And you would tell me all the reasons that you can’t lose weight in the winter or all the obstacles that you’ll encounter in the summer or in the fall. Or in the spring. And so, because we’re in winter, at least in the United States, some of our Australian friends are enjoying summer. I want to help you overcome some of the obstacles that your brain is offering you, our problems about winter. 

So we’re going to go through some mindset hacks and some different ways to reframe that. I also want to share with you some of the simple products that I enjoy that help me enjoy winter more and some other solutions.

So remember, I really believe that every problem that we have is solvable. It’s solvable either by changing our mindset, so it’s not a problem anymore, or it’s solvable by some sort of practical solution. And so that’s what I’m hoping this episode will offer to you.

So before I get into this and I wanna talk to you about how to make winter work for you, I absolutely wanna make a disclaimer that it is very proven and real that during winter with less sunlight, some people experience an increase in depression and anxiety. There are certain conditions that are more prevalent in winter seasonal affective disorder. 

So I am not making this episode as a catchall or as a solution for clinically diagnosed conditions. And so you know that there’s help out there for you. And this is just for people who can solve winter blues and winters with some mindset hacks with some other practical solutions.

So as we go through each one of these obstacles that I hear often on our coaching calls, what I want you to start to notice is that there’s a little formula to how you can really look inside your brain. And the first one is to just notice what your brain is offering you. The thought that your brain is offering you. And then I want you to just ask, well, what is the actual fact here? 

Now you have to understand that you’re going to have a thought, but it might not be a fact. And get into some examples in just a minute. And then once we know the facts, we get to decide, well, what do I want to believe about that fact? How do I want to think about that fact? Or what do I want to do about that fact? How can I make that fact work for my life?

And this little formula that I’m giving you, noticing what your brain is thinking. Asking, what is the fact? And once you have the facts, deciding what you want to believe about that, as well as what you want to do about it, how do you make it work for you? This is a way to truly, naturally boost your ability to work with winter, because this is the season that you’re in.

All right. So let’s dive into a few things. Let’s use that formula to at something that your brain may be offering you and your brain may be offering you that One of the obstacles to losing weight is because the days are shorter. Your brain might say Days are shorter. The days are shorter. What is the fact? The fact is that there’s still 24 hours in a day. 

Okay? And I’m not being silly with you because I’m making your brain, and I’m saying it that way because that’s how I have to talk to my brain. Brain. There’s still 24 hours in a day. Okay? So what is the fact? The fact is. It gets dark at 5:00 PM okay? It gets dark at 5:00 PM.

Now, once you find the fact, you can ask a couple other questions that help you understand what your brain thinks the problem is, so it gets dark at 5:00 PM. Well, what’s the problem with that? What does your brain think is a problem with it getting dark at 5:00 PM? And you might say, well, I just wanna stay home. I just wanna be cozy in my house. 

Okay, well then why is that a problem? And you might say, well, actually that isn’t a problem. So if we’re looking at the simple formula that I just gave, which is once you find the fact, then you get to decide how do you wanna think about the fact or what you want to do?

So for me, I like to believe the thought that, so it’s darker earlier and I notice that I have a preference to stay home. I notice I have a preference to not leave my house. And so what I decide and what makes it work for me is that I just decide that if I choose not to go somewhere or that it’s after 5:00 PM I literally have said this to myself that I’m not leaving my house after 5:00 PM. 

That if there’s anything in the evening, I will likely probably not go, and I won’t pressure myself to go, and I won’t make it mean anything about me that I don’t wanna go, because I know that when it gets to be that time, I would prefer not to go, okay, that’s me. That’s what I’m choosing to believe. 

Now you might say, you know what? I actually don’t feel like going, but I know it’s a good thing for me when I do go, and so you might have the belief, I know this is worth it. I’m just a little uncomfortable once I get outta the house, I’ll be so glad I did.

So if the fact is it gets dark at 5:00 PM what you may choose to focus on and believe and tell yourself is, I can expect that I won’t wanna leave the house. That I can just expect that I’m going to have that thought.

And then what do you wanna do about that? How can you make it work for you? If you’re a person who knows that once you go to an event, it actually brings you life and is good for you, then you just decide that I’m going to go ahead and go to the event. Even though I have the thought, I don’t wanna go. It’s just a thought. 

But I’m also going to then practice the thought. It’ll be worth it. I always have so much fun. Okay, so you just get to decide what is the fact? What do I wanna think about that? And then how do I make that work for me? How do I make that fact work for me?

Okay. Another thing your brain might want to tell you is it’s too cold to go outside. It’s too cold to go outside, or it’s just too cold. Okay, so what is the fact? The fact is it’s 15 degrees. The fact is it’s 20 degrees. 

So whatever the fact is, you can then ask your brain to find out what the problem is in your brain. Brain, why is that a problem for you? That it’s 15 degrees and I might say, well, the problem is I wanna go out and walk and it’s too cold.

