As the weather gets colder, Aussie ladies are being called on to keep up their fresh summer attitude and healthy outlook to life, as compelling new research revealed that 68 per cent of Australian women anticipate gaining an average weight of 2.7kg this winter – this equals to nearly 10,000t of extra weight anticipated to be gained.
The research, released to coincide with the launch of Uncle Tobys Fitnesse Oats, also found that four in five (82 per cent) women believed extra winter bulk affected their overall wellbeing, making them feel sluggish (75 per cent), less confident (57 per cent), and not wanting to participate in social outings (41 per cent).
Despite these insights, health experts, Uncle Tobys nutritionist Nilani Sritharan and body issues specialist and psychotherapist Susannah Paterson does not believe that winter weight gain should be inevitable for women.
Commenting on the insights Paterson said, "Whilst it is extremely common for women to have to squeeze into their jeans each winter, the key for many is to break the year on year habits associated with weight gain, by ensuring we don't overcomplicate our diets and attitude toward food and health."
During the warmer months we intuitively feel more energetic, alive and attracted to fresher, lighter food, but more often than not women easily fall into bad eating habits at winter, simply because we may be naturally attracted to the warmer, more comforting foods,” she said.
"As we slowly start to 'let go' of our energetic attitude, we may unconsciously kick-start a range of bad eating habits that not only have the potential to create weight gain, but also impact us emotionally.
Sometimes what we eat can be a reflection on our self esteem and I’ve found that in winter many women feel down and lose their confidence due to their unhealthy lifestyle. In my experience I have often found it's better to focus on how we feel holistically, rather than watching which way the scales tip. Raising awareness to these seasonal pitfalls and providing a solution is a powerful step towards change,” she said.
According to Sritharan, all isn't lost as breaking these bad yo-yo habits and achieving a healthy weight can be simple. "The key is to stop looking for quick fixes and recognise that making small changes like eating a healthy balanced diet all-year round, kick-started by a nutritious breakfast such as hot oats, is important in helping us get into a better nutritional routine.
As one of the most important meals of the day, a good breakfast can help you get a nutritious and satisfying start to the morning, so make sure you include a bowl of wholegrain cereal, such as oats topped with delicious fruits.”
“Remember that it is through setting realistic and achievable goals and keeping a fresh outlook on our health, that we can maintain a healthy weight and help us break-away from those bad eating habits we fall into in winter,” Sritharan said.
