I am writing this entry on a nasty day…humid, drizzling and very dark outside. Overall, we had a great summer with shining sun, blue skies and yes, lots of heat, but manageable in the morning and evening hours. However, due to the inclement weather I had an abbreviated walk with Jax The Dog this morning as both of us were not enjoying the drizzle.
I started thinking about how the weather impacts our behaviors as these relate to controlling weight.
Here are several negative impacts on weight control that can be attributed to not-so-nice weather patterns:
- Not doing the outdoor exercise we are used to doing
- Not feeling motivated to get out of bed and get to the gym
- Snacking on carbs/sugars as a means of boredom-distraction
- Feeling depressed and reaching for high-caloric foods/snacks as a means of elevating our mood
- Not using the outdoor grill and instead resorting to microwavable processed foods for dinner OR calling food delivery
I am certain other bullet points may be added to this list as to how the weather impacts our weight control efforts.
The point: During a long-term weight control journey there will be many occasions when the weather is too cold, too hot, too wet or too dreary. We must all try to NOT allow the weather to derail our efforts to shed the weight. We cannot control the weather but we can control what we put into our mouths and how much exertion we perform. Stay focused!
And this morning during the walk I saw many people walking their dogs in the rain. Although I could not find a song about Rainy Day Dogs, there is a really good Gordon Lightfoot oldie, “Rainy Day People”.
