Eating and Working Out in Winter: A Dietitian's Seasonal Shifts
By Shanon Safi, RD, LDN, CSSD — Registered Dietitian, Sports Dietetics Specialist & Founder of Fuel the Fire
Fire Fam, the leaves are changing out here in the Northeast, and fall is in full effect. I'm an all-season girly. I love every season, and I truly believe each one shows up in perfect timing. Every time I'm ready for a change, the change appears.
It's also a good reminder that we are seasonal beings too.
Clients ask me all the time what I personally do, so today I'm sharing exactly how my eating and working out in winter look different from summer, what never changes, and how to let go of the guilt that tends to come with slowing down. Take what resonates and leave what doesn't.
Why Your Body Changes With the Seasons
Seasonal shifts are normal. The sunlight changes, the timing of the day changes, and our circadian rhythms shift right along with it. When the sun goes down sooner, we're more tired and have less energy for things. There is nothing wrong with that.
Athletes already understand this as periodization. No one trains at peak year-round. You have an on-season and an off-season. As humans, the same is true: there are seasons to push and seasons to reflect and lay back.
I just had my birthday, and part of my reflection each year is asking what I want more of, what I want less of, and where I need boundaries. What came up for me is that this fall and winter aren't about pushing or doing more. They're about getting aligned with how I actually want to show up.
I've played the other card before. Double down, go hard, ignore the exhaustion. That athlete's mindset is part of what makes me successful, and it's also the thing that trips me up later and leaves me backpedaling.
So here's a question worth sitting with: is some of the pressure you feel self-created? Could you actually be slowing down, but you're so afraid of losing momentum that you keep pushing and end up more exhausted and unhappy all winter?
How My Eating Shifts in Fall and Winter
In the summer, I eat significantly more vegetables, and a lot of them raw. My garden is right there, and everything tastes fresher. In the winter, I'm just not craving that. Here's what I lean into instead.
Warm, cooked vegetables.
Soups are my go-to: a creamy pepper soup, butternut squash, tomato. I had so much squash in my garden this year that I froze a bunch and turned it into zucchini tots (think tater tots, but zucchini). It's a fun way to eat vegetables I wouldn't be excited about raw in January.
Root veggies and heartier foods.
Potatoes and root vegetables feel grounding when it's cold, and I love them.
Fruit that's frozen, dried, or baked in.
Just because something is in the grocery store doesn't mean it's in season. Berries in winter don't taste the same. Fruit frozen at its peak holds on to its nutrients, so I cook it into oatmeal, bake it into muffins, or crush freeze-dried fruit on top of oats.
Warm breakfasts.
The morning I recorded this episode, I had ube mochi waffles topped with Greek yogurt, fruit, and something crunchy. A cold breakfast that feels great in July just doesn't hit the same when it's cold out.
The more local, seasonal produce you can find, the better the taste and the nutrients. And those comfort food cravings? They're normal. We're very intuitive eaters. We just tend to override that intuition for the sake of logic or macros.
What Stays the Same Year-Round
Here's the nuance. "Lighter" summer meals and "heartier" winter meals can deliver the same nutrition. Our brain tells us comfort food automatically means more calories. It can, if we're not eating mindfully, but it doesn't have to.
No matter the season, these stay consistent for me:
Balanced meals with protein, plenty of fiber, and vegetables
Fruit and nuts in my snacks
Eating consistently through the day
Fueling around my workouts
A real breakfast instead of leaning on caffeine to pull me through
Batch cooking and meal prep
If your activity drops, or you're out of season for your sport, your calorie needs may shift a little. But there's still a baseline your body needs. That doesn't disappear because it's cold and you're moving less.
One more thing for my Northeast people: many of us don't get enough vitamin D in the winter, since it isn't in a lot of foods, and that can be connected to seasonal depression. Nutrition can be supportive here, but always talk with your doctor or psychiatrist about what you're experiencing.
Why Food Guilt Backfires
Most people think guilt will change their behavior. With food, it tends to do the opposite. We actually eat more of the thing we feel guilty about.
When the guilt is gone, food becomes neutral. There's no pull toward it or away from it, and you can hear your intuitive cravings, which usually guide you in the right direction.
There is a difference between an intuitive craving and an emotional one. One is your body asking for what it needs. The other is hoping food will make you feel better. Honor the waves of your appetite: if you're genuinely hungry, eat. If you're not as hungry, you don't have to force it.
How My Workouts Change in Winter
I go outside less, but I still go.
In summer, outdoor time is tending my garden. In winter, it might be sitting in my hot tub. Less movement, but still nature.
My intensity dips.
When I'm getting up and the sun is still down, my strength numbers sometimes run lower. That's okay. Your intensity does not need to be cranked up year-round. Lighter weights with more reps is valid, and you can still get stronger and build muscle.
I warm up longer.
