Appetite Changes When It Gets Cold

You are probably hungrier than you were in August. Appetite moves with the season. Less daylight, which affects mood and sleep, and both affect the hormones that regulate hunger. Heavier food, because cold weather food is heavier. Longer evenings indoors near a kitchen. And appetite is blunted in the hot summer, so part of what feels like an increase is a return to normal.

The key is to watch the shape of it rather than the amount.

Get protein into the first two meals of the day. If breakfast and lunch are light, the evening is not a willpower problem, it is arithmetic catching up with you. A proper quarter of the plate as protein at both and the evening usually sorts itself out without you having to fight it.

And decide the evening before it happens. Not with a rule about not snacking, when was the last time a rule worked? Instead, always try and have something decent and easy to prep in the fridge: yoghurt, pre-prepped fruit, leftovers, anything with protein in it. Don’t choose between snacking and not snacking.Just ensure you snack on something good.

`For me it’s utilising the slow cooker to ensure when I get in from the cold the first thing I want is what i can smell. Then I’ll always have some greek yoghurt with a sprinkling of granola and berries available for that period between dinner and bed.`

I know I’m always going on about it but prioritise sleep. Short sleep reliably increases appetite the next day,

If you want help with food rather than another set of rules to break, our Nutrition and Lifestyle Programme is run by Dr Amy George — a CrossFit coach and an HSN nutrition and lifestyle coach Book a free fifteen minute call with Jeremy or Beth. crossfitchiltern.com.