excuse that prevents losing weight. It could be too cold outside to go for a walk, or you’re waiting for a less stressful time to implement a nutrition strategy.
It’s true that each season of the year, like the seasons of life, brings its own challenges and barriers to working on health goals and weight loss. Today’s article will address some of the seasonal concerns that prevent weight loss and how to work with the seasons to your advantage.
One quarter to one half of adult women are trying to lose weight at any given time, for health reasons and appearance. Yet, following weight loss, weight maintenance is rare. Understanding the impact of seasons is helpful for maintaining weight loss, too. The goal is to find a sustainable plan for the long term that adjusts with the seasons and builds consistent foundations with room for pleasure and experimentation.
Keep reading as we explore weight loss tips for each season. We’ll cover weight loss tips for women, including nutrition, exercise, and other foundational tools. Let’s dive in!
How Seasons Impact Weight Loss
Humans have evolved to adapt to the environment, so it’s not surprising that the metabolism and body naturally shift with the seasons. For example, the metabolic rate may be higher in the summer as the body expends more energy to regulate temperature. Cold temperatures push the metabolism towards energy storage in the fall and winter.
Changing temperatures and weather also means changing access to food and outdoor activities. Tips for weight loss can include eating seasonally, which is one way to support your body in that season. Fresh greens, spring onions, artichokes, and other light foods support detoxification in the spring. Summer veggies and fruits are packed with antioxidants and have hydrating and cooling properties. Fall foods, like potatoes and squash, are warming and grounding, providing what your body needs.
Let’s look at some weight loss tips for each season.
Winter: Overcoming Cold-Weather Challenges
Weight loss can be challenging in the winter because it’s a season associated with stress and the holidays, which can impact weight loss efforts and lead to weight gain. It’s easy to feel caught off guard by the holidays, fall “off” plan, and then free fall until January New Year’s resolutions to vow to lose weight again. It becomes a vicious cycle.
Instead, go into the holidays with a plan. Bringing your good habits into the holiday season allows you room to enjoy the best parts of the holidays while still being consistent with your health goals. Your food routine for weight loss can include pleasure! Anticipate the challenges you’ll face and make a plan for sticking to what’s most important.
Winter is where a victim mindset can run center stage so keep yourself honest and with compassion, get curious about if you’re using this time of year to say “F-it.” Remember, no one is coming to save you or do the work for you. If you want a healthier relationship with food and your body, the work this time of year is the same as it is any other time.
Winter tips include:
- Prioritizing indoor workouts
- Practicing mindful eating
- Focus on hydration
- Increase stress management strategies
- Explore perfectionism and people-pleasing behaviors
Spring: The Best Time to Start
After the long winter, the change in seasons may be a motivating factor for weight loss. Spring is a great time to build new habits, such as a workout routine for weight loss, and take advantage of more sunlight. The energy of spring is renew, refresh,and reacquaint.
Spring tips on weight loss include:
- Begin a walking routine for weight loss
- Begin a strength routine for weight loss
- Prioritize time outside
- Work on meal planning and prep skills
- Hire a LSN dietitian for support
Summer: Staying Fit in the Heat
The summer may be the easiest time of year to lose weight. There are more opportunities for outdoor exercise, like hiking. You may naturally prefer lighter meals (and naturally eat fewer calories). It may also be easier to drink water and stay hydrated. However, some research suggests children are more at risk for weight gain in the summer, partly due to the loss of daily school structure and routine.
In the summer, the best time to exercise to lose weight might be in the early morning or evening, when you can avoid the heat of the day.
Other summer weight loss tips include:
- Maintain a consistent meal schedule
- Load up on fresh seasonal fruits and veggies
- Add a family walk or bike ride after dinner to your daily routine
- Prioritize social connections
- Follow these travel tips
Fall: Preparing for Holiday Temptations
Fall presents its challenges with changing schedules and back-to-school. The time you spend exercising in the summer may be more challenging to come by. You may start to feel the effects of colder weather and decreasing daylight.
Before fall takes hold, check-in with your body and notice how you feel. The goal is to maintain a sense of well-being throughout the fall and winter by committing to health habits and making a plan for the holidays. If you started your journey towards healthy weight and an improved relationship with your body a year ago, then fall can be a time to celebrate automated habits. Automation feels relaxing to the mind, it’s a posture of safety, and stillness. If you’re just beginning your weight loss journey now, trust that this time next year, you’ll be an entirely evolved version of yourself.
Best weight loss tips for the winter include:
- Get natural light exposure during the day
- Build a solid bedtime and sleep routine
- Move exercise indoors as needed
While each season may have different weight loss tips, what’s most important is finding the nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle strategies that work for you over time for weight loss and maintenance. And what works for you may look different than everybody else.
The truth is that the best time to start is: now. With support, you’ll have a better chance of staying motivated and succeeding.
At Lizzy Swick Nutrition, we take a unique and comprehensive approach to weight loss and are dedicated to supporting you, no matter the season or your season of life. Whether you’re postpartum or in perimenopause, we can address the underlying pieces that keep you stuck, including hormonal health, nervous system regulation, mindset, and stress, in addition to nutrition and exercise.
As we move into spring, use the longer days and warmer weather to help you achieve your goals. When you have your foundational habits in place, even seasonal changes can’t pull you off course.
References
- Rössner, S. M., Hansen, J. V., & Rössner, S. (2011). New Year’s resolutions to lose weight–dreams and reality. Obesity facts, 4(1), 3–5.
- Abdulan, I. M., Popescu, G., Maștaleru, A., Oancea, A., Costache, A. D., Cojocaru, D. C., Cumpăt, C. M., Ciuntu, B. M., Rusu, B., & Leon, M. M. (2023). Winter Holidays and Their Impact on Eating Behavior-A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 15(19), 4201.
- Weaver, R. G., Beets, M. W., Brazendale, K., & Brusseau, T. A. (2018). Summer Weight Gain and Fitness Loss: Causes and Potential Solutions. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 13(2), 116–128.
