By Chris Golv, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, A.S. Exercise Science

Now that winter has started, so too begins the battle to keep the weight off. There are many factors that go into weight gain during the winter season. We have the holidays that bring a lot of food, whether Thanksgiving leftovers or a cookie exchange. Being in Minnesota, weather can also become a real deterrent for getting to the gym and working out as well. Here are a few tips I share with my clients around this time of year to help them stay on track with their fitness goals..

Re-evaluate your Goals

As we move out of summer and into the colder months, this is a perfect time to sit down and think about your fitness goals. We already know that having great goals makes a huge difference in both motivation and success. Find a new winter activity to train for, a spring event to look forward to, or just make a new game plan as your routines change with the cold months. Write these goals down, and better yet, tell a friend. This will help you stay accountable when things get tough.

Plan Ahead

This might be the most common advice I give to clients. What I mean by plan ahead goes for your workouts and especially your nutrition. By planning ahead for a day of either too much food or unhealthy food, we can balance it out some great workouts and days of eating really well for a few days ahead of time.  We should never feel guilty about enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with the family.  Having a game plan in place allows you to enjoy the splurge day without the guilt.

Embrace the Season

Snow on the ground and low temperatures doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy activities outside. Whether shoveling the driveway or making a snowman with the kids, there are many ways to be more active outdoors during the winter months. More structured activities like cross-county skiing or snowshoeing are great ways to break the cycle of sitting inside with limited activity and then a trip to the gym.

Give these a try to continue to make progress all season long and set yourself up for a great 2016!