littlebluehazel Lately I think a lot of us are struggling. It isn’t easy keeping the weight off being stuck at home, no access to the gym and a fridge full of food calling our names! I myself have been feeling this so much which honestly seems so strange because sadly, quarantine life isn’t too different from my normal life. I already avoid stores and order groceries every week as an attempt to not overspend and real talk, it works! I am all about my home cooked meals so eating out is never on my mind. The only social things we do are with our kids so, movie theaters and bowling alleys being closed is a bummer but not something we do often.
Honestly for me, the only thing I am really missing are my trips to the YMCA where Mason (our son) gets to socialize and play with kids his own age, our swim dates in the pool where we pretend to be on vacation and my 3 days a week where I am a newborn photographer at a local hospital. That last one stings. Not only do I love my job but being out of work is hard on my pockets. I am mid renovation on my photography studio and now with no money coming in and an extra kid at home I have to homeschool, painting and putting in floors seems so out of reach.
So as time stands still I decided to get back to the things I can control, like this blog. I’ve decided even in the months I let it slip away that I wouldn’t let it go because I don’t want to live with that regret again. I truly love blogging, I have loved journaling since I was a little girl. I’ve always kept a journal and once I found blogging it was like pure magic! A virtual journal with endless possibilities. A place to be real about anything and everything. But things have really changed since I started blogging. Blogs are no longer journals. They are sales pitches connected to perfectly curated Instagram feeds. That leaves me feeling like I don’t know how I fit in to all of this. But, I have made the decision to keep trying.
I am going to do that the only way I know how. By being authentic; honest, sharing my thoughts, my endless stream of pictures and my food! Because lets be real, this quarantine is going straight to my butt!! SO… I have to check myself into “diet” mode. I say that because I don’t believe in diets, none of us should. If you want to be healthy and stay thin for life, your lifestyle determines that. When I am living, eating breathing thin, then I am thin. When I am loading up on cookie cough and Cheetos while sitting on the couch for hours on end…. I’m swelling up like a balloon, popping out of my shorts. I know we all feel that right now.
But, how do we stay active when we’re trapped inside? How do we keep ourselves away from the extra snacks? Starvation is never the answer. Slowing it down is. Here’s how I am getting myself back in check.
- Only eat when I am truly hungry
- Instead of immediately removing all extra snacking from my day, if I am truly hungry and I need a snack in between meals, portion it out. Only eat one portion of whatever it is. Even if it is Cheetos, only eat one portion. Allowing myself to not feel deprived by the food I want but instead minimizing what I am taking in.
- Meals. 3 meals a day. Evenly spaced. If I eat breakfast at 10 I will try to eat lunch around 2 and dinner around 6.
- Dessert. Lately I’ve been eating dessert every night. Usually I only eat dessert once a week on Saturday nights. To get myself back there I am going to start limiting dessert to every other night and then every third until I get back to that once a week ritual.
- Alcohol. My husband and I gave up drinking alcohol as a lifestyle choice about a year ago. Recently we started indulging a little once a week. Usually, on Fridays. I am going to try and limit that to every other week. I personally like our lives better without alcohol. We feel so much healthier, our minds are clearer and added bonus, our waistlines became immediately thinner. A lot of bloat comes with drinking. Poor sleep, bad food decisions. Carb overload. None of which leaves us feeling good when the buzz is over.
- Remember the 80/20 rule. Your body is 80% diet and 20% exercise. I love to run, I love to ride my bike, garden, go for hikes, walk my dog, swim. But I am in no sense of the word a gym rat or someone who exercises every day at all in any way. I just don’t find that attainable in my life right now. My house is still a work in progress, so is my studio. I have two kids, I work 3 days a week, same as so many of you. Right now sure I have the time to exercise every day but will I? How motivated am I to turn on the Wii and follow a workout or drag my kids out for a run? Exercise for me is more of a treat. Instead I follow two rules that lately have gone by the wayside so I’m bringing them back. First, keep an eye on my Fitbit for a 10k daily step goal. Second, work up a sweat somehow someway 3 days a week. Thats my 20% contribution to keeping my body tight.
- Focus mainly on the 80%. Think of the foods I choose. Is there something more nutritious I could be eating right now? Something with less sugar maybe or something with whole grains, fiber, good fats. Swap out empty calories for better things. Instead of eating Cheetos have a slice of cheese on a whole wheat cracker. I’m getting the taste of cheese with the crunch but in a more natural healthier way. Swap out the bowl of ice cream for homemade frozen yogurt. Make healthier choices overall.
So that’s where I am at right now. Starting a “diet” getting my booty back in shape and sharing it with all of you! I am diving back into this blog with new recipes and tips for weight loss. And also, some cute pics of the fam because, why not?! 🙂
And who knows, maybe I will finally fulfill my dream of sharing outfits and fashion because – I LOVE CLOTHES!! And, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do but never tried! What better a time than now?!
