Don’t beat yourself up. “It’s completely normal for weight to fluctuate by a few pounds, even within the same day,” says Kim Yawitz, RD, a private practice dietitian in St. Louis, Michigan. “On a day-to-day basis, body weight can rise and fall due to fluid retention, hydration levels, bathroom habits, and medication use.” There are several other potential culprits for your fall weight gain. Celebratory events, for one, can play a part. “My birthday was recently — and I celebrated last week, over the weekend, last night, and will celebrate with my girlfriends tomorrow night,” says Tara Collingwood, RDN, a sports and performance dietitian in Orlando, Florida. “I know I am eating more in this week than normal, so I try to have a lower-calorie lunch, or I up my exercise or daily activity a little bit to make up for it so I can indulge without guilt. I am not skipping meals.” So while a little increase of the scale can happen as seamlessly as a change in season, you can do something about it before it gets out of hand. “The important thing is to be aware of the fluctuations and correct them before [it is] too late,” says Collingwood. “If you find you are [consistently] five pounds up after the summer, attack it. Enjoy that vacation, but come back ready to work for a few weeks at getting any extra pounds off right away.” RELATED: 8 Reasons You Gained Weight Over the Summer Ready for five more reasons the number on the scale may have crept up a little over autumn, plus some solutions that will help you feel healthy and confident again? Here you go:
1. You Relied on Fast Food Due to a Busy Schedule
Soccer games, classroom bake sales, and school musicals equal happy kids but tired parents. “Between professional obligations, back-to-school engagements, new routines, and sports practices, many of my clients with kids have very little time and energy left to cook by the end of the day!” says Yawitz. “As a result, the entire family tends to eat more fast food and takeout when the calendar gets packed.” Convenience meals can — but don’t have to — lead to extra pounds. “Restaurant foods tend to be higher in sodium than home-cooked meals, which can lead to temporary water weight gain,” notes Yawitz. Over time, Yawitz adds, frequently eating restaurant meals can also cause lasting weight changes due to the fact that they tend to be high in calories with very large portions. In a study published in January 2018 in the American Journal of Health Promotion, each fast food meal in a week was connected with a 0.8 increase in body mass index (BMI). For sit-down restaurants, there was a link with an increased BMI of 0.6. To put this in perspective, if your BMI was 24.5 and increased by 0.8, you would go from a healthy BMI to an overweight BMI, as the National Institutes of Health notes.
Solution
“As a busy mom, I know how difficult it can be to make time to cook,” says Yawitz. “On less-hectic nights, I like to make double batches of freezer-friendly meals, like soups and casseroles. I serve one on the night I cook it and schedule a reminder in my phone to reheat the second portion on a night I know I’ll be busy.” Investing in appliances such as the Instant Pot, which works as a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, and more; or the Brava, a smart oven that rapidly cooks meals, can help speed up meal prep. The Instant Pot starts at $65, while the Brava is a choice for those who want to splurge, coming in at $1,095. You can also try one of the many healthy meal delivery services popping up that offer heat-and-eat meals. Freshly, for instance, allows you to select meals with less than 500 calories and runs as low as $49.99 per week for four meals. Snap Kitchen offers tailored meals for different eating styles (such as low-carb) with varied costs depending on location. And Fresh N’ Lean provides portioned meals for plant-based eaters, athletes, and more, coming in at $8.40 per meal for its cheapest option, the vegan standard meal plan. RELATED: 6 Meal Delivery Services That Make Dinner Prep a Cinch
2. Halloween and Thanksgiving Derailed Your Healthy-Eating Streak
These days, a holiday doesn’t last just one day. For Thanksgiving, you may have the actual day, plus Friendsgiving and a work potluck. And then there’s the multitude of other holidays that happen in the fall. “You have tailgating for college and pro football games and Halloween candy lying around for weeks,” acknowledges Collingwood. “Plus, pumpkin spice lattes [PSLs] are consumed because they only come around for a few months of the year.” Fall is a season for food-centric socializing, and that can send your calorie intake soaring, thereby increasing weight.
Solution
You’ll have to make some hard decisions here. “I love a PSL like everyone else — but the syrup is not sugar-free, and the calories can add up!” says Collingwood. “I make conscious decisions around how often I might indulge in a sugary coffee beverage, or say yes to the pumpkin cake roll brought into the office. If you know where your major temptations lie, you can be more aware and eat more strategically than reactively.” Eating strategically means making indulgences matter and adjusting your diet choices throughout the day to account for them. Are the cookies in the break room from the grocery store, or are they from a specialty bakery and totally worth it? If you decide to go for the treat, choose one (so a cookie or a glass of wine or a small slice of cake — not all three!) and scale back in other areas. For instance, skip the fried rice with dinner and go for cauliflower rice instead; or use zucchini noodles instead of real noodles. Another strategy: If the treats don’t look so tempting, have a lighter snack, such as air-popped popcorn or a couple of tablespoons of almonds instead. A study published in December 2014 in Health Psychology revealed that healthier foods like air-popped popcorn and almonds are just as likely to boost a bad mood as higher-calorie, more traditional comfort foods like ice cream.
