# It's the Time of the Year for --- Losing Weight



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I've noticed a pattern over the last several years. I try my darnedest to lose weight year round, but typically go through lose 10 - gain 15 - lose 10 - gain 5 repeat.

But something seems to happen to my body or maybe my brain towards the end of July. Suddenly I can stick to my diet with no cravings and lose weight at a rapid rate. My energy level improves and I actually crave exercise. My hunger goes way down as well. This lasts for about 6 to 8 weeks and as suddenly as it starts, it stops.

This is the 1st year I realized what was happening and am going to push as hard as I can to lose maximum amount of weight during this 6 to 8 week window.

There actually is a theory that explains this. It's not so much the food we eat that is important for energy, it is the electrons that the food provide. What food you eat may be important for other reasons like vitamins, minerals, DHA, etc, but the actual process in the body for producing energy uses electrons.

In the summer, if we spend a lot of time in the sun, we recharge ourselves, so our bodies can provide some of the electrons which means we need less food. Maybe it takes me this long to recharge to the point I can start supplying some of the electrons. As we move into September, the angle of the sun is reduced just enough where I think I go into equilibrium for a while. My weight tends to plateau for a few months. Then in December, I usually start gaining weight again. (This is when a keto diet would be good if I could handle it without it messing with my BP.) This is also the time of year where seasons might dictate a low carb diet.

Spring and summer are also the times when we tend to have our hands in the ground and go outside barefoot, both which allow our bodies to collect electrons.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Have you ever tired turning really right lights on during the winter time? It DOES affect mood!


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I do suffer from SAD and I found the best thing is still to get as much sunlight as possible. I built my greenhouse not to raise plants, but for me to use in the winter. I try to spend about an hour a day in the greenhouse.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Most people that get extra sun, do so because they are doing something outdoors. Usually, doing something outdoors means burning more calories than setting around the house. Doing something outside usually keeps you from getting bored, too. Being inside, in close proximity with food, and being bored, can lead to extra caloric intake. When it gets really hot and dry, in late summer, there can be less to do outside, not as much grass growing that needs cutting etc., so we can slow down a little then, too. Vitamin D is important and beneficial. Beyond that, we don't have much ability to become plants and convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. Manage your caloric intake, while monitoring your activity levels, and it will work better than managing your sun exposure. I notice personally that there is about a five hundred calorie a day difference between summer and winter caloric needs.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

MoonRiver said:


> I do suffer from SAD and I found the best thing is still to get as much sunlight as possible. I built my greenhouse not to raise plants, but for me to use in the winter. I try to spend about an hour a day in the greenhouse.


People with SAD find that bright early morning light often does them more good than mid-day light. So, perhaps if you hit the greenhouse first thing in morning?

They are just now getting serious about the effect of light: they HAVE found that those bright SAD lights can put a bipolar person into mania.


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## alida (Feb 8, 2015)

I wonder if one reason you lose weight so easily in the summer is because of the abundance of fresh produce available this time of year. I certainly eat far more vegetables and fruit when they're in season, taste the best, and certainly less expensive. I also feel cooler in hot weather when I eat more salads etc. And, I am more active until the end of October or whenever the temps drop to below freezing.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

alida said:


> I wonder if one reason you lose weight so easily in the summer is because of the abundance of fresh produce available this time of year. I certainly eat far more vegetables and fruit when they're in season, taste the best, and certainly less expensive. I also feel cooler in hot weather when I eat more salads etc. And, I am more active until the end of October or whenever the temps drop to below freezing.


I think that has a lot to do with it. We eat a lot lighter in the summer too


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

I tend to drop weight from the week after Thanksgiving thru early spring. That is ironic to me as "Cabin Fever" seems to promote eating more without actually being hungry.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Most people that engage in a bulk and cut cycle like I do tend to bulk in the late summer through fall, and then cut in the winter, so they can have their pool body ready as soon as it gets warm. I find that there are too many picnics and get togethers in the summer for this to work good. Eat the pie while it's fresh, then cut calories when it is too cold to go anywhere. Grilling season is when I like to do my bulking.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

In a little over 6 weeks, lost 20 lbs. No hunger, no cravings, until today, so it looks like my losing run from late July to early September is over. Now the fight to keep the 20 lbs off. 

Actually, the weight loss stopped a couple of days ago and I gained about 2 lbs back, leaving me with a net 20 lb loss. I got within 1 1/2 lbs of goal weight. This is 3 years in a row to follow this pattern.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Summer has always been a time when I have eaten less without even trying. I think it is all about the heat and the sunlight. Also there are so many "lighter" foods like fresh garden veggies and fruits available. Fall has seemed to be the time when I crave more calorie dense foods - perhaps this is part of our ancestry for getting ready for winter, just like bears. 

SAD can definitely affect your eating habits as can the cold weather because we tend to do less outside and sitting reading or watching TV even a cup of hot chocolate adds calories to your daily intake. Over several months this can add pounds. 

We have several coffee shops here that have SAD lights on their tables and bars so that you can get a dose of vitamin D but it is also important to take Vitamin D3 tablets. This has made a huge difference for us as we are shortly entering the time when it will be dark for all but 5 hours a day. When you are bundled up with only your eyes showing it really does not matter how much time you are out in the sun as you cannot absorb enough Vitamin D just through your eyes. 

I wondered why the Inuit did not suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. Because they eat a lot of raw fish and marine mammal meat and this is full of Vitamin D. Yuck. Not for me.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

For me it is not the heat because the temp all last week has been in 90's. And it's not vitamin D because I supplement plus get lots of sun and keep vitamin D around 70. The only thing that makes sense is light cycles. That's the main reason I was hoping, and still planning, to move closer to the gulf coast.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Two pounds is nothing. Definitely not indicative of a trend. Two pounds could be poop. Could be water retained in stored glycogen. To determine what your actual weight trend is, weigh yourself first thing in the morning, every morning, after the potty, then average those seven days. Look at the weekly averages to gauge diet efficacy. 

Weight loss is inconsequential, it is fat loss that should be the goal of any dieter. You lose body fat when there is a caloric deficit, be that from caloric reduction, increase in activity, or changes in metabolism. Any seasonal fat loss is a result of these things. Some minor tweaking will make you lose fat at any time of the year. Days that are long usually mean more physical activity, more available daylight to do physical outdoor activities and better mood as a result of increased daylight leading to more physical activity. Staying busier means less time to set around and eat. Summer garden vegetables can decrease caloric intake. All of these things can contribute to fat loss. Fortunately we have electric lights, weights, and grocery stores that sell summer vegetables year round. In your own home, you can actually replicate the conditions that may cause you to lose fat seasonally.


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