8 Hacks to stay lean this Winter

Need the extra help this winter. We got you covered.

Let’s say you have a gathering tonight and you know that you will indulge, so you decide to skip a meal to make up for it. Don’t do it, but instead, have a lean shake for breakfast and lunch to balance your blood sugar levels to avoid being so hungry that you overeat and consume too many calories. Having a high protein shake with a handful of spinach, some flax seeds and a couple of blueberries will nourish you and ensure you do not go into feast mode when you eat.

Drinking two protein shakes a day is a great way to make sure that you’re getting enough protein without having to eat too much food. Most people don’t realize how delicious shakes can be! They’re packed with healthy fats, fiber and nutrients that will keep you feeling full for hours. If you find yourself craving sweets or junk food after dinner, this is a great way to satisfy those cravings without going overboard on calories. Double up on shakes and you won’t have room in your stomach for anything else!

You know you are going to want to indulge over Winter, we all do, so no point trying to tell yourself that you won’t. A better idea is to be prepared for it and have alternatives that are healthier. Keep almonds at your desk, or sugar-free chocolate in your cupboard, and have your favourite flavoured protein shake available for a quick sweet fix if your have a sweet tooth craving any time of the day. You can also get your hand on some VPA Hot Protein Delight (Hot Chocolate).

Fiber is the secret hero of weight loss as it slows stomach emptying, reduced your hunger hormone ghrelin, balances your blood sugar levels and as a result reduces cravings. Good examples of high-fiber foods are berries, leafy greens, nuts and seeds.

During the colder months we don’t sweat as much so many of us forget to drink water, making us dehydrated. This is a problem because dehydration and tiredness, and when you’re tired your body knows the fastest way to get energy is through sugar. Your body can also mistake thirst for hunger, which means it will eat even more sugar.

It sounds silly, but it works. When it is cold our bodies want to hibernate, so try to trick your body to think that it is not as cold as it may be. Try wearing gloves, multiple layers, a scarf and a beanie (you lose a lot of heat through your head), get a heater for your bathroom, and if you’re exercising outdoors, spend 5-10 minutes doing a warm up indoors in the warmth first so that you’re sweating before you even get out.

Before eating, do some push ups, jump squats, planks etc to warm your body up. It sounds crazy, but being warm from the inside can stop your bodys’s winter adaptation of wanting to overeat.

Caffeine is an appetite suppressant, so while you still need to eat of course, it may stop you feeling like you need to eat everything, all the time. And where the cold weather is sucking your energy, it will pick you up and help battle those sugar cravings. Even just having a hot drink will warm you up, but unlike a hot chocolate, a (no sugar, milk etc added) coffee or tea has basically 0 calories. As long as you know your limits so it’s not messing with your sleep and making you even more tired then it’s a win-win-win!

Being cold is uncomfortable, and so we crave “comfort” foods. Rather than trying to force yourself to eat a salad when you really just want a hearty pastry or meat pie, find a healthy compromise like a homemade veggie soup or lean roast dinner. Bake some veggies each week as part of your food prep to warm up and put on wraps and in salads with meats that you also warm up. A warm salad in winter is a game changer.