[LovesBassets]

...or maybe more like a squirrel.

Does anyone else find themselves going into some kind of weird "hibernation mode" as the days get shorter and colder? Maybe it's all the rain we've had lately, but I feel like I'm supposed to be eating, eating, eating all the time lately. I don't mean that I feel hungrier, it's more like I feel like I should be eating for no particular reason. I've been to the grocery store 3 times this week -- almost without even thinking about it. I mean, do I REALLY need 3 cartons of milk? I kinda feel like a chipmunk with the extreme, unconscious need to gather acorns before the frost hits or something...

I'm wondering if there's some kind of instinctive mechanism in my body yelling, "GATHER WHAT FOOD YOU CAN CUZ WINTER'S A-COMIN'!!"

Do any of you (northern) chickies feel this way in the fall and winter? Or am I really part-chipmunk?

[Suzanne 3FC]

I hadn't really thought about it before, but I think you're right! And I do like the chipmunk reference over bear, lol. In the fall, I start craving more starchy foods.

Though I do prefer this time of year over summer months.

[Mel]

Me too, Kate. It certainly hasn't helped that I haven't seen the sun in a week! Maybe also there's the idea hiding in the back of my mind that I can start pulling out sweaters and sweatshirts and cover it all up again!

Resist!

Maybe we shoud all book a Carribbean vacation?

Mel

[FishWoman]

I feel more like a grumpy hibernating bear than a chipmunk. I'm not storing food up in my cupboards, but all i want to do is burrow under the covers and sleep.
It is actually sunny out right now, which is nice and puts me in a better mood, but it has been very rainy and grey. I am hoping for nice weather this weekend so i can go hiking or something outdoorsy.
I like wearing my sweaters for about 2-3 weeks, then i long for warm weather and sun! We actually have booked a carribean vacation! DH, my sister, her daughter, and I are going on a cruise in January. I sort of can't wait, but i also want to lose at least 10 more pounds before then!

[chick_in_the_hat]

Come on over here...80 degrees today...SORRY!!!! We make up for it with astonomical housing prices and an outrageously high cost of living...

Guess I need another excuse why my cheeks are stuffed with food...

[marbleflys]

Ok, this is a proven fact! I had gotten email newsletter from the "Diet-Detective" website...talked of colder weather, shorter days being a link to eating. You'll have to look it up as I didn't keep the notes.

[AnnieFannie]

Marbleflys is right. It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that appears at the same time each year. With SAD, a person typically has symptoms of depression and unexplained fatigue as winter approaches and daylight hours become shorter. When spring returns and days become longer again, people with SAD experience relief from their symptoms, returning to their usual mood and energy level.

What Causes SAD?

Experts believe that, with SAD, depression is somehow triggered by the brain's response to decreased daylight exposure. No one really understands how and why this happens. Current theories about what causes SAD focus on the role that sunlight might play in the brain's production of key hormones. Experts think that two specific chemicals in the brain, melatonin and serotonin, may be involved in SAD. These two hormones help regulate a person's sleep-wake cycles, energy, and mood. Shorter days and longer hours of darkness in fall and winter may cause increased levels of melatonin and decreased levels of serotonin, creating the biological conditions for depression.

Melatonin is linked to sleep. The body produces this hormone in greater quantities when it's dark or when days are shorter. This increased production of melatonin can cause a person to feel sleepy and lethargic. With serotonin, it's the reverse - serotonin production goes up when a person is exposed to sunlight, so it's likely that a person will have lower levels of serotonin during the winter when the days are shorter. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, whereas increasing the availability of serotonin helps to combat depression.

What Are the Symptoms of SAD?

A person with SAD will show several particular changes from the way he or she normally feels and acts. These changes occur in a predictable seasonal pattern. The symptoms of SAD are the same as symptoms of depression, and a person with SAD may notice several or all of these symptoms:

Changes in mood. A person may feel sad or be in an irritable mood most of the time for at least 2 weeks during a specific time of year. During that time, a guy or girl may feel a sense of hopelessness or worthlessness. As part of the mood change that goes with SAD, people can be self-critical; they may also be more sensitive than usual to criticism and cry or get upset more often or more easily.

Lack of enjoyment. Someone with SAD may lose interest in things he or she normally likes to do and may seem unable to enjoy things as before. People with SAD can also feel like they no longer do certain tasks as well as they used to, and they may have feelings of dissatisfaction or guilt. A person with SAD may seem to lose interest in friends and may stop participating in social activities.

Low energy. Unusual tiredness or unexplained fatigue is also part of SAD and can cause people to feel low on energy.
Changes in sleep. A person may sleep much more than usual. Excessive sleeping can make it impossible for a student to get up and get ready for school in the morning.

Changes in eating. Changes in eating and appetite related to SAD may include cravings for simple carbohydrates (think comfort foods and sugary foods) and the tendency to overeat. Because of this change in eating, SAD can result in weight gain during the winter months.

Difficulty concentrating. SAD can affect concentration, too, interfering with a person's school performance and grades. A student may have more trouble than usual completing assignments on time or seem to lack his or her usual motivation. A person with SAD may notice that his or her grades may drop, and teachers may comment that the person seems to have less motivation or is making less effort in school.

Less time socializing. People with SAD may spend less time with friends, in social activities, or in extracurricular activities.

[L144S]

Basset, I am with you...both in mind and location!
he rain has been awful, I came home from picking up the kids yesterday and took a nap!
We have not seen the sun in over a week...
Where are you in Ma? I am on the North Shore

[sarahyu]

Yes, I can relate. When the weather starts turning cooler I buy 2-3 packages of things just in case...if I really think about it, just in case of what? I mean, the grocery store is 10 minutes walking from my house. If I got snowed in I could still trudge over and get some milk. I live in a major city, I won't be snowed in for weeks at a time, most it's been is 2 days. And why am I even thinking snowed in anyway? It's October! Do I really need 3 cartons of soy milk in the pantry? And don't even get me started on the number of cans of beans I have.

I have to be careful at this time of the year because I'll start to eat more and want to hibernate in the bed with the covers pulled up.

Us chimpmonks, squirrels and bears need to stick together so we don't gain all our weight back over the winter!

Sarah

[LovesBassets]

Phew....glad I'm not alone in this!!! And thank GOODNESS it was finally sunny today -- I was going totally there for awhile!!

L144S, I live in Littleton .

I hate it when the days start getting shorter...