By Aaron Boike, B.S. Kinesiology, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, USECA Certified Running Coach
We all know that when the days get shorter and the weather gets colder we struggle to maintain our summer bodies. While this is often chalked up to the holidays, there may be more deep seeded, even useful, reasons why we pack on the pounds in the winter. According to the John’s Hopkins Weight Management Center the average person will gain five to seven pounds during the winter months. So why, despite our best efforts, can’t we seem to overcome this yearly phenomenon? Research is giving us clues into what forces may be at work when it comes to packing on those winter pounds and what to do about it.
Like most mammals, we’re hardwired to gain weight:
When you take the perspective of an evolutionary biologist, it is clear that humans have an subconscious desire to gain weight. Historically, being underweight posed a risk to our survival, and being able to gain weight helped ensure our survival. Through most of our evolution, scarcity was the norm, and weight gain was considered a success. With the onset of fall, that subconscious drive to eat more foods rich in fats and sugars increases as our brain is preparing our body for the winter months where food was historically scarce. Our brain simply hasn’t evolved to our current state of abundance. There is also research showing that the body increases the output of melatonin, the sleep hormone, during the winter months, which has the double effect of decreasing energy and motivation and increasing appetite, further encouraging weight gain.
We tend to be less active during the winter months:
We all know that we tend to be less active when it’s cold and dark outside, and this is a major factor that contributes to winter weight gain. Interestingly enough, the immediate caloric burn of a 45 minute bout of activity doesn’t add up to much, roughly 200-250 calories for an average person on a brisk walk. But the impacts of exercise play a huge role in metabolic health, which determines the bodies ability to ward off future weight gain and metabolic conditions. A 2013 study performed at the University of Bath found that daily activity helped to improve insulin response and subsequent blood sugar control and improved the gene expression of fat cells that promote fat metabolism. The study concluded that through the exercise group and the non-exercise group both gained weight with a caloric surplus, the exercise group was more likely to be able to lose weight or maintain weight following the period of caloric surplus due to the positive impacts of exercise on metabolism. It’s important to note that in this study the exercise group’s energy expenditure from activity was offset with extra calories beyond what was given to the non-exercise group. On top of the metabolic changes, there is the simple energy balance equation that plays into weight gain. As we exercise less, we burn fewer calories. So even if we were to eat the exact same amount we were eating during periods of higher activity, we are still likely to gain weight.
So, how can you avoid excess winter weight gain?
As a trainer and a coach, I think it’s important to come to terms with the reality of how natural winter weight gain is. If you go into the winter months at a healthy weight and add one to three pounds, that is not likely to harm your health or performance to a large degree. If you add five to ten pounds, that may indicate a problem that can be mitigated with some basic steps. Here are my recommendations:
- Commit to being active every day and stick to an exercise routine with both strength training and aerobic activity.
- Count calories using an app, such as MyFitnessPal, to help with energy balance.
- Limit or eliminate trigger foods that are high in sugar and flour – these are particularly addictive for most of us.
Sources
Bergland, C. (2016, January 06). The Evolutionary Psychology of Human Beings’ Urge to Overeat. Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201601/the-evolutionary-psychology-human-beings-urge-overeat
Steen, J. (2016, August 31). Why We Gain Winter Weight (And How To Get Rid Of It). Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/08/30/the-truth-about-why-we-gain-winter-weight-and-how-to-get-rid-of_a_21462347/
Walhin, J., Richardson, J. D., Betts, J. A., & Thompson, D. (2013). Exercise counteracts the effects of short-term overfeeding and reduced physical activity independent of energy imbalance in healthy young men. The Journal of Physiology, 591(24), 6231-6243. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2013.262709