Winter is coming...

[Chargrintoacti]

So not sure about the rest of you, but I'm bad when it comes to Winter... I currently weigh 310lbs, I am a more active person since getting my fitbit, but am still have a lot of problems with my eating habbits. With winter coming I am afraid I will wak less, and go into hibernation mode, except instead of sleeping I will just keep eating... Because of work I know I will stay reletively active, but I am really worried that all of this summers hard work will be for nothing...

I could use some encouragement, advice but honestly I need some people who are like minded and need others to push them. I need to be pushed, but not yelled at, no one has time for being yelled at.

[Fit-vs-Fat]

Well here I am....new to fitbit.  But, I will lose 20 lbs in 4 months.  I'm 280 lbs and need to eat less.  I do eat the right kind of foods because my lovely wife cooks but I eat too much.  Anyway, it will be an active winter and I hope to eat less food. 

[SunsetRunner]

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@Chargrintoacti wrote:

So not sure about the rest of you, but I'm bad when it comes to Winter... I currently weigh 310lbs, I am a more active person since getting my fitbit, but am still have a lot of problems with my eating habbits. With winter coming I am afraid I will wak less, and go into hibernation mode, except instead of sleeping I will just keep eating... Because of work I know I will stay reletively active, but I am really worried that all of this summers hard work will be for nothing...

I could use some encouragement, advice but honestly I need some people who are like minded and need others to push them. I need to be pushed, but not yelled at, no one has time for being yelled at.

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OK, so you don't want to be yelled at ...

How about setting a reasonable eating plan (natural, unadulterated, non-manufactured foods)

at quantities that give sufficient calories for what you want to weigh (not what you weigh now).

That would be (generally) be about 10 cal./lb.

[HelenaFitbit]

I think exercise is the best way to warm up your day! I know that staying warm and still is pretty good, but we need to push ourselves further to get the goals we need. 

A well mantained caloric budget and exercise will certainly help you towards these goals, I know because I also need to lose over 100 pounds! 

I use an app called Pact to make sure I stick to my goals. If you don't complete them, you have to pay; but if you fulfill them, you get money! 

[WendyB]

Set you goals and stick to them.

I agree that its warms up your day.

Im lost if I dont get my Morning walk in. Nothing stops me but a heavy rain. If its a light rain I still go. It doesnt get as cold here as some places and I dont get snow but  Im still out there at 21 degrees in the morning. I just bundle up a lot more 

I had a guy ask me last year if I needed a ride and I looked at him funny and said no I walk this way every morning. He thought I was nuts 

[SunsetRunner]

I live in Canada where our winters can be a challenge sometimes.  I always try to get outside, even if just around the block.  I dress in layers so as to not over heat.  Eating can be troublesome in the winter as we want to stay inside and snack.  I find that if I am wanting or thinking that I want something, I go for water or a cup of tea first.  Wait 20 minutes before I acutally eat.  I also prepare soups and freeze them as well as muffins so I can quickly grab something healthy.

You can do it, just plan each week, mark it on a calendar.  Take one day at a time.  Look at winter as a new opportunity to get out and try a different activity - skating, if you have snow -snowshoeing.  I look at it positively or I would never leave my home when it was cold and blowing.  Stay focused 🙂

[Paradise555]

I feel the same way. The best thing for me that works is being active or busy then it has less time to eat. Eat only good stuff and reward yourself once a week or something like that.

[emili]

@Chargrintoacti I am not sure if joining a gym is a possibility. For me, that is the thing that keeps me moving. I am always cold so winters for me are awful. I count on being indoors and a gym meets my needs. If nothing else, walk around your home, find steps and climb several flights per day. All else fails, do 20 burpees every two hours. As far as food- just sub out the warm and fattening with warm and lean. Drink hot tea, eat oatmeal, make your own soup, grill chicken and veggies. Get low fat wraps and make yummy warm sandwiches. sub out chips with pretzels and spicy mustard. drink homemade hot chocolate with skim milk. I can give you a ton more if you're interested. You need to create a strategy and then stick to it. This will occupy your time so you eat less- think more. I have done really well with activity, nutrition and weight loss. If you need help, I am happy to help you. In full disclosure- I might yell a little. Good luck in your journey!

