Every year, the same scenario repeats itself: you gain a few pounds in winter that you have trouble getting rid of before summer arrives. The ambient cold, the decrease in brightness, and the end-of-year celebrations are the main culprits. Follow the advice of Nathalie Négro, dietician, not to gain weight this winter.

Why do we get fat in winter?

Several factors come into play in winter weight gain:

Lack of motivation for physical activity

In spring and summer, mild temperatures and long hours of sunshine boost motivation for outdoor physical activities. But when winter arrives, the cold and the lack of light do not make you want to put your nose outside and even less to play sports. Only the most adventurous maintain their activity in summer and winter.

The cold

When it's cold, the body tends to expend more calories to keep body temperature at a normal level. Our unconscious pushes us to eat caloric foods to compensate, it's an old reflex. "Even if in reality, we no longer fight against the cold because we are most of the time in warmed places, we feel the need to eat more and go towards caloric foods," notes Nathalie Négro.

The end-of-year celebrations

They are often a trigger for winter weight gain. "During the holidays, we tend to eat fatty dishes and chocolates repeatedly. The portions are also more hearty on the plate. Some people keep these bad habits even after the holidays. However, the more you eat, the more the size of the stomach increases to a certain point. It's a vicious circle," says the dietician. (Discover 'Our tips for a tasty and light New Year's Eve).

Low morale

In autumn and winter, you can have your spirits in the socks because of the lack of light. Food, especially sweet or fatty foods, can then be seen as comfort.

Choosing the right physical activities at the start of the school year

There is no secret, to keep the line, you have to move all year round! Adept at running when the weather is nice, you give up as soon as the weather spoils? Know how to anticipate from the beginning of the school year. 'If you like to practice an outdoor activity but not in cold weather, it is better to choose an indoor activity as a complement to stay active throughout the year. And above all, we continue to do sports even during the end-of-year holidays, "advises the nutrition specialist.

Stationary bike, pilates, yoga (or mode yoga to stay warm), muscle strengthening exercises, jump rope, weight training... The choice is wide. Two to three one-hour sessions per week are recommended to maintain your line. Complete 20 to 30 minutes of walking per day, if possible. Take the opportunity to walk during the hours of sunshine, rarer in winter, to enjoy all the benefits of natural light.

Lighten your winter dishes

In winter, it is difficult to resist traditional gourmet dishes such as raclette, tartiflette, sauerkraut, or meat dishes in sauce. If consumed exceptionally, they should not have an impact on your weight. On the other hand, if they multiply, limit calories with a few tips:

For raclette, choose low-fat cold cuts such as Grisons meat, bresaola, bacon fillet, or white ham. Accompany your processed cheese with vegetables and not just potatoes. 'Fennel bulbs and carrots in sections go very well with raclette cheese. On the other hand, green salad is a false good idea because the oil contained in the vinaigrette only increases the amount of fat ingested. Finally, be reasonable about cheese slices. Rather than serving yourself constantly in a well-stocked dish placed in the middle of the table, take a maximum of ten slices at the beginning of the meal and stick to this amount.
For stewed meat dishes, use low-fat pieces "such as fondue pieces, beef collar, cheek or paleron", recommends Nathalie Négro.
For sauces based on fresh cream, add it at the end of cooking. Crème fraîche helps to give taste and creaminess to sauces, but it should not be integrated into recipes throughout cooking, at the risk of abusing it. "For a dish, it takes about a tablespoon of crème fraîche per person," says the dietician. As a binder, prefer guar gum to flour. Derived from a legume, it is found in powder form in organic stores. A small pinch is enough to thicken a sauce.

Make full meals

If you tend to have more appetite in winter, be sure to make full meals, that is, with a starter, a main course, and a dessert. "If you start the meal with soup or raw vegetables, it avoids serving large portions on the plate at the time of the dish because the starter will have stalled while bringing few calories," explains the specialist.

Be careful, the trap in winter is to consume too many starchy foods, especially by combining them in a single meal. "It is better not to put starchy foods in the main course if you have planned a dessert that contains them," adds the dietician.

Choosing satiating foods

Rather than throwing yourself on caloric but nutritionally uninteresting products, include quality satiating foods in your meals. "For example, cottage cheese is more satiating than yogurt because it contains more protein and less water. Prefer legumes to pasta and rice because they are richer in protein and fiber and maintain satiety better throughout the day.

Listening to your hunger

If you've eaten a hearty meal at lunch, chances are you'll be hungry for dinner. Eat your fill and not according to leftovers because this bad habit promotes weight gain. Do you still have the lunchtime raclette on your stomach? Opt for soup or raw vegetables for dinner. Leftover cheese and deli meats will not be lost since they can be kept cool for two to three days.