Author: Riley Pearce
Director of Social Media
You might be criticizing yourself more lately for not going to the gym as often as you had planned. Or maybe you feel like its getting harder to resist temptation, or you’re eating richer, sweeter, fattier foods more often.
If you recognize that these behaviours are not moving you closer to your goals, then give yourself a pat on the back for that, and then take a breath and remind yourself that it’s not just “a funk”.
This time of year is a major time for change. We are heading into the holiday season, with Thanksgiving just around the corner. The days are starting to feel cooler, the leaves are changing, and hours of sunlight are getting shorter.
These changes, both natural and societal (holiday season), do not go unnoticed by the body. In a 2015 stress survey from Healthline, they found that only 10% of respondents felt no stress during the holiday season. Whether it is the financial aspect, hosting guests (both wanted and unwanted), or simply the loss that people are reminded of during this time of year, our bodies are running on StressOS. This will make us more inclined to indulge in sweet and savoury food. We will feel more tired because StressOS takes up a lot of energy, leading to fewer hours in the gym and more time on the couch.
This is why learning appropriate stress management techniques is crucial to year-round consistency with our training. Remember: physical activity is a great way to lower stress levels so put that at the top of your “How to De-Stress” list.
As far as the natural world, that one is a bit more difficult to manage. Our hormones that control our appetite and our sleep cycles are directed by the sunlight we are exposed to. As the sun rises a little later and sets a little earlier every day our ancient brain responds accordingly. This makes waking up a little more challenging and can make us feel tired much earlier in the day.
If the majority of us weren’t working a typical 9-5 job, then this would be no problem. We could sleep and eat according to the winter schedule, and life wouldn’t seem so tiring.
Unfortunately that’s not the case for the 21st century human. So thankfully we have modern science and inventions like the Happy Light, and vitamin D supplements.
A happy light can mimic the light we get from the sun and therefore trick the brain into thinking we are getting more sun that we actually are. Studies have found that within a week of people using these happy lights for 2 hours a day, their stress and symptoms of depression decreased drastically.
Vitamin D supplementation is also crucial for us northerners. If you can’t take a sunny holiday every few weeks throughout the winter months and get your vitamin D naturally, then you can supplement instead. You’ll want to take your vitamin D supplement with a food source high in fats as it is a fat-soluble vitamin. You’ll also want to aim for about 1000 – 4000 IU per day.
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that acts as a cofactor in many of the bodies regulatory functions. So if you are running low on vitamin D, then you can risk feeling tired, moody, and weak.
Lastly, the weather is definitely going to affect your drive to get to the gym, or even simply get out of bed. Many people also start to drink less water in the fall and winter, and more warm, caffeinated beverages instead. Dehydration can cause you to feel lethargic, moody, and can cause cravings and brain fog. So continue to make drinking water a priority. You can still have your hot cup of coffee for those cool walks through the crunchy, colourful leaves, but just be sure that when you’re inside and warm that you have 2-3L of water everyday.
If you are feeling low on motivation, don’t be too hard on yourself. Simply recognize why you could be feeling more snack-y, or why your energy is low.
