How lockdown can be your weight loss friend

[JimiM]

Lockdown is a coin with two sides. I'd like to suggest some of the really positive things about lockdown that can help those of us who are looking to lose weight. I lost around 36Kg, that is 5st9lb in old money, though the 2 lockdowns last year and have more or less kept it off. Yes I put some on at the end of the year and at Christmas but, hey, we are all human. This lockdown I will lose the last 10 or so Kg. Lockdown is my friend.

We live in a world where we are encouraged to do this/do that, go here/go there, see this/see that, usually for commercial reasons. All of this doing, going and seeing takes time. When we "don't have time" we can be tempted to take short cuts. Such short cuts may include pre-prepared meals. When we cook those we are presented with a nutritional package someone else has designed, not one that is custom made for us. And because we are good girls and boys who don't want to waste food we clean the plate. Because lockdown reduces our doings/goings/seeings we can get time back, time that we can use to make meals customised to our own weight loss and weight maintenance needs. We may even find preparing from scratch a lot easier than we remember, and cheaper!

We also live in a world in a world where, whether we like it or not, we are encouraged to be social. Being social may mean going out to places and meeting friends. In the UK, at least, that may involve meeting in a pub, coffee shop, cafe or an eatery. For those of us "trying to be good" it presents a real challenge. We don't like to feel left out, we do like to join in. So, wherever booze is involved hollow calories are consumed. In addition after "one or two" the appetite is raised...look out nuts, crisps, burgers and kebabs! Even the "nice" coffees are stuffed full of calories and as for the cakes.....! If you are in an eatery having what you think is the "good" option whilst everyone else is eating what you want to eat isn't fun. It's not "our fault" that we just want to "join" in. By not going out you save money and the temptations are not there.

We have also gained time to reflect on what the journey was that lead us to the weight we are. We can learn to accept that what we did was anything that someone like us would have done in the circumstances that we were in. We can learn that whilst it was not necessarily ideal, it's ok, and, we really have no need to beat ourselves up about it. Knowing that, we can feel good about where we are on our weight loss journey with every day a new beginning. Some of the things I wrote about above may have been things that either contributed to weight gain in the past or have got in the way of previous weight loss journeys. What this lockdown gives us is the loss of many of the "excuses" that we have had in the past. It gives us, to at least mid- February, the opportunity to break some of the "bad habits" we have created and make some new good ones. When the first lockdown lifted, and after losing most of the weight I did last year, I was able to enter the "normal" world with a different outlook on socialising and food and drink. You can learn a lot about yourself if you want to during this period. You have the excuse to not go out and booze and gorge. You have the perfect reason to only have the food that you know will help you "right weight" yourself in the house.

It really is down to you how you use lock down. It can be such a positive thing. Try thinking of positive things that I have not already mentioned, there will be many personal to you. My lockdown assisted weight loss means I am no longer pre-diabetic and that means I am at less at risk if I do get Covid-19. That's brilliant! Choose or continue what ever "right weighting" plan is right for you and use the space that lockdown gives you to boost your efforts.

Take Care, stay well!

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

A lovely positive post JimiM, thanks for sharing

[bikegrrrl 1lb]

That's a great way of looking at it, JimiM! I haven't quite got round to not having some kinds of food in the house (thanks, three slim adult men in the family), but I have been able to use the time to cook better meals.

[PedallingMinstrel Restart April 2024]

I'm the same Jim had high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I have come off meds for the last two health conditions now and lost 3 stone 5 pounds since end of May with just a couple of pounds to lose to my target.

I've had time to indulge in exercise on long bike rides as well as prepare food. I've spent a lot less time in the pub where I would gig regularly and be given free beer as part of my payment. I've not socialised as much or eaten out and when I have, I have been far more restrained in food and drink choices.

It takes time cooking from scratch, it takes time exercising and normally we are constantly placed in social situations involving booze and food where we are encouraged to join in otherwise we are deemed to be no fun and boring.

Keep up the good work

Best wishes

Jeff

[PippiRuns 6kg Restart Nov 2023]

You are absolutely right, we can choose to make the most of a sad and difficult situation.

I work in a place where lunch is served everyday and in a job that often requires that I eat dinner out with many people, i.e. I’m usually unable to control half my main meals.

But during lockdown, I have been able to control all my meals and have changed my eating completely starting late November. And it’s working!

I’m also drinking less alcohol because we can’t socialise, but the lockdown boredom doesn’t help me in this regard. I really enjoy a good glass of red wine 🍷 when I sit on my soda with my husband in the evening.

[Greendream123]

That's great that you've found opportunities to really focus on your eating and weight loss. Being at home does present opportunities, that's very true. For some of us, it may also bring with it other issues, particularly balancing home schooling with working, which takes up a lot of time and energy. This can really impact exercise and stress levels (not every kid likes Jo Wicks!). It's still do-able for me, but actually a lot more difficult than when my son was at school.

[walkinthewoods 7lbs]

Thanks for this and your message resonated with me. Unfortunately I had used to lock down as an opportunity not to care so much about myself. No make up, baggy trousers and eating whatever I wanted. I had thought once I need to squeeze back into suit for work, I will lose the weight. Here we are nearly one year on and I am still working from home but linking in with the forum has been really helpful and I changed my mind set in the weeks before Christmas, It is unlikely that I will be back in work or socialising before April and when I do I will be looking my best. You are quite right some of the positives of lockdowns provides an opportunity to cook from scratch and avoid some of the pressures of socialising.

[Tank_EG Maintainer 7 stone]

Great post JimiM 😀

After gaining a lot of weight during the first lockdown my wife and I made the decision to do something about it, primarily to reduce our risk and our burden on the NHS should we be unfortunate enough to catch covid-19.

We've also used lockdown to complete couch to 5k, improve our sleep and generally live more healthily.

So I totally agree that lockdown can have its positives 👍 This time round I'm looking to get towards my "right" weight and then to maintain it.