Snuggling down for winter

[Labarum]

I wonder is there a seasonal effect?

I am averaging 2-3lb heavier in the last two weeks, and I haven't been doing anything different.

I seem to remember in the dark months last year I was the same. I hate this time of year, so may be particularly sensitive to the seasons. I have this hunch it's to do with daylight hours rather than temperature.
Is there any such documented biological effect - hibernation - snuggling down for winter?

[2big4mysize]

it is your genes we have chemicals that are light sensitve in us and when they don't get as much sunlight we get effected like having the meletonine changing to serotonine in the pinal gland stuff. our bad cholesterol numbers go up in the winter time too.

your body is trying to get you ready for the cold hard winter ahead with no game to hunt nore crops to pick.

break free with more bright light in the am and use more of your own body for heating you up lower the thremastat or wear less clothes and get some free energy burning of fat as fuel.

[higgies]

So that MIGHT explain my 5lb gain over the past month even though I'm eating no different and exercising more. Weird...

[Labarum]

Has anyone experience of those sunlight lamps that are supposed to help those with SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder (If it exists)

[2big4mysize]

it could also beyou are adding lean mass Higgies if you got to a gym ask them tio measure your body fat and see.

in the summer we use free fat burning to cool us off but in the winter we don't and need to switch to free fatburning to stay warm but most folk just bundle up woth warn clothes and up the thermostat so those cooling cals are now not used and we have a debt in the burned up cals

[higgies]

Yeah, I've been running a lot more, so I might be adding leg muscles as those are pretty easy to gain a lot of mass on. I feel flabbier though in my midsection...

[2big4mysize]

SAD is very real and using ther 10,00lum lights does what i was talking about above. mostly it is folk in the norther areas that are effected since their dasylight hours are cut way down..

there are some studies that have shown that folk with yr round depression are helped with those lamps too when they use them yr round

[Miss Phode]

I get depressed in the winter because I don't get to see the sunshine during the week. The sun is just going up when I get to work, and it's already set when I get home. And I live in Florida.

[staziaw]

I suffer from mild SAD symptoms. I used to life in Minnesota, where the symptoms were worse, but even living in Southern California, they are noticeable. I recently purchased a broad spectrum light, which I turn on for about an hour when I get home at night, while I'm knitting. It seems to help!

Good luck!

Stacy

[gazaleh]

Originally Posted by Labarum

I wonder is there a seasonal effect?

I am averaging 2-3lb heavier in the last two weeks, and I haven't been doing anything different.

I seem to remember in the dark months last year I was the same. I hate this time of year, so may be particularly sensitive to the seasons. I have this hunch it's to do with daylight hours rather than temperature.
Is there any such documented biological effect - hibernation - snuggling down for winter?

It's called overeating! jk. You can blame your evolutionary past and ancestors for this one. Your ancestors more than likely lived in an extremely cold environment in the winter months. As a result, there was a need for adaptation to the extreme weather and a layer of fat was vital for survival and heat production. Fast forward to 2006 and you are more than likely sitting in front of the fireplace sipping your low carb cocoa. That layer of fat is no longer being used as your internal and external furnace. Unless you want to sit around freezing your *ss off and taking cold showers , then you are stuck. You could up the exercise to make up for this lack of heat expenditure and keep the weight off, should you be extra self conscious about those couple of pounds. I seem to always lose weight in the winter because my ancestors, more than likely, lived in a warm area and I am more than making up for it now with my goosebumps and such. Regardless, your body is better than a lot of 20 year olds I see on a daily basis so I wouldn't beat myself up over something genetic and not that signifigant.