Quarantine gut – the paunch that is a direct result of eating your feelings in isolation. We supported local restaurants by getting takeout morning, noon, and night. We baked decadence and served it with a side of bacon. And after the kids went to bed, we split whole bags of chips and washed it down with a cocktail or a beer. If it was covered in cheese, we ate it. If it was fried, we munched happily. It was fun while it lasted; it was glorious.
But now, for whatever reason, I am ready to return to normal, in oh so many ways. I am ready to bust this gut and wear my non-stretchy pants again. I wasn’t ready, but now I am. I can’t hide behind coats and sweaters anymore. It’s time.
So, what’s the plan?
I’m no stranger to weight loss. Every January, my husband and I set a goal to lose the extra holiday pounds by April, when we go to Traverse City, Michigan for our annual anniversary trip. We eat, we drink, and then we get home and set a goal to lose our anniversary pounds. Throughout the year, when the numbers on the scale are creeping up, we have some dependable strategies that work for us, and that’s what I’ll be using now.
- Water – simple, but important. One of the first things I do in the morning is fill up a glass of water. I drink a glass before I eat breakfast, one with every meal, and at least one or two between meals. If I’m hungry between meals, the first thing I do is drink some water. If I go out, I bring a bottle with me. If you’re dehydrated, your body will hoard water like 2020 toilet paper, so if you’re not already drinking plenty of water, then you may find that you lose a lot of water weight when you start. (And you will also pee a lot.)
- Fruits and Vegetables – lots of these. I try to include at least one fruit or veggie with breakfast, two with lunch, two or three with dinner, and one or two as snacks. If you’re someone who “doesn’t like fruits and vegetables,” maybe give them another chance. There are so many choices with so many flavors and textures, and endless ways to prepare them. Raw, roasted, fresh, canned, sautéed, grilled, microwaved…try it all, and you’ll probably find at least a few that you enjoy. These are the powerhouses that will nourish you while filling you up.
- Portions – as in, you can have chips, just not half a bag. Here, I use WW® (a.k.a. Weight Watchers), but I’m using the program as it was in 2007 since that’s what I have all the materials for, and I don’t want to pay any more, and it works fine. Not everyone will have these tools or want to use this program, so choose whatever is right for you. Look at serving sizes. Google how many calories you should eat in a day. Follow Food Pyramid guidelines (or, I guess it’s a plate now?). There are lots of free resources out there to find out just how much food you should be eating in a day.
- Exercise – jiggle that gut ’til it falls off. Fitness is on-again, off-again for me. I can get into a routine and exercise regularly for weeks or months. But then, I can also suddenly stop and not exercise for weeks or months. As I get older (40), exercise is not only becoming necessary to lose weight, but also just to keep my body functional and non-old-feeling. Figure out some different options that work for you: walking, running, hiking, biking, exercise machine(s) at a gym or at home, workout videos, classes, dancing, swimming, yoga, Pilates…there are a lot of ways to get moving. Aim for at least 30 minutes most days.
- Planning – the foundation. You can’t fill up on fruits and veggies if you don’t have any in the house. If it’s mealtime and you don’t have ingredients to make something healthy, or don’t have quick and simple go-to alternatives, takeout will be tempting. If you don’t set aside time to exercise, you may never get to it. Planning is key – figure out your meal plan for the week or have an least three dinners planned in advance. Have plenty of fruits and vegetables on hand. Figure out some standards for breakfasts and lunches that are quick and easy to put together. If you’re going to have a bigger dinner, scale back on breakfast and lunch or load up on fruits and veggies. Plan. Plan. Plan.
I know, it’s nothing new. It’s the same old story – because no matter how you dress it up, it’s what works. It’s What Your Body Needs 101.
So, that’s my plan. Yours may be similar or completely different. Here, in this blog, my only goal is to tell my story in the hopes that it may help in some way. I aim to include both successes and failures, triumphs and struggles, and above all, FOOD. Because I love food, even the food I am eating when I am trying to lose weight. It can be delicious, and I want to share that too.
Okay, that’s it for now. Ready…set…go!
Losin' It 