Want to Lose Weight? Ayurveda Says Spring is Your Best Bet
I Need to Lose Weight, But It’s Not Shifting?
You’re eating well, trying to stay active, but the weight just won’t shift. It’s frustrating—especially when you’re doing everything ‘right’. But what if the problem isn’t your effort, but your timing?
There are many possible reasons for this, but today, I want to focus on one very important but often overlooked reason: the season of the year.
Ayurveda teaches us that the doshas not only govern our bodies but also the seasons of the year. Understanding how the seasonal rhythms affect digestion, metabolism, and fat storage can help you work with your body rather than against it.
Let’s explore why spring is the best season for natural weight loss, why other seasons make it harder, and how you can use Ayurvedic wisdom to burn fat effectively and sustainably.
The Connection Between Seasons and Your Weight
Ayurveda recognises that everything in nature, including our bodies, is governed by three doshas:
Vata (Autumn & Winter) → Cold, light, dry, mobile (Air & Ether)
Pitta (Summer) → Hot, light, intense, sharp (Fire & Water)
Kapha (Spring) → Heavy, slow, cool, moist (Earth & Water)
Each season brings qualities that influence our metabolism and digestion, which means some seasons are naturally better for weight loss than others.
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Why Winter is Not the Best Time to Lose Weight
Winter is Vata season, and Vata consists of air and ether—qualities that are cold, light, and dry. Since Ayurveda teaches that balance comes from opposites, during winter, our body craves the opposite of Vata—warm, heavy, grounding foods.
During this time, digestion is strong (thanks to cold temperatures making the digestive fire burn hotter), but our body holds on to fat as insulation against the cold. If you’ve ever found it difficult to lose weight in winter, it’s because your body is designed to store fat, not burn it, during this season.
The foods that grow in late summer and autumn also support this - sweet root vegetables, pumpkins, grains, and fruits are all naturally heavier, which helps build strength for the colder months.
Why Summer is Not the Best Time Either
In summer, Pitta dosha is dominant. The fire and water elements make digestion weaker than in winter. The body naturally prefers cooling foods like juicy berries, cucumbers, and watery squashes, and leafy salads.
However, summer is more about maintaining rather than losing weight. Your body does not want to let go of reserves - it simply wants to stay cool and balanced.
Why Spring is the Perfect Time for Weight Loss
Spring is Kapha season, dominated by earth and water elements - heavy, slow, and moist qualities. This is why spring often brings congestion, sluggishness, and water retention. It’s also why many people feel low energy, allergies, or excess mucus in early spring.
However, Ayurveda teaches that spring is the time of natural cleansing, so a transitional spring detox is essential.
In the past, spring was a season of scarcity - after the rich feasts of autumn and winter, the stored grains and root vegetables were nearly finished. This forced our ancestors to eat lighter foods, naturally encouraging fat loss.
Even nature provides what we need:
The first bitter greens (nettle, dandelion, rocket) naturally cleanse and detoxify the body.
Lighter grains like pearl barley and millet replace heavier winter grains.
The body is naturally ready to shed excess weight, just like snow melting after winter.
Unlike winter, when the body holds on to fat, or summer, when the body wants to stay cool, spring is the season when your body is ready to let go of excess weight.
How to Prepare Your Body for Natural Weight Loss in Spring
As we move into spring—from mid to late March—Ayurveda recommends starting with a seasonal cleanse. The transition between seasons is a natural time to lighten the diet, focusing on easily digestible foods that help the body reset.
Why is the winter-to-spring cleanse so important?
After months of eating heavier, grounding foods in winter, the body holds onto excess weight, toxins, and sluggishness.
Spring is the best time to release this build-up, encouraging better digestion, metabolism, and energy flow.
The spring cleanse helps break old patterns and sets the stage for a new, lighter rhythm:
✔ Encouraging early rising and morning movement.
✔ Shifting towards lighter, seasonal foods.
✔ Eating dinner early or skipping it altogether to enhance fat metabolism.
How does this help with weight loss?
By cleansing first, you establish a solid foundation—your body naturally starts to burn stored fat instead of holding onto it. Once you have a clean slate, maintaining weight loss (or adjusting the routine slightly) becomes easier.
👉 Now that your body is primed for change, let’s explore the best strategies for burning fat this spring.
The Best Strategies for Losing Weight in Spring
01 Skipping Dinner: The Best Ayurvedic Habit for Weight Loss
If there is one change you make to support weight loss in spring, it should be skipping dinner.
Here’s why:
After 12 hours of fasting (overnight), the body begins burning stored fat for energy (a process called lipolysis).
Eating dinner late at night prevents this fat-burning phase, causing the body to store fat instead of burning it.
No dinner = deeper detox + better nutrient absorption from your next meal.
Best way to do this:
Have a late lunch (~2 - 2.30 pm) as your last meal.
If you need dinner, make it very light (a small soup by 5 - 6 pm at the very latest).
Drink hot water or herbal teas to curb hunger and aid digestion.
02 Morning Exercise on an Empty Stomach
One of the most effective fat-burning techniques is to exercise in a fasted state.
In the morning (Kapha time: 6 - 10 am), the body is naturally heavier and more sluggish - this is the best time to counteract that with movement.
Fasted exercise forces the body to burn stored fat instead of relying on glucose.
Morning workouts boost circulation, metabolism, and digestion for the rest of the day.
The Best Fat-Burning Exercises for Spring:
Fast-paced Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations), core work and deep twists are excellent. According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, forward bends are said to reduce belly fat.
Brisk walking or running are an easy way to introduce stimulating movements.
Strength training or bodyweight exercises.
👉 Avoid evening workouts, which can exhaust the body and increase evening cravings.
03 Adjusting Your Meals for Fat-Burning
Since Kapha is dominant, we need to balance it with light, dry, warming foods:
Eat More of these:
Bitter greens (nettle, dandelion, rocket, watercress).
Astringent grains (millet, barley, quinoa).
Metabolism-boosting spices (ginger, turmeric, black pepper).
Avoid those:
Heavy, oily, and cold foods (dairy, excessive nuts, fried foods).
Sweet foods and refined carbs (they increase Kapha and cause sluggishness).
If skipping breakfast is not for you, what should you eat first?
Stewed apples with cinnamon (gentle on digestion).
Warm herbal teas (ginger, cumin-coriander-fennel).
A light porridge made with buckwheat, millet or barley.
Final Thoughts
Aligning with Spring for Natural Weight Loss
Losing weight is not just about diet and exercise—it’s about understanding your body’s rhythms and working with nature.
Winter is for storage, summer is for maintenance, but spring is for letting go.
When you skip dinner, exercise in the morning, and eat seasonal foods, weight loss happens easier.
Ayurveda’s approach to weight loss is not about crash dieting but sustainable habits that support long-term health.
Are You Ready for a Spring Reset?
🌿 Join my Spring Cleanse Programme to detox naturally, reset your digestion, and shed excess weight with Ayurveda!
Now, I’d love to hear from you: Have you noticed it’s easier to lose weight in spring? What’s your go-to spring wellness habit? Let’s chat in the comments!
Let’s start a conversation. Leave a message on Instagram, Facebook, or even a good old email OR comment below :)
I love hearing from you!
Katja x
P.S. Did you know healthy eating habits are naturally essential during cleanses?
