Lockdown: I Lost Weight while Most Gained! You Can do it too.

The main reason why I lost weight while most gained it during the lockdown is that I have been working from home for more than 10 years now.

So, I had already made the typical mistakes like lack of exercise, unhealthy snacking, etc. that most people made during the sudden COVID-19 induced lockdown/work-from-home situation.

More importantly, over the years, I took corrective measures to avoid those mistakes and created systems that helped me avoid the negative effects of staying at home for longer periods of time.

One advantage I had during the COVID-19 lockdown is the lack of access to fast foods and eateries. Even after the fast-food joints opened, I made sure to eat out only when required, and not as frequently as I did during the pre-lockdown period.

I used to walk for an hour around our house daily before, and even now I do – just the venue has changed. I now walk for an hour on our home terrace! I sure miss those vacations and events that I frequented over the weekends, but I also miss all the unhealthy food I ate when I went out.

While I have been lucky, over 40% of the adults in the U.S. have said that they have gained more weight than they intended during the pandemic lockdown. The main reasons for the weight gain seem to have been indiscriminate snacking, increased alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, and stress/anxiety.

Are you over-weight?

Before I give you a few effective weight loss tips, you should determine whether you are actually over-weight. You can do that using the ideal height/weight calculator available here. If you mention your height and weight, it will tell you your ideal body weight. You would be considered obese if you weigh 30% more than your ideal body weight.

Is over-weight an Issue?

Yes. Excessive weight increases the likelihood of illness, esp. stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetics, etc. More your age, the more the risk of ailments due to over-weight. Besides, your agility, response, and ease of doing even simple things become more difficult.

Medical bills cost about $1,429 more expensive for obese patients compared to people with normal weight (annually).

(Source)

How I Lost Weight and How You can do it too

1. Exercise: I used to walk for one-hour (minimum) each day, and I continue to walk during the pandemic too. You could also jog, run, cycle or swim. All these activities help your heart pump faster, which helps with weight loss.
2. Alcohol: I’ve never had alcohol, so that’s not been an issue for me. If you do, it’s time to reduce your alcohol consumption. And yes, alcohol increases your weight.
3. Fast/Junk Foods: Fast food addiction is something I’ve battled with (and mostly lost) for many years. I can’t resist having sweet and spicy foods. But since I go buy most of these snacks from nearby fast-food joints and restaurants, the pandemic came as a blessing to me because all those joints closed. Even after they reopened, I am able to limit my food consumption outside home to only when necessary. Let’s hope this continues.
4. Sugar & Salt: Avoiding this is even more difficult than fast food. As sugar and salt are available in plenty in all those packaged foods & snacks available in supermarkets, and the supermarkets never closed, I am still struggling. If you too are not able to avoid tasty snacks, at least try to reduce them. Besides these also contain preservatives, which are harmful.
5. Fresh Vegetables & Fruits: While I always ate cooked vegetables, we cooked fresh veggies at home. Earlier, I was drinking fruit juices topped with a plentiful amount of sugar but I later came to know that eating fruits is healthier than drinking juices. Packed fruit juices available in supermarkets contain mostly sugar. Nowadays I am eating bananas, papayas, apples & oranges. One fruit per day. Try it, these are tasty as well 🙂

I am also eating less per meal (almost 50% of what I used to), but instead of three meals a day, I eat four. In my case I think it helps. But if you cannot control the quantity during each meal, you might end up eating more – so be careful. If I fall sick, I stop eating altogether. I drink some milk or oral rehydration salts, but I don’t eat anything solid until I get well. This is again my own experiment – you might want to check with a medical practitioner or a dietitian.

A Weight Loss Calculator?

If you are serious about your weight loss ambition and want to be methodical about establishing a system that’ll enable you to lose just the amount of weight you want to, have a look at this weight loss calculator. Over there, if you enter parameters like your height, weight, activity level, etc. you’ll get the number of calories you will need to intake per day to achieve your goal. You’ll also find many more tips to reduce your weight the right way on that page.