Okay. So I can then, I like to like just throw this in. Well then what is my goal? Is my goal to be outside walking? Or is my goal to just be walking? So if I say, well, actually my goal is to just have some sort of movement, okay, then is outside the problem. Maybe not. Maybe it’s now I’m just recognizing my goal is to walk and how can I solve for that?

What do I want to think about it being 15 degrees outside? I can choose to believe there are many options. I don’t have to go outside. There are many options I can really bundle up. There are many options. Maybe I’ll do part of my walk inside and part of my walk outside. maybe I think. Walking in my living room counts. It’s totally fine to walk inside. Maybe I’m going to try a different form of exercise. 

Okay, so it’s, you just get to choose what do I want to believe about it being. 15 degrees, and then how do you make that work for you? That’s the real thing I want you guys to start solving for is how do I make it work for me? And to know that you get to choose how you make it work for you. 

So you may say, well, if my goal is to get exercise and to get some sort of activity, maybe I will walk in place. While I’m watching TV and you guys, I do this all the time. In fact, I could probably do this whole podcast. I’m walking in place. If you aren’t watching the video right now, I am walking in place. I’m walking in place while I’m making this video. 

And I’ll do that when I’m on Zoom. Not when I’m coaching, but sometimes when I’m listening to something or I’m in my certification class, I’ll just stand and walk and I can get 500 to a thousand to 1500 steps just standing in place and walking. Maybe you wanna find YouTube. Maybe you say, today, I don’t wanna walk, but I wanna stretch. There are many options. Again, you just get to decide.

One of the little hacks that has happened for me is I do like to walk outside, and this is the year that I said, I’m not letting the elements slow me down. I have this amazing coat, I know how to layer up, but there was one thing when I’m out walking my dog that I could not solve for or needed to solve for, I should say, and that was my hands would get so cold.

So for Christmas, I asked for a pair of heated gloves. They have a battery pack in them and they heat up, and now I can walk out and I’ve been out in 10 degree weather and it’s just been really fantastic and I absolutely love it. You don’t have to do 10 degree weather, but my point is that everything is solvable.

Hey everybody, I wanna take just a little pause in the conversation to remind you that if you have not downloaded the free Catholic Walking app, please go to your Google Play store, or to your app store, and download the free Catholic Walking app. With each walk you get a short scripture, a little prayer and a reflection question that you can use to ponder with the Lord. 

So that’s the free Catholic walking app that’s available on your Google Play store or in the App Store. So download that today and that will really help you stay active and be walking with the Lord this winter.

And the third thing that may feel like an obstacle to you for winter is, I crave comfort food. Well, what is the fact? The fact is you’re having the thought, I crave comfort food. The fact could also be. I want to eat, blah, blah, blah, or I want to put certain food on my plan.

What I’ve found probably more often than not, is that women just crave and enjoy the same foods that they always enjoy. That you’re calling the food a comfort food, but what specifically is that? So I would ask my brain, the fact would be I want to put certain food on my plan, or I want to eat this specific food. I want to eat lasagna. I want to eat stew. 

Okay. Let’s just say that is the fact that we can measure like, yes, your desire to eat that is measurable, or I’m having the thought, I want to eat lasagna. I’m just coming up with something. Then we’d ask the brain, what do you think is the problem with that? Why is that a problem for you that you want to eat lasagna? And you may say because I want to lose weight. 

So your brain is really believing that lasagna is going to hold up your weight loss. And if you’ve been in our program long enough, you have got to recognize that the sooner you allow yourself to eat any food, unconditional permission to eat any food, the faster you will actually be able to lose weight.

Because when we’re restricting our food. I am telling you over and over, you stay in the diet mentality and it just doesn’t work and you just live in deprivation and restriction and it doesn’t work. 

But the second question that you can offer your brain if it feels like it’s really true. So you said, I want to eat lasagna. I said, why is that a problem for you? And you might say, ’cause I won’t lose weight. The next question I want you to ask your brain. Is that true?

Is that true? Is it a hundred percent true that I won’t lose weight if I eat lasagna?

Okay. Of course not. We know lots of people who don’t have a weight problem that eat lasagna, and I think that if you can just recognize, okay. I want to eat lasagna. That is, let’s go back to that, is the fact, how do I wanna think about that? What do I want to believe about the desire to eat lasagna? I want to eat lasagna, or I’m having the thought, I want to eat lasagna. 

You could think, well, I can put it on my easy to stick to meal plan. Any food is allowed. This isn’t a problem. I can eat lasagna. And then how do you make that work for you? Okay? Maybe you might say I’m gonna have some lasagna. I’m gonna have it in a portion that I feel really peaceful about, that I feel good about. That’s enough that doesn’t feel restrictive.

So then it doesn’t become a problem that you want to eat lasagna. I hope you can see that the obstacles that your brain is giving you, whether it’s the obstacle of it’s too cold outside, whether it’s the obstacle of your brain saying it gets darker earlier, or the obstacle is viewed as the certain food that you’re craving, that none of it needs to be an obstacle. 

