It's safe to say many of us have gained a few pounds during quarantine and are aching to lose them as we inch closer to normalcy following the rollout of vaccines.
When the fridge is within close reach, it can be awfully difficult to resist the chips, ice cream, or whatever else we deem Covid comfort food.
But here's the good news: Losing weight is more mental than anything else. If we're in the right frame of mind, we can achieve results -- sometimes far quicker than anticipated.
And here's even better news: You don't have to starve yourself to shed those pesky pounds.
Two keys to success, both of which are easy to recall (as they begin with the same word), are:
1. Exercising moderation when it comes to one's eating habits.
2. Exercising physically.
Though I've done a pretty good job at maintaining my weight the last couple of years, it's been a mission to drop an extra 15 or so pounds I've been carrying around.
I thought that as long as I ate three generously portioned meals a day -- and ate not much else in between -- I stood to slim down at some point.
It wasn't until recently I realized I was going at it the wrong way.
Instead, it's best to eat three smaller main meals and throw in healthy snacks every few hours -- a few almonds here, a piece of fruit there. In essence, you're distributing your calories over the course of the entire day while keeping the metabolism humming.
And it goes without saying that drinking lots of water is of paramount importance. Not only is it vital for your organs, water gives the feeling of fullness -- and that means a lower food intake.
You would think that the more water we drink, the more we'd weigh. But it's just the opposite. When you're not getting enough water, the body does its best to conserve what little you have in your system -- yielding a higher total on the scale.
Moreover, aim to cut out the fatty/junk foods. If something is high in sugar or sodium, it simply isn't good for your wasteline. While at the grocery store, spring for the stuff that has "free" or "low" on the label -- gluten free, low salt, fat free -- though even these should be eaten in moderation.
That isn't to say you can't have a slice of pizza or brownie every so often, but be sure to work in some exercise that day -- which leads me to the second tip outlined above.
I try to walk an hour every day. That may seem like a lot to some, and I'll be the first to admit that walking a full hour uninterrupted can be tedious. So, in order to make it more tolerable, I break the day's walk into four separate 15-minute sessions.
I realize this is easier to do while working from home. But once we return to life as we knew it, I figure I can squeeze in one session before I leave for work, a quick walk during lunch, another when I get home, and a leisurely stroll right before bed.
If an hour a day sounds like too much, aim for at least an hour every other day. If walking isn't your thing, do whatever else you enjoy doing that burns calories, whether it's dancing or swimming. Exercise offers a myriad of physical and mental benefits, from aiding memory to lowering your blood pressure.
Fifteen minutes go by in a heartbeat, especially if you're listening to an engrossing audio book or your favorite music.
I guarantee that if you follow the tips above, you'll be well on your way to fitting into those tight jeans you've buried somewhere in your closet.
Above all, don't give up! You won't achieve results overnight, but you will lose weight so long as you believe in yourself, eat in moderation, get exercise, and remain focused on the end goal -- whether it's losing 10 pounds or 100.
Comments