28F, 5’7 if you’re interested. Editing to add a little further context, per the rules: - i was in extremely good shape in summer of 2019 - lots of travelling so walking, and dietary changes that had been slowly increasing for 9ish months - 2020 threw a wrench and a half in that. I don’t weigh myself or anything like that, but I went up 2 pants sizes in 3 months. From a 10 to a 14 Canadian/US sizing - this is a big deal to me bc of the mental battle - ohmygod im starting even below square one. How did this happen, can I do it again - what I’m trying to get across here is how I kept myself mentally well and motivated to start over, during a global freaking pandemic.
I don’t think anyone’s gonna deny 2020’s the fustercluck to end them all. And idk about y’all but when we were in lockdown nachos and wine got me through it. Good for the soul, bad for the body, apparently.
I know everyone has different strategies, and different paces they take it at. I’m very much in camp “slow and steady wins the race” and I don’t weigh myself out of principle. Here’s what’s been helping me, in case it helps any of you beautiful ppl out there too!
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slow and steady: because I’m looking to build sustainable habits. Went from wine and nachos 2-3xs a week, to 1, to none. I still drink but cut out nachos bc I’m lactose intolerant and it was wreaking chaos on my body. Another example would be chip consumption - down from 2 family sized bags a week to 1. Trade half your chip ration for veggies then with a soup or sandwich. Then all veggies. Save chips for your cheat day.
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know your body: I’ve opted for no dairy and no bread/wheat products, 7 days a week for the former and 6 days a week for the latter. I’ve got a super sensitive stomach and when I eat those 2 things I get bloated and tired (dairy obviously it gets way worse than that) and I can’t exercise. Calories aside cutting these things out played massively in to my NSV simply bc Im not bloated af. I’ve looked at keto (look at the results they get!) but I just don’t think that’s a sustainable or mentally healthy way for me go to about things
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you don’t need to exercise like crazy: I walk about 30k a week, use weights 3Xs a week, and do intense cardio for an hour total. Yeah, I’m sure if I increased my time on the stairs by a half hour a week I’d see results faster, but I don’t want to burn myself out and stop enjoying my time outside/at the gym. I have a whole other life outside weight loss to focus on, and I want to look forward to my gym time.
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change up your exercise routine: I’m also back to my precovid level on the stairs (!) if I want. That’s bc sometimes I opt for the lower level so I can 1) go longer in a single day, and 2) to do intervals. It seems insignificant, the small changes, but the freedom to change my routine as I see fit (pun intended lol) keeps me motivated to work out even when I’m not 100% feeling it. Instead of “I did intervals SO WELL last week - should that be my norm now?” it’s “alright what makes me feel good today. Are we going all out or are we just getting moving” - this ties in to my final point below.
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once a week cheat: I feel like I’m a little more lax with this than most people. Once a week I hang out with my friends and drink wine. That in and of itself is a cheat I know, but i also permit myself hangover day fast food (and I’ve gotten pretty good at not eating junk on wine night too! Scrambled eggs with spinach and onions/peppers is my shit). This is bc personally I don’t want to feel like I’m depriving myself of anything. I never have been nor ever will be a health nut. This is a good balance for me.
And most importantly - be kind to yourself: health is a life long journey. I did more weights than usual last week, and was only on the stairs for a total of 50mins. And you know what? Not only did I survive, I made it to one of my goals anyway.
I find people are so quick to be so hard on themselves “I really had to do that last 10mins” “I can’t believe I ate a piece of cake of a Tuesday” and it hurts your motivation instead of helping it.
Everyone knows the example of “well I’ve already eaten one piece of cake, why not just do the whole damn thing?” Instead of being hard on yourself change your mindset to “ok that was a mistake but that’s okay, how about I don’t eat the whole rest of that cake” and then when you don’t - celebrate that. Celebrate and focus on the fact that you’re changing your habits for the better. Literally every small step counts! That way you wake up the next morning like “wow, I did that! New day. Let’s be just a little bit better than yesterday” - you know you’re strong, and worth it and capable, and that you can do it.
Good luck out there friends, have a fabulous day/afternoon/evening.
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