September has arrived and its getting colder here in the UK. I do belive that cold weather especially the winter months makes you feel more lathargic and less motivated to excercise and eat healthily. There is research to show that your body will respond differently to the same amount of diet and exercise in the summer than it does in the winter.
Walker, Best and Noon et al (1997) shows a link between the ?winter blues? and a drop in serotonin levels. When serotonin drops below a certain level, your brain ?thinks? that your body is starving and ?tells? you to start eating. In fact, some researchers believe that there?s direct link between overeating and decreased brain serotonin levels. Overweight people with low levels of serotonin feel compelled to eat more. Once they get their carbohydrate ?fix?, serotonin levels rise, and they feel temporarily better again. These researchers also identify that cortisol levels reach their highest point in the winter, which causes you to store abdominal fat. This has also been linked to depression, diabetes, heart disease and weaking of your immune system. Donahoo, Jensen and Shepard et al (2000) identified that an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase which premotes the storage of fat rises and falls in tandem with the seasons.
It is reasonable to expect a slower rate of fat loss and increased feelings apathy about weight loss during the winter months. However it is important to remember that you can take charge of your satabaging thoughts that want you to give in to these feelings. Remember some weight loss is better than non and by not excercising you will be undoing all your hard work in the summer. Dont give up! Make being healthy the easy opition. This will take some planning but it can be done. For example, plan your excercise regime and heathier meals days or weeks before. My excecise regime involves going to the gym on certain days and times every week. Therefore i prepare my gym bag the day before I go. When I wakeup in the morning I dont have the hassel of getting my bag ready. Just think if you wake early on a cold dark morning its going to be very difficuly to challenge your sabataging thoughs telling you not to bother and stay in your warm and cosy bed if you have left obsticals in your way.
References
Donahoo, W.T., Jensen, D.R., Shepard, T.Y., & Eckel, R.H. (2000). Seasonal variation in lipoprotein lipase and plasma lipids in physically active, normal weight humans. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 85, p. 3065-3068.
Walker, B.R., Best, R., Noon, J.P., Watt, G.C., & Webb, D.J. (1997). Seasonal variation in glucocorticoid activity in healthy men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 82, p. 4015-4019.
Source: http://www.mentalfitnesshelp.co.uk/latest-news/cold-weather-and-weight-gain/
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