Forget Hibernation!

Usually around this time of year, the air turns cooler, the leaves change color, and I decide to store up a layer of body fat to prepare myself for winter. Well, forget it this year, sister! I’ve got enough weight gain going on in my uterus (baby #7 is due in January). After all, isn’t staying warm in winter what fleece was made for?! Here are a few tips to keep your figure while the temperature drops.

Change Your Idea Of Comfort Food
If comfort food means big bowls of baked macaroni and cheese then you may need to stretch out of your comfort zone a bit. Comfort food may feel good going down, but buttoning your jeans the next day is a different story. But I know how those cravings for warm and delicious have a way of sneaking up when we least expect it. There’s just something about hot fudge pie that makes us perk up and settle in all at the same time (which helps when the daylight is getting shorter, nights are getting longer, and moods sometimes need a little nudge). Try replacing those high fat foods with lean soups or lo-fat casseroles that still satisfy that comfort tooth without putting on the pounds.

Get Some Daylight
Another way to stay healthy as the seasons change is to get enough daylight. Try going on an early morning walk every day or maybe eating lunch outside in a park instead of the kitchen or a café. Daylight will help perk up your metabolism and your spirits, so make sure you are getting as much as you can.

Keep That Body In Motion
I promise I know what it’s like. The mornings are chilly, the bed is warm, so why mess with a good thing? I’ll tell you why – if you don’t mess with a good thing, it’s going to turn into a bad thing (especially when spring rolls around and you try to squeeze into that cute little Easter dress). Exercising may not be as easy in cold weather as it is in the spring and summer, but there are a lot of ways to get that heart pumping when it’s frosty outside. Put on some pumping tunes and dance for twenty minutes, bundle up and go on a brisk walk, or maybe some exercise videos would be just the thing for you. Whatever it is, all you need to worry about is working that body, burning some calories, building some muscle and stamina, and having fun. And it’s always the season for that!