That is why we are thick in winter and thin in summer

You can shout at me as much as you want that the winter winter is actually very nice and cozy and fun and all, but I don't like it at all. Okay, I am incredibly team Christmas and can't wait until it's that time, but as soon as it's January 1st, spring can start as far as I'm concerned. Because let's be honest: what's fun about it being dark in the morning when you leave the house and when you come home after a long day at work, the light is already out? Your skin just flakes off because the heating constantly has to be turned up a notch and as a cherry on top, you gain weight during these winter months too. Try to convince me otherwise. But let's talk about those extra kilos we drag into spring: how is it possible that we are fat in winter and thin in summer?

1. You go outside less

Unfortunately, the temperature drops just as fast as your motivation to exercise, says movement researcher John Raglin from Indiana University Bloomington’s School of Public Health. As soon as you come home in the dark after a long day at work, the heating goes on, you pull your joggers out of the closet, and flop down on the couch. So the chance is quite big that you dive into the gym less often than you do in spring and summer. But how many evening walks do you take in winter compared to summer? Exactly, you have better things to do. And that brings us to problem number two. Because you spend more time on the couch, the chance is greater that you start snacking. Portuguese research shows that watching more than 120 minutes of television per day is equivalent to eating more fatty foods and less vegetables and fruit.

 
Tip: take a buddy and go for a walk, because that's really healthy for you. So try to walk for at least an hour three evenings a week, rain or shine.

2. You can't say no to all that deliciousness

Actually, it starts in September when we still open a bottle of rosé outside but the shelves are already filled with the first pepernoten and chocolate letters. Which isn't that bad in itself, but what is bad is that we still buy them. That means fishing out the light brown and white specimens from the bag for three months. And then Christmas still has to start, the drinks, the dinners, and as a cherry on top, the oliebollen festivity that is New Year's Eve. Oh yes, early January? That's the New Year's drink. All moments when tables are filled with irresistible treats and your glass is more full than empty. And then you can pay attention to your food during the week, but if you go all out on the weekend, you still throw a wrench in the works. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about it in the end, because we tend to eat more when we are surrounded by many people.

 
Tip: do you have another dinner planned? Then don't compensate, but rather eat enough fiber during the day so that you don't sit down at the table starving in the evening.

3. You sleep worse

Feeling the winter blues? Then there's a good chance you're spending a lot of time on the couch or under the covers at the most ridiculous times. We think we need more sleep during these winter months, but unfortunately, that's not the case. When you don't get enough hours of sleep or stay too long between those warm sheets, your biological clock can get quite confused, with all the consequences that entails. Researchers have found that an irregular sleep pattern is associated with the hunger hormone leptin. As a result, you feel hungrier during the day.

 
Tip: spend a little less time on the couch and go outside more. By being more active during the day (that lunch can also be taken while walking), you'll sleep better at night.

4. You crave comfort food

Scraping windows, frozen fingers, traffic jams, trains that don't run, sniffles, and more darkness than daylight. Nothing fun about winter. And that is reflected in our stress level. Because we are more stressed, we reward ourselves more often with something delicious on our plate. A study among 3000 Britons has shown that we eat about 680 calories more per day during the winter months. Women eat even more calories daily, namely about 750. This is not only because we reward ourselves more, but especially because we feel that we need more in winter to stay fit.

Tip: especially slide that pizza into the oven tonight and don't cancel that cheese fondue date definitely not; just a walk in the park tomorrow morning and a carrot at four o'clock.