Preventing "Gaining Weight in Autumn": Practical Strategies to Avoid Six Weight Gain Traps

"Autumn"

Be careful! Autumn's crisp air can lead to weight gain, but here are 6 dangerous traps to avoid if you're trying to lose weight!

Trap 1

The chilly weather in the mornings and evenings discourages many people from exercising outdoors.

My regular swimming habit has quietly disappeared because the water got cold and changing clothes was inconvenient.

Crossing the trap:

Do some indoor exercises.

Developing a habit of exercise requires persistence. Exercise regularly for 4 days a week, just 20 to 30 minutes each day, to increase your body's metabolic rate. You'll never have to worry about gaining weight.

Trap Two

As the weather gets colder, the temperature in the bathroom drops accordingly, and the hot water in the bathtub cools down quickly, making bathing a hassle.

Crossing the trap:

Before entering the bathroom, you can do some warm-up exercises (about 3 to 5 minutes) to get your body "warmed up," improve blood circulation, and start your metabolism. Then, you won't feel uncomfortable taking a hot bath all at once.

The water temperature in the bathtub should not be too high at first. The water level should be below chest level (if you are afraid of the cold, you can drape a bath towel over your shoulders). Gradually increase the water temperature and volume.

Remember to do some light exercise and massage your body in the bathtub-exercising in the bathtub is very effective for weight loss.

Trap Three

I wear more and more clothes every day, and sometimes they feel a little tight. I just change into something looser, and from then on, I become less and less concerned about my figure.

Crossing the trap:

This is a self-deceptive approach.

I suggest you start making it a habit to weigh yourself in the morning and evening, and measure the dimensions of different parts of your body once a week, so that you can accurately track changes in your body's curves.

Wear clothes that fit well. If your pants feel tight around the waist, you'll know you've gained weight. Otherwise, by next summer, when you realize it's too late, you'll truly regret it.

Trap Four

After the temperature drops, appetites increase, and the tempting aroma of street food makes people break their "food taboos," even indulging in fried chicken, which they usually don't like.

Crossing the trap:

If you really want to eat fried chicken, you must reduce your intake of oil at each meal.

For example, if you originally wanted to eat stir-fried vegetables, you can eat cold vegetable salad instead; if you wanted to eat fried fish, you can eat steamed fish instead.

People who frequently eat out can prepare a bowl of hot water or clear soup to filter out the oil.

As long as your total daily oil intake doesn't exceed the recommended amount, you can enjoy your food without worry.

Trap Five

As the temperature gradually drops, the desire to snack becomes stronger, especially on idle nights when your willpower completely fails to resist.

Crossing the trap:

If you really feel you have to eat something, you must be extra careful about the food you choose.

Foods that are low in calories, easy to digest, and can replenish energy while satisfying appetite, such as warm, soupy savory porridge or noodle soup, are all suitable.

Trap Six

In summer, people lose water very quickly, and even drinking a lot of plain water will taste bland and tasteless.

At this point, things are different; rich cocoa and milk tea are more tempting than plain water.

Before long, you'll find that you're gaining weight even though you haven't eaten much.

Crossing the trap:

Tired of plain water? Here's a simple and convenient way to make your own "lemon water": Squeeze a little lemon into your water. If you don't like it too sour, you can add some sugar. This lemon water will have a sweet and sour taste, which can increase your desire to drink water.

You can also use tea bags made from Eucommia tea, herbal tea, or green tea instead; their natural aroma cannot be replaced by cocoa or milk tea.

"winter"

Ten ways to lose weight and prevent obesity in winter

Combating winter depression

In winter, many people are prone to "winter depression," also known as "seasonal depression" or "seasonal affective disorder," or simply SAD.

In recent years, SAD has attracted widespread attention, but not everyone realizes that the most typical symptom of this disease is weight gain.

Many people may not experience low mood in winter, but they may gain weight, which could be a sign of mild SAD.

This disease is mainly caused by lack of sunlight.

Therefore, experts have found some simpler solutions for SAD patients.

1. Let plenty of natural light into your room.

For example, you could trim the low trees blocking the sunlight in front of your window or draw the curtains wider.

2. Whether in the office or exercising indoors, you should sit near a window to get more sunlight, which is very important for improving your mood.

3. Take a walk.

Researchers have found that an hour of outdoor exercise during the day, even in low-light conditions, provides enough light to improve your mood.

Enjoy your time

In summer, most people probably still have plenty of time for entertainment after a light dinner.

However, in winter, many people prefer to stay at home because it is too cold outside.

Even in the dead of winter, there are still many fun sports activities we can enjoy, such as ice skating, jogging, playing ball games, and doing aerobics.

If you're still unsure which sport to choose, you might want to try walking.

This activity requires no learning whatsoever; all you need is a pair of comfortable sneakers.

If you can walk a few laps every day, you might end up walking 10 kilometers in total.

"The most crucial factor is not the intensity of exercise, but rather the regularity of it."

"Walking for 30 minutes every day will definitely do you good," says John Duncan, a professor of clinical research at Texas Women's University.

If you can't spare 30 minutes at once, then breaking it into three 10-minute walks will have the same health benefits.

Duncan conducted an experiment on women aged 20 to 40 who had long been engaged in sedentary work.

He divided these people into four groups.

The first group engaged in high-intensity running (8 kilometers per hour), the second group did brisk walking (at 4 pm), the third group strolled leisurely (at 3 pm), and the fourth group did not exercise.

Except for the fourth group who did not exercise, the other three groups gradually developed the habit of walking 5 kilometers every day after persisting for 6 months.

Even more surprisingly, the group that took a walk achieved almost the same results as the first two groups in controlling their weight, and even lost more fat.

This shows that the intensity of exercise is not the most important factor; regular exercise is.

Exercise can improve mood and help prevent overeating.

Experts say that as long as you don't eat a lot of high-calorie foods after exercising, you don't need to worry about gaining weight.

Adjust diet

If you want to lose weight in winter, you must be selective about your food choices.

Therefore, experts recommend the following choices:

1. Fruits and vegetables are the best choice for those who want to stay slim in winter.

Although food choices may be somewhat limited in winter, modern transportation and freezing technology allow us to enjoy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables all year round.

2. Bread can also be considered a food for weight control.

But you should also be careful with buttered bread that is too high in fat.

You shouldn't eat too much at once.

You can spread jam, low-fat cheese, etc. on the bread.

3. High-fat meats – Red meats, sausages, and luncheon meats contain a lot of fat, but you don’t have to completely avoid them. You can eat them with some fresh vegetables, beans, or pasta.

4. White meats – Chicken and turkey are low-fat meats. As long as you remove the skin before cooking, you can enjoy them without worrying about gaining weight.

5. When dining out, try to choose low-fat foods.

You can choose any low-fat foods you like, or a little of everything, but don't eat too much of any one thing.

To lose weight permanently, experts recommend that you make some radical changes to your eating habits.

For example, replace the butter you usually spread on toast with jam, eat fast food a few fewer times a week, and take the stairs instead of the elevator to work.

These changes will take about two months to get used to.

Winter is the hardest season to lose weight.

But if you really follow your controlled weight loss plan and stick to it, then you will definitely succeed in losing weight in winter.