IT’S cold, dark, and Christmas is around the corner.
You’d be forgiven for wanting to embrace Fat Bear Winter – attaching yourself to the sofa and ditching the gym, emerging only in late spring.
Fat Bear Winter was coined by writer Alexandra Jones, who says its ethos is about ‘joyful indulgence, periods of true rest, gaining a few extra pounds and switching off fitness trackers’.
It’s about channelling your inner bear – animals which gain huge amounts of weight before hibernating over winter – and swapping fitness and a healthy diet for a different kind of self-care and well-being.
It may look like:
- Ditching fitness trackers
- Cancelling gym memberships
- Having lie-ins instead of getting up early
- Swapping protein shakes for hot chocolates
- Putting gym kit away and getting out comfy tracksuits
- Embracing carbs and indulgent hot foods over healthy salads
- Saying no to social events that you just can’t be bothered to attend
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The reason? People are craving permission to stop.
Why people want to Fat Bear Winter
It only took a global pandemic and us all being told to lock ourselves inside – while all the gyms around us closed – for the nation to eagerly pack away their lycra.
Naturally, the amount of time Brits spent exercising dropped, several studies show.
After the world opened up again, exercise levels slowly bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, stats showed.
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But then the start of winter 2023 spelled trouble.
The UK’s weather served up a pretty disappointing summer and people were already turning to comfort food by July.
Tesco saw an “unexpectedly high demand” for foods normally associated with winter, with sales of Yorkshire puddings increasing by 80 per cent, pies by 25 per cent and spotted dick by 35 per cent compared to the summer months the year prior.
Then, a series of storms drenched the nation at the start of autumn.
It seems that motivation to Eat, Sweat, Step, Repeat is dampening once again.
And it’s normal to crave periods of downtime after exerting energy or taking on a new fitness regime.
During the winter we actually need a little bit more body fat than the summer to help us stay healthy
During lockdown, ‘the nation’s hero’ personal trainer Joe Wicks got swathes of us jumping around in our living rooms via Zoom.
But even he himself lost steam, sharing a photo of his weight gain in March 2022, saying he had been gorging on cakes and biscuits daily – and again just a couple of weeks ago.
During the pandemic, we all got a taste of the slower life. No morning rush to the gym, no busy commute, and lots of time to enjoy being at home.
After a few years back in the grind, the excitement has worn off and people are craving a return to lockdown (or at least a lighter version of it).
Fitness expert and professional Diet Coach Sarah Bockhart says: “It can be incredibly important to take periods of rest – both for your physical body and your mental health.
“If we are constantly on the go, rushing from one place to another, working out intensively, saying no to foods we really want to eat and constantly tracking every step, it’s exhausting and it’s actually not always healthy.”
Extra body fat can be healthy, as Sarah says: “During the winter we actually need a little bit more body fat than the summer to help us stay healthy.
“If you are a healthy weight it can be beneficial to gain a couple of pounds to give your body that extra energy reserve for winter.”
Research from 2021 found that our metabolism increases when it's colder and an extra 150 calories are needed each day in colder months.
But Sarah says: “Giving up every single healthy habit we have spent years making, and swapping it for an unhealthy one can be impactful on your health and wellbeing not just for winter, but for a long time after too.”
Sarah says although Fat Bear Winter has some benefits (outlined below), you can still be mindful of health.
Here’s how…
Health benefits of Fat Bear Winter
Immune system boost
Sarah says: “Extra calories can help strengthen our immune systems and keep us warm.”
It’s time to load up on the carbohydrates, like pasta and bread.
But Sarah says other carby winter foods with additional nutritional value include wholemeal bread, potatoes, beetroot and pumpkin.
“So if you are eating a lot of roast dinners as part of your Fat Bear Winter you should be getting a decent intake of these,” she says.
Reduce blood pressure
If you feel guilty for sleeping more because you have chores to do or you used to hit a morning fitness class, remind yourself that extra time in bed can have extra benefits you can’t see.
“Hitting snooze and getting that extra hour or two of sleep every night can significantly reduce stress and even reduce our blood pressure,” says Sarah.
“Opting for that lie-in can help prevent that morning spike in cortisol (the stress hormone) and instead help us startle day happier.”
Mental health boost
It’s no secret that slowing down and embracing rest is vital if you’re feeling the pressures of life mentally.
Sarah says: “When we live busy non-stop lives, our brains get overwhelmed.
“Just like our phones, our minds need a recharge every day, and when they don’t get it, stress can build up.
“Giving ourselves permission to turn off and say no to things can help us regard and re-set.”
More time for other things
Sarah says: “Sometimes when we are in a healthy routine we can forget about other things we enjoy.
“Choosing to spend more time at home ‘doing nothing’ can actually lead to us remembering other things that interest us and spark our creativity in new ways.”
What to be wary of with Fat Bear Winter
Harder to get healthy habits back
Once you’ve had the winter off, hopefully, you’ll have a newfound motivation for a healthy lifestyle come spring.
But Sarah says: “Ditching habits all at once and swapping them with unhealthy alternatives can not only disrupt our health initially but also make it very difficult to get our old habits back once this period of ‘winter rest’ is over."
Why not try a lunchtime workout – even if it’s some weights in the living room – so you still have the habit of routine while enjoying those cosy dark evenings?
With fewer hours of sunlight in the winter it’s incredibly important to get exposure to daylight when you can.
Going for a walk will up your vitamin D levels, help keep your circadian rhythm in check and boost energy levels.
Nutrient deficiency
Shock – eating too many unhealthy foods long-term can take its toll on the body and even the mind.
Sarah says: “Eating high-calorie foods is one thing, but eating only high-calorie foods is another.
“If you are massively cutting down on vegetables, lean protein and wholesome fibre you could soon become deficient in key nutrients, weakening your immune system at a time you need it the most.
“Plus, you can really upset your gut microbiome if you drastically change your diet and this can lead to bloating, painful cramps and IBS symptoms.”
Re-embrace healthy hot foods that still provide comfort.
Sarah says: “Soups, stews and homemade hot pots are all fantastic ways to get comfort from food without it always having to be ultra-processed or lacking in nutrition.”
Anxiety
There’s a risk that embracing Fat Bear Winter too much could see you become isolated.
Sarah says: “If lockdown taught us anything it’s that regular social connection is important.
"While saying no to some social events can be good, saying no to all of them and locking yourself away on the sofa every night can leave you feeling lonely and even experiencing anxiety and depression.”
Invite friends over to join in your wallowing or at least call a friend on the way home from work.
Longer-term problems
Too much sedentary behaviour can mean backache, sciatica, shoulder and neck pain among other ailments.
“And the trouble with joint and muscle pain is that it can take a lot longer to get rid of than it does it get it in the first place,” Sarah says.
“The NHS says that sitting or lying down for too long increases your risk of chronic health problems, such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes and some cancers.”
To prevent the negative impacts of sitting for long periods of time, simply stand up every hour, have a stretch or do a quick circuit of exercise – 30 seconds each of squats, starjumps, jogging on the spot and stretches.
This can reset your posture and boost your circulation and energy levels.
Weight gain
If you are a healthy weight, then gaining a few pounds over winter is not going to be a worry.
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However, if you are already overweight, and gain a little more than just a few pounds by giving up exercise and eating what you want, then putting on a stone or two over winter could be very damaging to your health.
It’s hard to avoid weight gain if you’re doing less and eating more.
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