Winter Weight Loss: Staying Active and On Track Through a Canadian Winter
Shorter days, cold weather and holiday food make winter the hardest season for weight loss. A plan made for it makes the difference.
SteroidsCanada.org editorial teamUpdated · 2 min read
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For many Canadians, the scale creeps up between November and March. It is not a lack of willpower: daylight shrinks, sidewalks ice over, holiday food arrives, and daily movement quietly drops. Winter weight loss works best with a plan that expects all of that.
The hidden problem: lost steps
People who walk a lot in summer often lose several thousand steps a day in winter. That can be 150 to 300 calories a day without noticing. Track your steps and keep a floor, such as 7,000 a day, with indoor options:
- Mall or indoor track walking
- A treadmill or walking pad during calls or TV
- Taking stairs, parking farther away, short walks after meals
- Community centre swimming, skating and drop-in sports
Embrace winter activities
| Activity | Approximate burn (70 kg person, 1 hour) |
|---|---|
| Cross-country skiing | 500 to 650 kcal |
| Snowshoeing | 400 to 550 kcal |
| Shovelling snow | 350 to 450 kcal |
| Skating | 350 to 500 kcal |
| Brisk walking | 250 to 350 kcal |
Keep your training consistent
A home routine with dumbbells or bodyweight work, or a gym near home or work, removes bad-weather excuses. Morning training also helps your mood on short days. If you like intervals, try our HIIT workouts, which need no outdoor space.
Comfort food, lighter
Instead of
- Creamy chowder
- Poutine
- Butter-heavy stews
- Hot chocolate with whipped cream
Try
- Broth-based vegetable and bean soup
- Oven fries with gravy on the side
- Lean beef or chicken stew with extra vegetables
- Hot chocolate made with milk and less sugar
Soups and stews are ideal winter diet food: filling, warm and easy to batch-cook. See meal prep ideas.
Holidays without derailing
- Pick the meals and events that matter most and enjoy them fully.
- Keep other days normal, with protein at every meal.
- Have a protein-rich snack before parties.
- Alternate alcoholic drinks with water.
- Keep training; even shorter sessions maintain the habit.
Light, mood and appetite
Low light can affect mood, energy and appetite, and some people develop seasonal affective disorder. Get outside in daylight early in the day, keep regular sleep and wake times, and talk to your doctor if low mood persists. A light therapy lamp helps some people. Vitamin D levels also tend to fall in winter.
Dressing for outdoor workouts
Layer: a moisture-wicking base, an insulating middle layer and a wind-resistant shell. Cover hands, ears and face when wind chill is low, and use footwear with good grip or ice cleats. Start a little cold, because you will warm up quickly, and change out of damp clothes soon after finishing to avoid getting chilled.
Staying on track
Check your calorie target with the macro calculator; if your steps are lower, your maintenance calories are lower too. Weigh in a few mornings a week, and treat winter as a season to hold steady or lose slowly rather than a time to give up.
Questions
Do you burn more calories in the cold?
Shivering and brown fat raise calorie use slightly, but the effect is small, and most Canadians are well bundled up.
Is it safe to run or walk in very cold weather?
With proper layers, grippy footwear and covered skin, yes for most people. Watch wind chill warnings and frostbite risk below about minus 27 °C wind chill.
Should I take vitamin D in winter?
Many Canadians are low in winter. Health Canada advises adults over 50 to take 400 IU daily; ask your doctor about testing and dose.
How do I avoid holiday weight gain?
Keep regular meals with protein, plan which events to indulge at, limit alcohol and keep moving. Average holiday gain is small but often not lost afterwards.
Sources
General information, not medical advice. Written for adults in Canada. Anabolic steroids are Schedule IV under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Talk to a licensed healthcare provider and get bloodwork before using any compound.
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