Guess what? Primates do not hibernate (except for a rare lemur living in the rain forest) That should pretty much take away any excuse you were creating to explain why you need to slow down and gain weight this winter. You may argue that you are among the millions who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but the great thing about the Winter Blues is that, unlike other forms of depression, you know when to expect them, so you can be ready to fight back. They key is to have a plan of attack, and I have found that the best way to beat the winter blues to keep them from starting in the first place.
My recipe for success in this area is pretty simple, and can be done by anyone, and should be done by everyone unless you want to feel miserable for 4-5 months, and make those around you feel miserable as well.
Get Moving
As soon as you wake up, you need to get out of bed, and get your body moving. Waking up in the dark is brutal, I know. Waking up in the dark and cold is just wrong, but it has to be done. Staying in bed and groaning and dreading the inevitable is only setting yourself up for a bad day. Remember what I told you in my post Get Off to a Great Start Everyday, you are in charge of deciding each morning whether or not you will have a good day. Now more than ever, you need to take charge of your morning routine, to keep yourself from sliding in to a winter depression. As soon as that alarm goes off you need to get that blood moving.
I personally like to exercise immediately when I get up. Well, actually I pee first, then I exercise. If the idea of exercising at the crack of dawn in the dark is not your cup of tea, don't do it. Instead just get up and start moving your body around as you begin your day. Do some light stretching. March in place a bit, or if you are a fun person you can dance. I dance quite a bit during the day. I'm actually shaking my groove thing right now at my desk. if I'm not exercising on a particular morning, I dance while making my breakfast. I'm not exactly ready for Dancing with the Stars, but I make sure I move my hips around, get my arms flapping a bit, and work the stiffness out of my knees. It gets my blood moving and it warms me up.
If you do want to exercise, I have a great secret to share with you. You know how horrible it feels to pull off your jammies on a cold morning? I swear there have been days in my life where that alone kept me from working out. So now I exercise in my jammies!!! It's awesome. I get to keep on my snuggy warm pj's, and all I have to do is throw on my sneakers. I hop onto my elliptical trainer and I'm off. Now for women who are going to do some type of exercise involving impact I would suggest figuring out a way to get a sports bra on, without having to take your top completely off. Otherwise, do some yoga or Pilates so you can forget the bra altogether 
You Are What You Eat
Absolutely no caffeine until you have eaten, and given yourself at least an hour to digest. Get a combination of carbs and protein into your body. Include 8 ounces of some really healthy fruit juice like pineapple (a natural diuretic) or pomegranate juice. Try to avoid orange juice unless it is not the commercial overly sweet versions available in most stores. Give your body time for this very healthy breakfast to get into your system before you throw back that first cup of coffee. You might find that you don't need that caffeine as much as you thought. Another great idea would be to ditch that coffee altogether and opt instead for some green tea. It will protect you from infection while still giving you that little extra jolt you might be craving. I have it from a good source that Starbucks makes an awesome green tea latte!!!
Get Outside
Huh? It's freezing out there!!!! I get that, but the sun is still out there. Granted it is not as warming as it is during the nicer months, but it will still stimulate your body to make vitamin D, and it will stimulate your brain to release much needed mood balancing chemicals. While you can certainly purchase a daylight lamp, which I do recommend as well, nothing is as good as the real thing. So bundle up and give yourself a few extra minutes a day in the sun. You can easily do that by parking far away from your destination. Ths particular trick not only gives you more exposure to sunlight, but it gives you a little extra exercise in the process.
If you are lucky enough to get some good snowfall I recommend putting on your boots, hat and gloves and get out there to make a snowman or have a snowball fight. Playing is a great way to boost your mood. Trust me on this one, you will have a blast!! Even if you don't have kids you can still do this. I bet if you looked around you could find some other adults who are more than willing to act like a kids again!
Manage Your Sugar Intake
Just in time for winter here in the northern hemisphere come the delicious Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah desserts. This is actually a recipe for disaster. Right at the time that we should be managing our sugar intake more than ever to prevent mood fluctuations, we are faced with apple pie, pumpkin pie, sugar cookies and hot chocolate with tiny and wonderful marshmallows. If you want to avoid the winter blues, you'll need to be very careful and selective about these desserts.
What does sugar have to do with it? Well, when you consume foods high in sugar your body goes into overdrive to produce insulin to process the sugar. Sadly our pancreas doesn't know when exactly to stop this overproduction, so after the sugar has been processed the body finds itself with an overabundance of insulin which then triggers a hypoglycemic reaction, which is more commonly known as a sugar crash. You know you have experienced this. The sudden fatigue, sleepiness and irritability that follows about two hours after a overindulgence of sweets. What's worse is that around the holidays we do much of our sweet eating after dinner, setting ourselves up for a restless night's sleep due to blood sugar fluctuation. You essentially wake up with an apple pie hangover!
Try to opt for fruits to satisfy your sweet tooth as much as possible this season. If you want to have some cookies, limit yourself to one or two, not half the tray. Split a piece of pie with someone or just don't eat the whole gigantic slice grandma puts on your plate. Say no thanks to the whipped cream as well.
Drink in Moderation…Really
I know its tempting to warm yourself up with alcohol, but if you are one of those people who takes an emotional nosedive in the winter, you're going to need to think twice about your alcohol consumption. Not only does alcohol cause drowsiness and hangovers, but it turns into sugar in your body. See above for why we don't want to be sucking down the sugar this time of year. When you do want a drink, opt for wine or beer to keep the amount of alcohol consumed per glass on the lower side. Avoid sweet mixed drinks and hard liquor. Whiskey, scotch and rum and all do a nasty number on your blood sugar, not to mention your stomach, so tread carefully here.
Arm Yourself with Words
You can talk yourself out of the winter blues. As soon as you feel that they are knocking on your mental doors, begin telling yourself all of the things you love about winter. You may want to have some ideas ready. You could make a list to keep in your wallet or purse so it is always handy. Think of all of the fun things that come with the colder months, and then list all of the things in life that you are grateful for. Gratitude is like Kryptonite to depression, so make sure you have plenty in your arsenal.
Get Started Today
Make your stand against the winter blues today. Don't wait until you are in its grips to try to fight back. You are in charge of your emotions and you can make this winter a happy one, but you have to be proactive. I know in my heart that you can do this and I will be here to support you every step of the way!
Resources:
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Hi Melissa. I saw you on the BMM forum and decided to come check out your blog. I didn’t know alcohol turns to sugar. I do know I need more exercise and less beer!