My body is cold, the gym is cold, and I'm wearing more layers. My workouts start slower.
I chase daylight.
If you work a nine to five, even five minutes outside on your lunch break counts. Even if you're just standing there.
I rest more.
It's darker, so you may sleep more, and sometimes that's exactly what's needed. With gentler workouts and more recovery, you might notice nagging injuries calm down and your movement feel more fluid.
I used to believe I was someone who needed high output all the time. That was a story in my head, not the truth. I only learned what my body really needed once I gave myself permission to slow down.
The Piece Nobody Talks About: Your Nervous System
Being in nature is regulating for your nervous system, and that matters more than most people realize.
You can do everything right on paper, but when your nervous system is dysregulated, your body doesn't respond the same way. You may hold on to water or weight and struggle with digestion and bowel movements, and physical changes feel so much harder than they should.
This is the part that isn't talked about enough, and it's often the thing holding people back.
Let Go of the "Make Up for It" Mindset This Holiday Season
Around the holidays, it's so tempting to think: I ate more, so I need to eat less tomorrow or work out harder. I break this pattern with clients constantly. The big weekend, the vacation, the drinks with friends, and then the urge to "repent" by under-eating or skipping meals.
That's not how the body works. Swinging between overeating and under-eating makes your blood sugar less stable, and it messes with your nervous system and your hunger cues. You end up stuck in a yo-yo with no sense of normal.
If you eat a little extra one day, just go back to your regularly scheduled programming the next day. There's no deficit to enter. Your body will thank you.
Ask Yourself: What Does My Body Really Need?
Don't go on autopilot and do the same thing all year. Season shifts are an invitation to pause and re-evaluate.
Ask yourself, day to day and even hour to hour: what does my body really need? Most of us never ask. And if we're not asking the question, we'll never hear the answer.
You also have to create the space to hear it. Sit in silence. Step away from your phone, social media, and other people for a bit. Being "on" all the time is normalized, but our bodies aren't wired for it. Quieting the noise is what makes room for better ideas and better ways of caring for your nutrition, health, and movement.
Consistency Means Adapting
Here's the reframe I love most. Consistency doesn't mean doing the same thing all the time. Consistency means adapting.
It isn't 100 percent, full throttle, full intensity, all year. It's ebbing and flowing and continuing to move through change.
Try this today: pick one thing to shift for the season. Swap a cold breakfast for a warm one, step outside for five minutes at lunch, or add ten extra minutes to your warm-up. One shift, no guilt.
Ready to Feel at Home in Your Body This Winter?
If your brain is afraid to slow down, start with my 4-Day Food Freedom Reset. It's all about shifting your mindset to match what your body truly needs, so you can step out of hustle and grind culture and still thrive in your health, your relationships, and your career. It's only $27, and you can get my High-Protein Meal Prep Cookbook half off with it. It's the perfect first step heading into the winter months.
And if you're ready for something deeper, that's what Body and Soul Freedom is for. It's my 12-week one-on-one coaching program where clinical nutrition meets nervous system and somatic work. Together we build a way of eating, moving, and resting that flexes with your seasons, so you feel energized, trusting, and fully alive in your body all year long. Insurance is accepted for Pennsylvania residents, and HSA is accepted outside of Pennsylvania.
It starts with a free consultation where we talk about where you are and where you want to go. No pressure, no strings attached.
Listen to the Full Episode
Want to hear the full conversation? Listen to this episode of the Fuel the Fire Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, or watch it on YouTube.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal to have less energy in the winter?
Yes. Shorter days and less sunlight shift your circadian rhythm, so feeling more tired and less motivated in the colder months is a normal response, not a personal failing.
Should I eat less in the winter if I'm moving less?
Your calorie needs may shift slightly if your activity drops, but your body still has a baseline need for calories and nutrients year-round. Keep your meals balanced with protein, fiber, and vegetables, and eat consistently through the day.
Why do I crave comfort food when it's cold?
Craving warm, hearty food in cold weather is intuitive. Comfort foods can be just as nourishing as lighter summer meals when you build them with balance and eat them mindfully.
Can I still build muscle if my workouts are less intense in winter?
Yes. You can change your weights, rep ranges, and pace and still get stronger and build muscle, as long as your movement is balanced with your nutrition, rest, and mindset.
What should I do after overeating during the holidays?
Go back to your normal eating the next day. Skipping meals or under-eating to compensate destabilizes your blood sugar and hunger cues and keeps you stuck in a yo-yo cycle.
—
Shanon Safi is a Registered Dietitian (RD, LDN), board-certified specialist in sports dietetics (CSSD), certified life coach, somatic and EFT practitioner, certified Buti yoga instructor, and founder of Fuel the Fire — where she helps women (and former athletes especially) find food, body, and soul freedom. Follow along on Instagram @fuelthe_fire or listen to the Fuel the Fire Podcast wherever you listen.
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