[Hanne]

@Chargrintoacti

I have the black belt in bad excuses!  I therefore decided that the weather is one of the most effective exercise-blockers and that I had to stop that particular inner dialogue altogether. So I bought a exercise tool for my bedroom, a treadmill where the board can fold (up) so that it takes little space. It can slope to work as a steep hill.  You can buy decent 2nd hand exercise tools online for very little money. I also use my TV set in the bedroom to do zumba and other exercise via youtube. I no longer discuss whether the weather is too bad to go to a gym or go outside. It is a non-issue, the weather is always fine in my bedroom, although I may place a fan next to the treadmill to create some wind. I listen to comedians on my phone as podcasts. Whatever it takes to make those 60 very active minutes happen every day.

[mlaccs]

I have similar challenges with food in the winter.  I WANT to be good.  I MEAN to be careful.  Then life happens and I am done.   

BEST tip ever is to just NOT NOT NOT let food in the house that is not good for me.  I CANNOT have a single serving of Ice Cream.  If the tub hits the freezer in my house then that sucker is gone.

So I don't put it in the house and am not inclinded to go buy it.   Same for cakes and candy and and and .....  I keep a supply of carrots and celery and apples and such.  I can eat those and that helps.  

As for getting out, I am hoping ot ise the Wii more this year.  They are not expensive and worked well a couple of years ago whene I was on my last fitness kick. 

I lost that battle to pizza and ice Cream when I figured I could trust myself.  Did not work then, will not work now.

[IamRBrown]

I can relate to the winter slowdown.. I have degenerative arthritis in my neck and lower back...  knees are going too, but not as quickly. 

I have dropped 10 pounds this summer & I know I WILL NOT walk in nasty cold weather without some serious motivation!  My motivation is a granddaughter who likes to window shop - we walk and walk and walk... indoors where it's warm.  The only thing is getting there & she definately will motivate me if she knows we will be window shopping!

Eating:  grapes have almost no calories as a snack... I keep ready to eat veggies/dip & fruit in my fridge at all times.  I only buy junk stuff that I could care less about for the grandkids...  I am more likely to grab something heathy & lower calorie if I keep snacks for them that they like & I can do without!

Good luck!

[Hanne]

@mlaccs  I agree that thinking about Trust, or rather the lack thereof, is important. I am by nature a dreamer, who has "Somewhere over the rainbow" going in my head a lot! But to loose or just keep my current weight, I cannot be in La La Land, I have to deal with Reality. And Reality is that I cannot trust myself to have tempting foods sitting in my fridge. It has always been that way. Dr. Phil often says "The best predictor of the future is the past" and I think he is right. I have watched a lot of Dr. Phil shows because he teaches people to be skeptical, not get duped, by anyone, including yourself. Especially yourself. How to have that inner compass and steer clear of things and habits that are bad for you.

[Lightsinger]

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@Chargrintoacti wrote:

So not sure about the rest of you, but I'm bad when it comes to Winter... I currently weigh 310lbs, I am a more active person since getting my fitbit, but am still have a lot of problems with my eating habbits. With winter coming I am afraid I will wak less, and go into hibernation mode, except instead of sleeping I will just keep eating... Because of work I know I will stay reletively active, but I am really worried that all of this summers hard work will be for nothing...

I could use some encouragement, advice but honestly I need some people who are like minded and need others to push them. I need to be pushed, but not yelled at, no one has time for being yelled at.

