So here we are, in lockdown. And though you may not be sick with the dreaded Covid-19, I’m willing to bet that you’re sick and tired of being cooped up inside with frustrated kids, juggling homeschooling, housework and your business.
Any baking going in your house?
Baking is a fun activity to do with the kids. My son’s Montessori School recommended it to us parents because of the practical life aspect – good practice reading the recipe, good Maths practice weighing the ingredients and setting the timer, learning to be helpful, washing up etc.
We made fudge a few weeks ago and oops! I ate most of it. It took me two weeks to get back to my goal weight after all that sweet deliciousness.
Packing on the Pounds
Even if you haven’t found a spare moment to bake, I’m guessing that you wouldn’t be reading this article if you hadn’t packed on a few pounds during lockdown.
We all know how it happens. We start reaching for comfort foods. (Heaven knows, we need them right now).
And on top of this, our exercise routine is out the window – one, because the kids are not at school and two, because we’re not allowed to exercise in any kind of group setting. B-o-r-i-n-g. Ho-hum.
Double whammy.
So let’s start finding some solutions, shall we? Here are 3 practical tips to help you shift that weight easily.
1. Satisfy Sweet Cravings
We all know by now that one of the biggest culprits in weight-gain is SUGAR (and fudge is loaded with it). But avoiding sugary things is no mean feat. So we need to find healthy substitutes.
Try these Raw Coconut cookies that satisfy sweet cravings I found in the Candida Diet Guide. You can still have fun making these with your children, just without the guilt.
Another quick tip: always reach for a healthy sugar source BEFORE you reach for an unhealthy one. Like fruit for example.
If you have a juicer tucked away in a cupboard somewhere, you could also try juicing naturally-sweet veggies. My favourite juices are the carrot-ginger-beetroot combo and celery-pineapple-ginger combo. These are excellent for detoxing as well.
And one last tip – if you take sugar in your coffee and you’re up to 4 or 5 cups a day (like I am), reduce the amount of sugar you use by a few granules a day until you’re using little or no sugar.
2. Switch to Healthy Fats
The next big culprit is transfats or saturated fats.
I found a great pro tip in this Low Fat Diet Guide – even if the nutrition facts on your favourite food state that there are zero grams of trans fat if you see “partially hydrogenated oil” on the label, you’re still getting trans fats. Avoid these at all costs.
The best thing to do is to avoid processed foods as far as possible because they usually contain “bad fats”.
And focus on consuming more “good fats”, like nuts, avocado, olive oil (for drizzling on raw veg) or coconut oil (for cooking).
With many fast-food chains closed at this time, we’re cooking way more fresh meals at home, so that’s half the battle won.
Try not to reach for TV dinners as they can be just as fatty as fast foods. Cooking is another activity that can be fun for the whole family at this time and also another great teaching tool for the littlies.
3. Try Intermittent Fasting
Fasting has been the single best health and wellness tip I ever received.
In my 20’s and 30’s I never struggled to maintain a healthy weight at all. I was generally slim and if I put on a few pounds here and there, I could just go on a fruit and veg detox for a couple of weeks and they would melt away and I’d be back to normal.
It was only once I hit my 40’s that those few extra pounds started being a bit of an issue. Suddenly, it wasn’t so easy to let the weight go. Until I was introduced to intermittent fasting, that is.
Since I discovered all the benefits of doing a 16:8 fast every day, I’m totally hooked.
How it works is that you fast for 16 hours every day and eat in an 8-hour window (also called TRE or Time Restricted Eating). It sounds more difficult than it is – because you sleep through +-8 hours of your fast. For a full explanation, get the Intermittent Fasting Guide.
Most days, I eat dinner between 6 and 7 pm and my first meal of the day is brunch, around 11 am.
First, I had to let go of the long-held belief that breakfast was the most important meal of the day and I couldn’t survive a morning without it. And then, I had to let go of late-night snacking. On the nights I fall asleep with my little guy, that’s no problem at all.
I get that intermittent fasting is not for everybody but for me, this has been by far the easiest way to lose weight.
Conclusion
Have you put on a few pounds during lockdown? May you implement these tips with ease.
And if you’re in need of some more guidance and support, you’ll find a diet plan to suit everyone at Diet Life. Diets are well-researched and neatly laid out with all the pros and cons explained. Each guide is available as a PDF download.
*This post was sponsored by Diet Life. This is one of the ways I monetize my blogs. All opinions are my own.
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