Are You Planning To Gain Weight This Winter? (Free Printables)

What a thing to say?  I know right, but let me explain.  It has been a hot summer and most of us are more than ready for cooler weather.  However, with the cooler weather comes less accessibility to the outdoors, less sunlight and a decline in our desire to get up and go.  Especially if you live in a colder region.  Do I even have to remind you that cooler weather gives us a desire for comfort food? I'm all ready to start baking cookies!  So clearly there is some validity to my question.

Think of all the wonderful gains you have accumulated.  You are lifting heavier; running / walking / biking more, longer and faster; upping your yoga game; gaining muscle losing fat.  You are feeling more confident and hence you are trying new things and for the cherry on top, you are fitting into those cute new clothes.  Spring and Summer have been good to you.  It would be a shame to lose it all but it is a very real reality that happens to so many of us. Myself included.

Who wants to start 2016 trying to take back off the weight they lost last year?  Anyone?  Do I have any takers?

For me, September is the new January.  Around September I tend to start planning out what I want my year to look like so that by the time the new year rolls in I'm already on board and working my plan.  Trust me it works and it eliminates the need for resolutions.  Since this concept has served me so well in other areas I have decided to start applying it to my health.  

So if you want to carry your amazing Spring and Summer self into Fall and Winter I would suggest you start planning.  I'm calling my plan the "Keep It Moving Fall & Winter Strategy ".  Yes, it is that serious that I needed to call it a strategy.  I can't bank on saying I'm going to be strong or the fact that I'm still beasting my workouts to guarantee that will be the case come mid October. Without a plan in place you can be dead in the water come Thanksgiving?!

So, since I'm a good friend I'm going to share my "strategy" with you.

How to Create Your Fall & Winter Fitness / Nutrition Strategy 

Step 1. Goals

I like to start with the point, the purpose of a thing.  What is it you are trying to achieve is the question you need to ask yourself.  The answer to the question will enable you to map out what is required to achieve your goal. 

Example:  I'm starting to get into adventure and active vacations.  Last summer I did Paddle Boarding In Paradise as part of my active vacation and in 2016 I want to jump into Blue Hole and swim in a cave.   Cool right?!  The only problem with that is I have injured my back and I don't swim.

I am breaking down my personal goal of wanting an active vacation and picking out the areas to work on.  Swimming and rehabing my back.  Together with my desire to settle into some new eating concepts.  

Here are some other ideas:

• Train for a Marathon or Half Marathon
• Learn a new exercise or sport
• Drop the baby weight
• Develop your core
• Get started

What will your goals look like?

Once you have the focus of what you are trying to achieve you can determine your direction.

Are you planning to gain weight this winter. Here is a strategy with free printable to get you through the winter.

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Step 2. Fitness

I remember when I started boot camp, they had 29 standards of fitness.  It was great and all but a wee bit overwhelming for me to suss out. So for the sake of this exercise I am only considering the basic three:

• Cardio - to get your heart rate up and burn fat
• Flexibility - to keep your body fluid and joint loose
• Resistance / Strength Training - to develop lean muscle mass that will keep you tight and toned

To help my back heal I'm only going to engage all low impact exercise.  I want to strengthen my core, increase flexibility and maintain cardio since I won't be running for awhile.  To accomplish this I plan to do the DDP Yoga programs for the recommended 13 weeks and take swim classes three times per week.  Those two activities will cover my cardio, flexibility and resistance training for the duration.  At the end of 13 weeks I will evaluate how those choices have served me.

How will you break your goal down into weekly exercise?

Step 3. Nutrition

What are your nutritional / fuel options going to look like?  Don't let the health and fitness jargon scare you.  Simply put, what will you eat to supply the activities or lifestyle choices you are going to be making.  This is a highly subjective personal space and to each their own, however, I do suggest you take these following items into consideration:

• Eat clean
• Eat enough to fuel your activities
• You can't out exercise a bad diet
• Research your food style choices - so that you can eat a balanced diet even if you are eliminating a food group.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

And just like with Step 2. Fitness you need to evaluate your progress to determine if what looks good on paper is working for you in the real world. 

My two food styles to work on this winter will be gluten / dairy free and intuitive eating.

How will you incorporate your nutrition into your overall "Keep It Moving Strategy"?

Step 4. Rewards

Everyone likes a reward so why not set yourself some incentives to keep you motivated along the way.  You know what you like.  Your goals could be weight lost or tasks accomplished related.  In your plan included weekly and monthly incentives to keep you motivated along the way.  Breaking a big goal down into increments takes away the enormity of your goal.

When I had lost 100 pounds I got the Lasik surgery, I had been wanting.   Throughout the Lasik procedure I was so proud knowing that I had earned it.  It made the weight loss celebration that much more special.  Best reward ever!

What type of reward schedule will you make for yourself?

Quick Tips:

1. To reduce burnout, align your goals proportionate to your ability to accomplish them and build from there.
2. If you find you are overwhelmed here is an action plan to help you stay on or get back on track. 
3. Consider the holidays - Thanksgiving through New Years. Almost seven weeks of fun, family and really good food that you know you want to part take in.  Make your plan now so you don't completely lose focus and end up where you started. 

"When you have a choice to make and don't make it, that in itself is a choice."  ~ William James

So there you have it.  A skeleton strategy to get you through the Fall and Winter without gaining weight. I hope you like it and more importantly, make it applicable to you and use it so that you can continue strong throughout the winter.

I have created some printables to help you execute your strategy which are free to you for joining my mailing list. Join Mailing List here!

Do you fall off your game in the winter?
Or gain weight? 
What are some of the ways you stay strong?

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