One of the very great things about the late spring/ summer months is the earlier sunrises and later sunsets. Conversely, as we now are now in late August and heading to the fall and winter months, there will be less and less daylight. Here is how this can negatively impact weight control efforts:
- The longer daylight months afford the opportunity to exercise outside either before work or after dinner. It is not nearly as accommodating/palatable to get outside in the dark. Moreover, there is an added danger factor of walking/jogging/biking in the dark despite the lights or reflectors that can be worn
- There is something about darkness outside that compels us to want to snack on “comfort” foods as opposed to when it is light outside. Watching a show at 8 PM when it is dark outside will provide a higher chance of the popcorn or cookies coming out as opposed to have the room lit up by outside sunlight.
Take a step back and evaluate whether your exercise and/or snacking patterns change as the daylight becomes less and less. If the answer is “yes” and those changing patterns are detrimental to your weight control efforts, take the steps needed to enact a “correction”. Having home workout equipment offers an alternative to outside activities of trudging to the gym at 0-dark-thirty.
Although the amount of daylight occurring changes seasonally, our weight control efforts need to be year-round.
Any Chicago fans out there? (The music group, not the city…although everyone I know that lived in Chicago loves that town and my visits there have been wonderful.) Here is one of their not very famous songs, Wake Up Sunshine.
