4 myths and facts about weight gain and loss in winter | SEGS

In the cold, your metabolism speeds up, reaching up to a 10% increase in calorie burning

Winter is already here, and with it the changes in habits begin: more food and less exercise. In addition, the typical beliefs of that time arise. Do I need to eat more food to keep my body warm? You don’t need a lot of training, because the metabolism is more rapid in the cold?

To understand what actually happens to our bodies in the winter, Claudia Chang, MD and postdoc in Endocrinology and Metabolism at USP and member of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM); He cites the 4 biggest myths and facts about losing or gaining weight during the season.

People get fat in winter because they feel hungry

Myth: As temperatures drop, the body needs more energy to generate heat and maintain an appropriate body temperature. Since our energy comes from what we eat and our energy stores, the body sends signals to increase hunger. However, this extra energy that we take in is used up in heat production. The problem is when food consumption exceeds the body’s real need.

“At this time of year, people tend to stay indoors more, as not everyone likes to face the cold outside. Staying indoors for a long time makes it easier to reach for food (and tend to choose foods with more calories, such as crackers or Chocolate or bread). Even worse: If there is any associated emotional disorder (anxiety and/or depression), it can be difficult to control the food and end up eating it with the food, explains Claudia Chang.

The body needs more food in the winter

Fact: Food acts as fuel to produce heat in our bodies. Therefore, the need to eat increases to raise the body temperature.

According to an endocrinologist, animal studies indicate that there is an increase in food intake during exposure to low temperatures. “However, this higher consumption is accompanied by an increase in the basal metabolic rate (the energy the body expends at rest), which maintains homeostasis and does not lead to weight gain.”

Winter is a great time to lose weight

Fact: During this period, the metabolism accelerates, as the body needs to produce more heat. This process activates the mechanisms that stimulate the burning of accumulated fat, reaching up to a 10% increase in calorie burning. However, for this to happen, it is necessary to maintain a balanced diet and not overdo it with fondue and hot chocolate.

We can train less in winter, because the cold speeds up our metabolism

Myth: “With a faster metabolism, being physically active will bring more weight loss results. Especially because we must not forget that exercising the body is not only for aesthetics, but for maintaining physical and mental health and, therefore, a good quality of life ”, concludes Claudia Zhang .