By: Pennie Hale – March, 2013
I hope shoveling snow counts as a high-calorie burning activity. With all the snow we got this winter, I had to have burned about a million calories. Spring is right around the corner now and I hope to get outdoors more. I want to open all the windows of my house to re-oxygenate the air. I want to drag out the treadmill and start walking again. I want to tie back all the curtains and let the sunlight in. I think the start of spring is a great time to start fresh.
How was your winter? Did you gain any weight? Did the lack of ample sunlight affect your mood? Did you feel weighed down while wearing layers and layers of clothing? I’ve always said that I’d rather be cold than hot. That is still true. But these past few months have seemed colder to me. A lot of illnesses were passed around. People were home with the flu, a stomach bug or some other ailment all winter long. A lot of my friends felt depressed. Some felt isolated and alone. Winter in New England can make a person feel all of those things. And with today’s economy and job losses, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Seasonal depression affects a lot of people. It’s very common. Depression leads to weight gain. Weight gain can lead to low self-esteem. Low self-esteem can lead to isolation.
There are a lot of “outdoorsy” people. Those people love the snow and all the activities that come along with winter weather. People like to ski, hike, make snow forts and snowboard. There are people who love the winter weather and spend beste online casino all their free time out in the snow. I am not one of those people. I do love the look of snow and how beautiful it is when it’s falling to the ground. I’ve made snowmen with my kids and had many snowball fights. My kids are older now and don’t have much interest in those activities any more. So when it’s snowing, I am usually inside watching it through the window, making a fire in the fireplace and stirring up the hot cocoa. Even though I like it when the weather is cold, I don’t generally spend too much time out in it. Weight gain in the winter is pretty common. So, it’s important to make weight loss a priority in the spring, right? I will if you will!
Spring can be the “warming up to the idea of summer” season. The season where we look at ourselves in the full-length mirror, accept what we see, and make plans to change what we don’t like. Getting ready to fit into that Easter dress can be a smaller challenge than getting ready for that summertime bathing suit.
Eat less, exercise more. That’s the weight-loss “secret”. Burn more calories than you consume. We can put post-it notes with phrases like “Nothing tastes better than being thin feels” on the fridge. We can leave out a bowl of fresh fruits and vegetables to snack on. We can join a weight-loss support group. All of these things can possibly help. Making ourselves a priority would definitely help. So let’s say goodbye to winter and hello to spring and encourage each other with our own individual goals.
If you would like to share your story about weight-loss or food addiction with me, please email me at pennielacouture@verizon.net