It is totally optional that you can change your mindset around it to reframe it and choose actions that actually benefit and for you, so it isn’t an obstacle to your weight loss. Okay, so now I wanna just talk to you about a person who does not like cold weather at all. Like I am cold often and I hate being cold. 

So I just wanna tell you about some of the ways that I have found to enjoy my life in the winter. A little extra self-care that’s really helped me personally. ’cause I live in the suburbs of Chicago and it is not getting warmer.  

All right, so a couple things that I absolutely love. On my desk chair, I will put a heating pad and I love that I turn it on and it feels like my, I’m getting just like a whole body warmth. I love it. I have these slippers, I bought extra slippers. They’re these comfy slippers and if you aren’t watching the video, you don’t see them.

But they are just adorable and it doesn’t matter when I put them on, my feet feel so warm. They’ve got little grips on the bottom of them, which really helps. So my feet are always toasty, roasty warm. 

Okay, this is a little ridiculous in that I have three of these in my house and it is a mug warmer. So this is my mug warmer. I keep one at my desk by my bed and in my prayer area. This is the third one that I asked for Christmas because I was moving them all around and it just keeps my drink really, really warm.

I was gifted this blanket from the little rose shop that says, Jesus, I trust in you. I absolutely love it. And I keep this in my office as well, and that keeps me really super duper warm. A couple other things I do is I often wear two pairs of pants. So I have leggings and then I’ll put a looser pair of pants on top of that. I’m just really cold often. I do lots of layers and vests.

And as I alluded to, I have heated gloves that have packs in that I got on Amazon. I will link to the ones that I got in the description as well as my mug warmer. I just, it makes winter. Totally doable for me. I’ve also shifted my mindset about winter in that I used to think it was a bad thing. When it got darker outside, I would say, it’s just so dark. It’s just so dark. It’s so early.

And I would notice that every single time I did that, my energy would go down and go down. So I stopped saying that. I just stopped. You know, what is the problem with it getting dark? This is nature. This is the way nature goes. 

And I thought, what if then Denise starts to settle? What if once it gets dark? Because my body and your body as well is starting to release more melatonin. And so we are feeling. Slower and getting ready for sleep. What if I just work with that? What if I just take my evenings and these are my slower times, like I’m intentionally slowing down. 

I’m not like in the summer, leaving things to do in the later part of the day where I’ve got energy and I can go for a walk. No, that stuff in the wintertime, I do it earlier in the daylight hours, and now I’m just slowing down intentionally in the evening. What if I’m intentionally eating warmer foods that help me feel warm and cozy? That’s just not a problem. 

So I want you to hear that my mindset about the way I talk to myself about winter has changed. I also don’t pressure myself to do anything in the evening if I don’t want to. I am so happy staying at home. I am so happy saying no, thank you. I am very discerning on what activities and invitations I accept anyway, just in general.

But especially in the winter, in the evening, because I do prefer to stay home and when I stay home, I don’t regret it. I’m not that person that feels isolated or lonely. I’m an introvert. I enjoy being alone, and I allow myself to just stay at home in the winter. 

So whatever you’re pressuring yourself to do, it’s totally fine to not do that or to do what works for you. Okay? So don’t pressure yourself to be different than what you actually prefer and what is actually in sync with your own rhythm.

Okay. A couple other things that I think are really helpful for winter is I have lights in my office. They are lights that mimic sun lamps. So some people who have seasonal affective disorders, they have sun lamps that put natural light into their eyes. And I changed out the light bulbs in a couple key areas of my house last winter.

And I will tell you I did that after I had a two to three day stint of feeling very low energy wise, mindset wise, it felt like winter blues and winter blobs. And so I just started going into doing some research and I thought, well, if I’m not getting the sunlight that I need, that my body and my brain need, because it was very dark and gray days.

These bulbs. Whether it’s a placebo effect or not, I don’t know. But I do find that I have not fallen into that multiple day lull or winter blues, so I’ll link that also in the description. They’re just light bulbs that you can use. They’re like 15 bucks a piece, but I thought, you know what? 15 bucks a piece, if that could gimme a day back in my life. Great.  They’ve worked for me. I think I really like them.

A couple other things is walking pads. So we’ve all known what a treadmill is, and treadmills are more expensive than these walking pads. And these walking pads you can get are like a treadmill. My mom has one. I’m going to be getting one soon. And my mom put two. They don’t have rails on them. Maybe some. You do have rails. 

So my mom did put two chairs on either side so she can hold onto that while she’s watching TV and walking. But they’re under a couple hundred dollars and you can usually get them at a great discount and they’re very easy to move and will even slide underneath your couch so you can pull them out, walk and then slide them back.

Okay. So I hope this is giving you some ideas where you can see where winter perhaps has been an obstacle in your brain and now you know how to overcome it. So I hope you see how you can make winter work for you and not be an obstacle to your weight loss. 

And remember, download the free Catholic walking app so that no matter if you’re walking outside or inside or around your living room or at the mall, you can be walking with the Lord.

All right, everybody. Have a blessed day.