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Believe me, I know exactly what you're talking about!  Every year my body goes into hoarding mode at this time.  Add to that all those extra goodies laying around at work, all the holiday meals....it's a set up, I tell you!  And soooooo easy to succumb to.  The only thing that seems to help me is to come up with a plan ahead of time. I don't promise myself that I won't iindulge at all; but I try to eat mindfully.  I enjoy every bite, but I try to avoid eating until I'm full.  No matter how wonderful Aunt Edith's herb dressing with oysters might be.  😉

[Brown-eyedG2]

@Chargrintoacti would you or anyone else like to join our Fall/Winter challenge activity group? Come on over...
https://www.fitbit.com/group/22H46M

We are helping each other through the seasons 😃

[Strem2]

Wow, from Helenafitbit:  I use an app called Pact to make sure I stick to my goals. If you don't complete them, you have to pay; but if you fulfill them, you get money!

This is great for me.  I am highly motivated to regain my former body, and money will just add to the incentive.  Thank you so much.  However, like every other worthwhile goal, there are hurtles to jump.  First, I need to get a phone upgrade because mine isn't smart enough....

Thank you, and best of luck to everyone.  Chargrintoacti, decide what you want and don't let anyone, not even yourself, get in your way.  Once you have been folowing a routine that includes exercise, it will be harder to stop than to keep going.  So get your base in now, before it gets too cold.

[Strem2]

Helena, does this app really work?

"I use an app called Pact to make sure I stick to my goals. If you don't complete them, you have to pay; but if you fulfill them, you get money! "

I was just reading comments from Android users, and many were complaining that it doesn't count their workouts and then charges them money.  Do you have the Iphone app or the Android app?

Thanks.

[HelenaFitbit]

Hello @Strem2! I've been using Pact for over a year on my Android device. I have linked it via PayPal but you can also link your Credit Card. 

I have seen trouble when you sync "gym activities" but I use it syncing my Fitbit Steps (no logged activities, no challenges) and if you log over 10,000 in a day, it counts as a workout day. Their Support team is very flexible (I have spoken to them a few times since I was charged when I was in the hospital and I forgot to freeze my pacts) and they are really nice and helpful.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions

[SunsetRunner]

use myfitnesspal to track your calorie intake

just because it is winter does not mean you have to stop walking to the shops, supermarket etc

[Hanne]

@wytey   Good gear has helped me do the shopping in winter. Walking with groceries is good exercise, and it can be faster to walk to the supermarket than to dig out the car from under the snow. But staying safe has been my number one priority, so I bought special rubber bands with metal things to put round the boots, like a car with winter tires    These bands prevent sliding on black ice. Sports stores and hardware stores have them.

[Chuckolla · Accepted solution]

I weighed in at 310 lbs in March 2015 and am at 205 lbs with a goal of getting to 199 lbs. I had terrible food cravings and even though I didn't know it was eating between 3,000 and 5,000 calories a day and not excercing - I was also a nightime eater and emotional eater too.

The thing that worked well for me was to initally recalibrate - I was so out of touch what a normal amount of food was it was insane (I didn't think I was over eating - I just couldn't understand why I was gaining so much weight). I did a 2-day juice fast followed by ordering food from a meal service for 4 weeks. The juice fast helped in two huge ways; 1) 24-30 hours in I was lying in bed like a drug addict who had come off some kind of hardcore narcotic. It scared the **ahem** out of me, I thought I was having a heart attack, my chest hurt and I was sweating profussly. I jumped on to the web and found out this was a common side effect when toxins from your organs are released into your blood after they have a chance to recover for a bit. Just knowing how that felt and feeling all the posion in my body gave me an incentive to change my ways.

2) By the end of day 2 of the juice fast I started feeling amazing and felt like I never needed food again. It was a mental excercie that showed me that I didn't collapse if I didn't eat dinner and that if you sit with hunger a little bit it just goes away.

The meal service was all natural food with no refined carbs or preservatives. I was eating about 2,000  calories a day and soon found that to be completely fine. After a while, when I took a 'day off' and went back to my old diet I felt like I was getting a 'high' from the processed food and then later felt quite ill. I went back to the non-processed food and started fealing good again.