So…it happened. After being quarantined for about 5 months I stepped on the scale and saw that I had gained about 10 pounds since March. Like most of us, Rona has brought a lot of pressure and unwelcome stress to our lives, making it UBER tempting to slip back into my old ways.
I started out strong – meal prepping, eating healthy, and working out 3-4 days a week, and lost almost 8 pounds between March and May. But life happened. Being thrust into homeschooling, working from home, and business projects while being hunkered down for months at a time was a recipe for disaster. I put myself last again – I was no longer a priority.
As a bariatric patient (sleeved in 2018), there’s usually this underlying fear of slipping back into old habits, but I’m determined that quarantine life is not the “new normal” (Romans 4:17 anyone?).
It’s time to re-focus and reclaim my health! Are you on board? Here’s how.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Give yourself a little grace! This year has been hard on all of us. To expect life to go on as usual is not realistic. You’re human – and a part of that is falling short at times and not making the best decisions. Move on from your mistakes and learn from them.
Take Baby Steps
Being sedentary for so long really has wreaked havoc on my body, so to jump back into a 4 mile run, boot camps, or resistance training won’t work for me. For someone like me with sciatica, a sudden change in activity can make the condition worse. My practical approach is to go for walks around the neighborhood or along the nearby nature trail. It’s all about building capacity; the key is to just move your body. Everything else will fall into place.
Make Better Choices
Duh! If I was making better choices I wouldn’t be in this predicament. LOL
While most people were hoarding toilet paper, we were racking up on all kinds of food staples (and goodies) during the first few months of the pandemic. We even bought a deep freezer, which isn’t a bad thing, but we filled it with all types of frozen foods (which are usually higher in sodium) and treats for the kids. I went back to the fundamentals of my the nutrition plan, eliminating bad carbs, sugary foods, and focused on eating protein (about 70 ounces a day), lean meat, and fresh vegetables.
For God’s Sake Put the Bottle Down
Lemme tell y’all…liquid calories are the devil!!
By early April a glass of wine was a part of my nightly routine. A glass of wine isn’t bad right? It’s good for the heart, right? But alcohol in excess amounts can expand your waistline!
Not to mention it was a horrible way to deal with stress! I was literally using alcohol to settle my nerves daily. Indulging occasionally is fine, but it shouldn’t be a part of your regular diet.
I even joined a wine club that sent a case of wine based on your preferences – talk about money down the drain.
How are you getting back to your health and fitness goals in the midst of the pandemic?
Great post Soror! Definitely needed the encouragement to get back on track with my health. I never gained the freshmen 15 but Rona definitely got me! lol. Stay the course and thank you for the encouragement.
Love the blog Soror Dionne, and the very inspirational post! I had a personal boycott of the gym all last week and I must say I feel mentally refreshed. In my head, I know I must return to the workout early Monday morning. This post is my personal nudge for when I start to tell myself to take another week (and another cookie)!