My Plan to Avoid Winter Weight Gain

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ScaleI have to admit, my writing this is purely for selfish reasons. I need a visual and even more so, accountability. I made a goal at the beginning of this year to strive for better overall health. I can’t wait to reach my ultimate goal weight and share my journey with you, but for now I do want to share my plan to make it through the next few months with not only not gaining any weight, but hopefully continuing to lose.

Summer is an easy (well easier) time for me to eat healthy and exercise. Fresh food tastes great and it’s enjoyable to be outside and active. Even with cookouts and graduation parties, grilled meat and veggies is much healthier than the winter comfort foods and Christmas cookies. So I knew as the weather got colder and all food seems to turn to carbs and sugar, I would need a plan. I came up with a few tips and tricks that I have used over the past year, that I hope will be useful to you as well!

Increase Activity This is not easy in the winter, BUT it allows you to splurge a little more. I never want to feel that a food is off limits, so extra cardio gives me the flexibility. You can even set a goal for yourself to achieve by spring, to help keep you active. I am planning on training for the Heart Mini Marathon in March to keep me moving this winter.

Load up on Fruits and Veggies This is mainly when you hit up multiple holiday parties and New Year’s celebrations. There is almost always a veggie tray and/or fruit of some kind. Fill your plate with these and then limit yourself to just one “pig in a blanket.”

Keep a Glass of Water in your Hand Everyone knows you should drink a lot of water. I have found that when I’m out and about or at a party, if I keep a glass of water in my hand, I eat less. Now just to be clear, substituting a glass of wine for the water will not have the same affect ;).

Find Healthier Versions of your Favorites I recently started a Pinterest board named “Healthy Comfort Foods.” There are so many ideas out there and a lot of them are actually delicious! There are some foods I will always make the “real” way (hello mashed potatoes), but I’m excited to try substitutions and healthier suggestions for meals and baking.

Plan Ahead I know on Christmas morning my mother-in-law will make a huge, delicious breakfast, complete with my favorite coffee cake. I would much rather indulge in a meal of my favorites, so I will purposefully eat lighter on Christmas Eve and the rest of Christmas Day. So if you’re planning on indulging at your favorite restaurant, plan to eat light the rest of that day!

Don’t Get Too Stressed Okay, this one is mainly for me. I have worked very hard this year on this very personal goal and I honestly don’t want to blow it over the next few months. But the reassuring thing is, I know I won’t. I think I have truly established a new lifestyle for myself and I’m hoping I can trust in that and not stress over each food I put in my mouth.

Winter is the time to wear a cozy sweater, snuggle on the couch with the family, eat cookies and drink hot chocolate. I still plan on doing this, but not every night and I may make those cookies with applesauce instead of oil. I want to set a good example of “balance” for my kids and I definitely want to continue our healthier lifestyle. After all, this time of year isn’t really about the cookies and casseroles. I want to focus on the time I spend with loved ones and the magic of the season. Happy Holidays to you all!

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Andrea Limke
I am a native Cincinnatian and thanks to a lot of moving, I know this city pretty well. I grew up on the Westside, attended Walnut Hills High School, and then headed to Oxford for an education degree at Miami University. After a few years in Hyde Park, my husband and I are settled in Northern Kentucky for the time being. One of the great things about the Cincinnati area is the abundance of wonderful neighborhoods, schools and family friendly activities! My husband, Andrew, and I have a son, Aiden (2) and our baby girl, Audrey. We didn’t exactly plan all of the “A” names, but it allows us to keep our family nickname – the A-Team. I am an elementary school teacher, but am on a leave of absence right now to be home with my kids. My days are filled with entertaining my babies, taking way too many pictures on my phone and changing a lot of diapers. Thanks to recent open-heart surgery, I have an aortic valve that ticks (like a clock!), I have ornithophobia (Google it) and I broke my hip when I was 18 (I will never ice skate again). But, I do love photography on my “real” camera, pretending I’m a good enough chef to have my own cooking show and playing outside. I turned to writing/blogging in order to document my family’s journey to better health and as motivation to keep myself on track. You can read more about my personal journey at www.limkelife.blogspot.com. I look forward to sharing the adventure of motherhood with you!

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