The winter blues are here right on cue.

The layers go on, the heater gets turned up and everything is cold and dark…those hot chocolates never felt so warm in your hands as you are curled up on the couch wondering how many more days you can put up with it all.

 

There’s a direct correlation with Seasonal Affective Disorder or Winter Blues around this time of the year. It shows up in the form of decreased energy / fatigue and cravings for big bowls of pasta and lollies. Then there’s that undeniable lack of motivation to get out of bed for work, let alone start working on your fitness goals. The fact is, the less sun and warmth you are exposed to, the more sadness and self sabotage will seep into your mind.

Naturally with extra sadness and self doubt comes unwanted weight gain, loss in fitness from skipping too many sessions in the gym leaving something to really be depressed about! Millions of us experience it and most of the time we suffer one or all of these symptoms.

 

I often declare myself in hibernation mode for the winter, only coming out for food, exercise and invitations to the snow. But I’m a rare breed and I know it. Not everyone operates like this and the repercussions can hit you hard.

 

You do a quick calculation and decide August is a good time to really start exercising and dieting hard to get your beach bod into gear. You accept the defeat, Winter 1 – You 0 and get back to Netflix and comfort food.

Once the first opportunity for sun and singlet tops appears, so does the search for the perfect bikini shred detox.

Now you may get lucky and have some awesome results. I’m honestly giving you a big high five and say well done to committing to the cause. Unfortunately you may have left a few still panicking and stepping into spring with their ‘self made’ winter coats on (body fat).

For the most of it I can say (if you haven’t realised already), that if you do get some quick results … they are usually short lived. I also need to tell you that it’s a quick fix and very effective way to throw yourself under the bus. Metabolically, physiologically and physically.

I guarantee if you keep it up year in and year out, you will find it harder to loose the weight each time you start the frenzy. What used to work in your 20’s may not work now that you are 35yo.

 

Summer bodies are made in the winter, but healthy and SEXY bodies are made year round.

 

So how do ‘rare specimens’ (or crazy people we are mostly referred to) stay on track through the coldest of days? What is the secret to driving home work and leaving the warmth of your car to put your active wear on? Are there ways around eating all that comfort food but still looking good under 40 layers of clothes?

It’s not motivation

It’s not inspiration

It’s the little things you do to set yourself up to get Sh!t done!

 

It might be getting your gym clothes out the night before, changing into them at the office before you leave work. Hell, I also wore a bright pink ski jacket to the gym at 5.30am. I looked ridiculous but it got me there on so many occasions when all I wanted to do was sleep in.

If you enjoy running but hate getting out on the pavement during the winter, think about an indoor activity you can participate in for the season… or hire a treadmill if you really want!

How about a Coles online food order? This is a good one… no chance of walking through the lolly aisle (my favourite section of the supermarket), you saved around 1hr of your time (might be paid time by the boss if you’re lucky to do it at work… shhh, very sneaky) and now all you have to do is go home and put it all into the slow cooker.

Yes, your slow cooker is going to be your best friend if you want to enjoy those hearty casseroles, curries, roasts and soups with hardly any time spent in the kitchen. Food is awesome in the slow cooker and I like to prep it the night before, chuck the dish into the fridge and turn it on as I’m leaving for the day. Then it’s a matter of serving up and eating as soon as you get home … not to mention you have extras for lunch.

See how these little things all require the LEAST AMOUNT OF EFFORT? That’s my kind of thang!

Having your gym clothes all ready to go means less effort of choosing what to wear or doing the unforgivable ‘i’ll duck home and change then i’ll go out to gym’ move… you’re not fooling anyone there.

Coles have our backs too, they love to save your previous shopping basket so there’s even less effort for next time as you tinker with your shopping list… yay for Coles!

 

When you do them consistently you’ll find it becomes even less effort and find yourself habitually getting Sh!t done! Small habit shifts WILL pave the way for success and in our case it’s going to lay a foundation for permanent body shape changes.

 

Take a look at little things you can do with the least amount of effort to change how your day unfolds. Sure, some days will still be tough but sometimes they may be all you need to push through this season!

 

 

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Megan @ Metabolic Bodies