Most people, possibly even you, gain a few pounds every year when the weather starts to get cold, making us a little heavier each year. If you keep close tabs on your weight, you know that it's also harder to lose weight in fall and winter. This is certainly unfortunate, but this weight gain is not your fault! Why does this happen and what can you do to avoid putting on extra pounds in winter?

When most people think of muscle gain diets they automatically start thinking of high fat and high sugar foods. There are a number of reasons why these type of foods are not good for a diet to gain weight. However, an increase in blood cholesterol is the biggest risk factor, as this can lead to heart disease.

First, doctors say that both can influence our appetite. And studies show that production of both may be influenced by how fast weight gain much or how little we sleep.

Avoiding dairy products is another way to cut down on calories. Calcium, important to build your baby's bones and maintain your own, can be taken in from broccoli, spinach, other dark leafy vegetables, or supplements.

Fast weight loss means different things to different people. If you weigh 300 pounds you could probably lose 20 to 30 pounds in your first month. It will slow down after that and this is a good reason to take advantage of the maximum amount of weight you can lose at the beginning. If you weigh 120 pounds you may be lucky to lose 5 pounds in your first month and that, too, will slow down.