Bring on the Sunshine

Bring on the Sunshine

With Winter fading out ever so slowly and days of sun growing longer I once again observe a yearly phenomenon.  Losing weight.

Now I do like the Winter and snow, for a while, but when spring comes calling, I am ready.  I also lose weight.  Is it just me?  Every year I vow to drop a few pounds after the holidays, and every year, regardless of how much I diet or go to the gym my weight stays the same.

I just about give up on dropping any pounds, when along comes daylight savings and in a week the weight starts to fall.  I wondered, is this just me and so I Googled it.

It seems there is a correlation between sun light and weight control.

The article I read theorized that sunlight shrinks fat cells.  Hmmm.

I have another theory.  I think the body wants to maintain a constant weight based on food availability.  Evolution has genetically programmed us to have a slower metabolism in the Winter when food historically was less abundant.  In the spring and summer when food was historically more abundant our metabolism speeds up.

The food supply also aids this fat programming.  In the fall sugary fruits are plentiful and carbo full grains are harvested.  Holidays where food plays a prominent role come just before the coming cold and snow.

We feast and gorge ourselves to fatten up much like bears before hibernation, and we burn calories slowly.  When the days grow longer a switch goes off in our brain that says “burn baby burn” as the body will need to be lighter and faster to gather food and dodge predators.

That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.  Works for me, fatter in the winter when you need insulation and heavy clothes cover up that belly; lean and mean in the warm weather to stay cool.

So I say, stop the guilt with those Winter pounds.  Fill up during the Holidays and enjoy, pack on that fat to get you through a Winter of sparse food supplies, when the days grow longer, your body will know what to do.

Also, you should probably eat better and go to the gym.