1. Cold weather makes us crave all sorts of heartwarming comfort food, from pasta or mac 'n' cheese to fancy lattes and Girl Scout cookies.
2. The elements also tend to erase, or at least erode, our motivation for long, brisk walks — or icy drives to the gym.
3. You've been binge-reading thrillers or watching TV from a cozy couch. (Don't think I haven't seen those extra snacks!)
4. Extra layers of clothes disguise — and keep us from divesting — what lies beneath.
Whether you decide to lose or overlook any recently acquired pounds, hear me out on these five tricks for dovetailing weight management with fashion sense:
1. Match tops and bottoms. A single vertical column of color, from head to toe, guarantees sleek chic, no matter where extra pounds tend to settle on your particular shape. Individual hues tend to differ by fabric, dye lot and brand, so just match colors close enough to avoid obvious shade breaks at the waist, hip or thigh.
Think about wearing winter white, gray or navy — perhaps even a blue denim shirt and jeans — as "season-agnostic" alternatives to black. Whether you're a size 12 or a 24, all of these shades are every bit as flattering — and slimming — when paired monochromatically. (To simplify decision-making, try organizing your closet by color.)
2. Open that cardigan. Everyone's favorite wardrobe piece for climate control needn't be wrapped or buttoned up. Instead, wear any thigh-length cardigan open, strategically framing that toned-to-match column of separates you've created to trim hips, thighs and muffin tops. A contrasting shade of the same hue will enhance the effect: a light-gray cardigan over charcoal-gray pants and top, for example, or vice versa.
