Are You Hungry Or Just Cold?
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Noticed you're raiding the pantry more than usual since the weather turned? Before you go blaming your willpower, it's worth asking one thing: are you actually hungry, or are you just cold?
Winter changes the way your body asks for food. Here's what's really going on, and what to do about it.
Your body's just trying to warm you up
Eating makes heat, so when your body temperature drops, food is the quickest way to warm back up. It's an old survival instinct; cold weather tells your body to eat more and stock up for the lean days ahead.
The catch is what you reach for. A block of chocolate or a hot chip warms you up for a minute, but the crash afterwards leaves you colder and hungrier than you started, and before you know it you've eaten well past what your body actually needed.
Less sun, different cravings
Shorter days mean less sunlight, and that messes with your vitamin D and serotonin. When serotonin drops, the carb cravings ramp up, and it's often behind that flat, low-energy feeling winter brings.
We can't put the sun back in the sky, but moving your body helps. A bit of exercise lifts serotonin and dopamine naturally, which keeps your mood and your cravings on a more even keel.
Boredom looks a lot like hunger
More time stuck inside means more boredom, and boredom is one of the sneakiest things going for knocking you off track. It pays to learn the difference between "I'm hungry" and "I'm bored and the fridge is right there."
Don't forget the water
Winter quietly cuts down how much you drink, too. You're not sweating, you don't feel thirsty, so your water intake drops without you clocking it. Being a bit dehydrated leaves you feeling flat and out of sorts; exactly the kind of feeling that sends you looking for a snack.
Hungry, cold, or bored?
Next time a craving hits out of nowhere, run through it:
- Am I actually cold?
- Am I just bored inside?
- Have I had a proper feed recently, or am I running on empty?
More often than not it's one of these three, not real hunger. The good news is you don't have to fight it; you just have to answer it better:
- After something warm? Swap the toast or the hot choc for a warm, high-protein feed like our Roast Chicken or Creamy Tomato Soup. Same comfort, no crash an hour later. (Or the Meat Pie Soup, if you want to feel like you're getting away with something.)
- After something sweet? Stir a scoop of your Man Shake through warm oats instead of having it cold. Chocolate or Coffee works a treat through porridge, and you still get the protein and fibre to keep you full.
- Bored and stuck inside? Keep a Man Bar within reach so a dull afternoon doesn't turn into a bigger detour.
Your brain isn't lying to you; it's just working off an old instinct. Now you know what's really going on, you can meet the craving with something that actually works for you.
