Diet Tips for Winter

Winter is the time of year when many find their diet plans completely sabotaged. The combination of cooler weather, the holidays parties and festivities, and the heartier, richer food that is associated with winter often lead to unwelcome weight gain. Yet winter doesn't have to be a time to hide behind big, thick sweaters. By employing a few strategies during the winter months, you can easily maintain your diet and even reach fitness and weight loss goals.

Identify Your Weaknesses

• When it comes to winter and holiday foods, everyone has a favorite that destroys their diet. By identifying your diet-busting winter trigger foods ahead of time, you can learn how to avoid eating too much and even create healthier versions of those winter favorites.

  In her WebMD article "The 9 Most Fattening Foods of Winter," registered dietitian Kathleen Zelman exposes some of the favorite, yet worst winter foods. These include macaroni and cheese, soups, chowders, bisques and casseroles made from cream or cheese bases, cheesecakes, holiday cookies and pies, side dishes that are fried, such as onion rings, french fries and chili cheese fries, chilis and stews with fatty meats and cheeses, and pot pies with cream and pastry crusts. By limiting or avoiding these foods, you will have a much better chance at maintaining a balanced diet during the winter months.

Make Healthy Substitutions

• Zelman suggests choosing broth-based, low-sodium, vegetable laden soups to help keep you full before a big meal. She also suggests substituting fattening ingredients with spices to give your food flavor without added calories, using lean meats instead of fattening ones in recipes, substituting heavy cream with fat-free or low-fat milk, and replacing one whole egg with two egg whites in recipes.

Keep Exercising

• Eat Fit Food owner Bianca Monley stresses in Women's Day the importance of exercise in the winter months as a way of maintaining your weight. She states that keeping up with your regular exercise routine despite the cooler weather will lead to a better mood and will help you maintain your weight throughout the season.

Watch for Calorie Pitfalls

• Eat Fit Food owner Bianca Monley also stresses avoiding some of the winter calorie pitfalls. Many people don't realize just how many extra calories they are consuming in their hot, comforting winter beverages. Some of the worst drinks are hot chocolate, whole-milk lattes and seasonal drinks with whipped cream. Monley suggests choosing hot beverages such as teas and smaller versions of your favorite creamy drinks, using non-fat milk instead of whole.

Build Muscle

• In her article on bodybuilding.com, fitness expert Shannon Clark reveals that the winter months provide a great opportunity for lean muscle building, so that once spring comes back around, you can easily cut down for swimsuit season. Although muscle building calls for an increase in caloric intake, she stresses the importance of maintaining a healthy diet throughout the process. Mass building doesn't mean you can take advantage of tempting holiday fare without being negatively affected.