3. Stress Caused Your Hormones to Go Haywire
“We all know that the fall months can cause an increase of stress due to school starting and preparing for the winter holidays,” says Jennifer McDaniel, RDN, a private practice dietitian in St. Louis, Missouri. “Stress can have a number of negative effects on your body. It increases ghrelin, your hunger hormone, as well as cravings. Stress also increases cortisol.” Under chronic stress, cortisol can cause your body to store fat in your midsection, called visceral or belly fat. Stress can impair activity levels, too. In a review published in January 2014 in Sports Medicine, the majority of research showed that stress gets in the way of efforts to be physically active.
Solution
If cooking all the food for a holiday meal is the cause of your stress, get some help. This may mean assigning every guest a dish or even investing in a complete heat-and-eat Martha Stewart Thanksgiving array of sides from Williams Sonoma; the bundle ranges in price from $160.97 to $359.96. The Sports Medicine review also found that a small group of studies showed that stress can make your sweat session more efficient. Regardless of whether you feel motivated to exercise, getting some movement can make your happy hormones dance. Try Zeamo, a monthly subscription that allows you to sample different gyms in your area. You can search and choose gyms by the equipment or classes offered. Feel like kickboxing your stress out one day but want a relaxing, rejuvenating, restorative yoga class the next day? RELATED: The Ultimate Diet Plan for a Happier, Less-Stressed You
4. Cooler Temperatures Made Your Outdoor Workout Less Appealing
Fall weather is delightfully cool and crisp — and while it may be ideal for sitting outside and roasting marshmallows, it’s not as appealing for an evening run. “People may be more active in the summer months when the weather is nice and they are playing with kids outside, going to the beach, or participating in summer leagues of recreational sports,” says Collingwood. “When the colder weather comes, people may hibernate more inside, forgoing some of the additional daily activity and staying indoors when the weather chills.” Similarly, if you’re used to walking or biking to work during warmer weather, you may lose out on calorie burn by driving or taking a bus when the weather gets nippy.
Solution
The solution may be as simple as a wardrobe investment. “Buy clothes appropriate to maintain your active outdoor lifestyle, and make it a priority to move every day,” suggests Ginger Hultin, RD, a Seattle-based spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Since the holidays are coming around, consider asking for an activity tracker, such as a FitBit or an Apple Watch, to help you log your movement and set goals. You can download the free and highly rated Pedometer++ app, which allows you to set a daily step goal and track your activity. It’s free on both the App Store and Google Play. Planning a getaway? Think about making it an active vacation, such as a wellness retreat at Hilton Head Health in South Carolina. (The resort offers portion-controlled meals and a daily agenda of fitness classes.) You could also opt for an all-inclusive Club Med vacation, where you can schedule in activities like yoga, Pilates, power walking, and meditation. Pricing for these programs varies based on factors including whether you’re a first-time or returning guest, and how long you plan to stay.
5. Seasonal Affective Disorder Changed Your Diet for the Worse
If you’re feeling blue come daylight savings, you’re not alone. And seasonal depression can impact your weight. “People with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are more prone to emotional eating than people who don’t have the condition,” says Yawitz. In fact, past research showed that people with SAD are more likely to eat carbohydrates, and not necessarily the healthy types, during bouts of seasonal depression. “There’s also evidence that women with SAD have more frequent and intense cravings for sweet and starchy carbohydrates, possibly because these foods boost levels of a feel-good hormone called serotonin,” says Yawitz.
Solution
Try light therapy to boost your mood. In a past study, adults with SAD were given light therapy treatment, which researchers found reduced participants’ depression symptoms. Consider investing in a Happy Light therapy lamp or box, which run as low as $34.95. As far as food goes, try embracing mindful or intuitive eating. “Every time you have the urge to eat, take a moment to reflect on how you’re feeling physically and mentally,” suggests Yawitz. “If you’ve eaten recently and you’re not having any physical signs of hunger like a growling stomach, consider whether you might actually be sad, lonely, or anxious rather than hungry. You might find just as much comfort from calling a friend, meditating, or taking a bath. Even better, bundle up and take a walk if it’s sunny outside! Our bodies produce more serotonin when we’re exposed to sunlight, so a bit of time outside can be a great mood boost.” RELATED: 10 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues and Feel Great
