The best winter weight loss tips of all time

There are so many things to love about winter, like rugging up in scarves and hats, spending nights in by the heater and sipping on delicious mulled wine. But the chill shouldn’t be an excuse to slack off on your exercise regime or healthy eating habits. After all, summer comes hot on winter’s heels, and it’ll be much harder to get ‘beach ready’ if you let it all fall by the wayside for a few months. So to help keep you motivated - no matter how cold, windy or rainy it may become - we asked the best in the business for their top tips on losing and even just maintaining your weight throughout winter.

Move, sweat and shake it out

“You really need to work up a sweat to maximise fat burning. Exercises like hot yoga, dancing, boot camp, interval training, tabata and anything else that increases your heart rate and makes you sweat will improve your energy and sleep, relieve stress, and burn lots of calories. Make a date to exercise with a friend, or join up for a ‘challenge’ of some sort so you have a goal to motivate you.” - Danielle Steedman, Naturopath at Blackmores Naturopathic Advisory Service

Be consistent

“Sticking to daily and weekly training is the key to any great weight loss program. Don’t get into the habit of missing days - even if you can only fit in five minutes, it’s enough to make a difference.” - Luke Heath, Fitness Expert and Founder of the Luke Health Fitness App 

Load up on vegetables

“While raw, fresh and crunchy salads definitely have more of a place during the summer months, we still need to focus on having plenty of fresh and colourful vegetables in our winter meals. At a time when filling up on hearty, warm and rich meals is often combined with a decrease in exercise, bulking up your meals with roast veggies, salad leaves or vegetable soup fills you up and prevents over-indulging.” - Claire Murray, Naturopath, Food Coach, and Co-author of The Medicinal Meal Plans

Update your workout wardrobe

“Invest in winter workout gear. You don't have to splurge all your monthly savings, but even buying just one really great, versatile jacket or a pair of tights you can wear on a winter run can make difference. The reality is, if you don't have warm exercise clothes, the last thing you're going to do is roll out of your warm bed at 5am for a workout. Buying some staple pieces means you’ll have no excuse to neglect your workout routine because of the change in temperature. You have goals! And remember that after winter, summer is peeking just around the corner!” - Katie Isabelle Martin, Wellness Coach and Blogger (tip supplied by Isowhey)

Finish what you started

“You spend nine months doing the right thing with your exercise regime, but it can all be blown in the space of three months. Yes, it gets colder. Yes, it gets darker. Yes, it gets harder. But you've created an awesome regime, so stick to it - even if it means you need to train indoors for three months. That first five minutes of EVERY session during winter is harder - there’s no doubt about it. But it’s nowhere near as hard as losing the 5kg you put on by stopping all together.” - Blake Worrall-Thompson, PT and Director of 6 Weeks to Sexy

Stay hydrated

“Water may lose its appeal when the temperature drops, however it’s important to keep up your intake. Heated indoor environments and cold windy days can really dry you out and it’s easy to fall into the trap of overeating and snacking, when actually your body is crying out for water. Herbal teas (ginger, chamomile, peppermint - which are also good for relieving cold symptoms), and water flavoured with sliced lemon and mint might be more appealing than plain water, so try these before reaching for a sugary afternoon snack.” - Danielle Steedman, Naturopath at Blackmores Naturopathic Advisory Service

Stop making excuses

“Quit bitching and making excuses. Just because it's dark and cold isn't going to get you what you want.” - Commando Steve, PT and Director of GetCommandoFit Program 

Don’t skimp on fibre

“Feeling hungrier the gloomier it gets? Snack on foods rich in fibre to keep you full. Filling up on nutrient- and fibre-rich foods have a satiating effect that will sustain you throughout the day. Choose from a wide variety of vegetables (leave the skin on where possible), fruit and high fibre pseudo-grains like quinoa and buckwheat.” - Larina Robinson, The Body Dietetics (tip supplied by Isowhey)

Embrace the cold

“Cold weather sports can be a fun change to your exercise routine, so why not book in a mountain holiday on the slopes? You won’t even notice that you’re exercising as you have fun snowboarding, skiing or tobogganing. You can rug up in your winter woollies and head out into the cold for some bushwalking or dust off your push bike for some mountain biking.” - Danielle Steedman, Naturopath at Blackmores Naturopathic Advisory Service

Set your eyes on the prize

“Here in Sydney, they do something really clever. They put the City2Surf run right at the end of winter. The reason this is such a good idea is it gives people a goal to be accountable to over winter. Without some kind of goal, it can be much harder to stay focused.” - Blake Worrall-Thompson, PT and Director of 6 Weeks to Sexy

Sip on tea all day long

“A great way to avoid winter weight gain is to start a green tea habit. Having several warming cups of green tea in place of absent-minded, habitual or comfort snacking throughout the day will of course lead to consuming less calories. It also contains phytochemicals that serve to boost your metabolism, aiding weight loss efforts. A win-win!” - Claire Murray, Naturopath, Food Coach, and Co-author of The Medicinal Meal Plans

Ditch the low-fat products

“Low-fat products are full of sugar. Once they take the fat out of a product, it loses its flavour, texture and ability to satiate. To replace the fat, they pump the product full of sugar, and there’s no quicker path to weight gain than filling up on the white stuff. Switch to the full-fat versions instead. The good fats will keep you fuller for longer so you’re less likely to need to eat again in a couple of hours. They’ll also provide you with a consistent, slow-burning source of energy, as opposed to sugar, which causes blood sugar levels to increase rapidly and then plummet just as swiftly.” - Jordanna Levin, The Inspired Table (tip supplied by Isowhey)

Discover new vegetables

“Make winter more exciting by experimenting with different root vegetables. Parsnip, turnip, taro, celeriac and purple sweet potato fill you up due to their higher fibre content (sweet potato has 10.5g fibre per cup, compared to only 3.5g in a cup of plain pasta). They also contain important micronutrients, including B vitamins, potassium, zinc, vitamin A and C, which will keep you feeling energised and help to ward off colds.” - Larina Robinson, The Body Dietetics (tip supplied by Isowhey)

Remind yourself that three months is not a long time

“If you’re letting yourself skip the gym and indulge in a lot of heavy meals just because you’re covering up more, remember that summer in Australia is never too far away and those three months will fly by!” - Libby Babet, Director of Agoga and Bottoms Up! Fitness  (tip supplied by Isowhey)

Eat less but more often

“Keep your metabolism alert all day, starting first thing in the morning. Try to eat six smaller meals a day instead of three big ones. The bigger the clump of food that your body has to break down, the harder your body has to work.”- Lauren Hannaford, Former Elite Gymnast turned Health and Fitness Professional

Do you struggle to stay motivated in winter? What are your best winter weight loss (or maintenance) tips?