4 Ways to Avoid Cold-Weather Weight Gain

4 Ways to Avoid Cold-Weather Weight Gain
By Joy Bauer , PARADE

 
Four tips to curb your hunger on those darker, colder days.


1. Fill Up on Soup
Swap summertime salads for vegetable-based soups, stews, stir-fries, and chili. Vegetables are a great source of fiber and water—nutrients that help you feel full without adding a lot of extra calories.

2. Spice It Up
Studies show that capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers, not only increases satiety—it may also rev up your metabolism to help burn calories.

3. Go for the Deep Freeze
Since cold-weather cooking is more time-consuming than summer grilling, make healthy meals in bulk and freeze the leftovers. Hearty soups, turkey-bean chili, stews, and meatloaf all freeze well.

4. Trick Your Treats
Halloween doesn’t have to be the ultimate diet buster. Don’t buy more candy than you’ll need, and wait until Halloween night to open the bags. Allow yourself three of your favorite treats (mini-, fun-, or snack-size, of course), then brush your teeth or gargle with mouthwash. To avoid temptation, give away all leftovers to the lucky last trick-or-treater of the night.

4 Ways to Avoid Cold-Weather Weight Gain