7 Tips for How to Lose the Lockdown Weight
Who feels like they've steadily gained weight in the last four months? Actually, the question should be: ‘Who HASN'T gained weight since lockdown officially started on 26 March 2020?’!
Whether you were stuck at home from the start of level 5, or you were still going to work as an essential services worker, we have all felt the strain of the lockdown: loneliness, worry, fear, boredom, confinement.
Our lives have been uprooted, our eating patterns have been disrupted and our exercise regimes have fallen by the wayside; not to mention that being confined at home places you far too close to your fridge.
Unfortunately, stress goes hand in hand with comfort eating…
As the lockdown restrictions are gradually being eased, we're beginning to taste freedom again. We can finally leave our houses, almost whenever we want…but, perhaps looking in the mirror and realising how much weight you've put on since the start of lockdown is making you hesitant to re-join the population?
Well, let's be honest, we're all in the same boat. Our hair is untamed, we’re muffin-topping out over our tracksuit pants and we're struggling to fit into any form of non-stretch clothing.
The good news is there is always a way to get back into shape!
I am not a fan of diets at all. I believe in sustainable and enjoyable lifestyle changes that promote weight loss and healthy weight maintenance, as well as general health and vitality. However, many people have begged me for some kind of a lockdown reversal diet, so I’ve put together a few guidelines.
Whether you're back at work or still at home, try these 7 tips:
1. Regular Meals
A big consequence of being home bound is the tendency to 'graze'. Yes, graze, like a sheep, eating little bits throughout the day, all day.
This pattern is the number one way of overeating, primarily because you don't register that you're eating too much. But the little bits all add up, and generally to more than you were eating before.
So, get back into a schedule. Set your alarm again. Have a proper breakfast, lunch and supper. Have set snacks for between your meals (i.e. mid-morning, mid-afternoon and maybe after supper).
This will allow you to be mindful in your meal planning and preparation, and avoid over-eating by accident. And having some sort of daily schedule helps many people to feel grounded and productive, instead of aimless and floating.
2. Cut out sugar
Yup. And this is the hard bit, because some studies have suggested that sugar is as addictive as hardcore drugs like cocaine and heroine (1).
But, cutting out sugar is one of the easiest ways to get weight loss going, and once you've conquered the withdrawal and craving period, you're good to go.
Now, when I say sugar, I mean all forms of refined sugar, pure sugar and added sugar. I am not talking about the sugars naturally occurring in foods. So, yes, fruit and dairy and vegetables all contain some sugar (in various forms and various quantities), but you don't need to cut those out.
What you should be cutting out is table sugar (white or brown), honey, syrup and jam. Also, take a break from all the sweets, chocolates, puddings, desserts, biscuits, cakes, rusks, muffins and assorted confectionary. And definitely cut out sugary drinks, fruit juice, flavoured water, juice concentrates, energy drinks etc.
Also, be careful of 'hidden sugars' - sugar that is added into products that you might not be aware of. There is sugar added into things like flavoured yoghurt, many sauces and bread spreads, and most tinned and jarred food.
Either cut out sugar completely, or use non-nutritive sweeteners and artificially sweetened products.
3. Pump up the veg
Some people love 'em, some people hate 'em, but start making vegetables your best friends.
Try to make at least half (to three quarters) of your lunch and supper plate consist of vegetables - particularly the green and yellow varieties. And, unfortunately, when I say vegetables here, I'm not talking about potatoes. I mean the non-starchy vegetables (like green beans, spinach, gem squash, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower etc.)
So, for the duration of this 'diet', try to avoid the starchy vegetables, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, mielies, peas, beetroot and butternut.
4. Cut down the carbs
Try to cut out some of the carbohydrates you eat, specifically the starches and grains, like bread, pasta, rice and breakfast cereals.
Generally, people tend to eat too many carbs, eating them for breakfast, lunch and supper (not to mention for snacks and treats). And any carbohydrates your body doesn't use gets stored as fat.
If you absolutely MUST have some carbs during this ‘diet’ period, try to:
limit it to once a day (i.e. at supper)
have a small portion (not half the loaf of bread)
choose a high fibre or complex carbohydrate option (like whole wheat bread, brown rice, oats, bran flakes etc.)
5. Lean towards lean
Throughout this ‘diet’, try to limit your fat intake, but don't try to aim for fat free!
Because you're cutting out the sugar and cutting down on the carbs, you are going to need some fat in your diet to sustain you.
Yes, your body will be burning your fat stores for energy if it's not getting enough from carbs and fat, but you will still need some fat in order not to feel constantly hungry. Not even Superwoman can stick to a diet if she's starving. It's inhuman…and inhumane.
If you eat meat, choose the leaner options, like white meat (chicken breasts, lean fish, turkey etc.) or lean minces. And, it goes without saying, take off the skin and excess fat.
Limit the amount of butter and oils you use, but don't cut them out completely. Go for the low-fat options, not the fat-free ones.
If you find yourself unbearably hungry, try to add more fat into your diet - like avocado, olives and nuts.
6. Increase the water
Drinking approximately 2 litres of water per day is the healthy thing to do. We all know this.
But drinking lots of water is also a great way of helping you feel satiated. It fills up your stomach, making you feel fuller without contributing any calories, which can distract you from thoughts of food.
It’s also a nice way to combat the grazing tendency, because constantly sipping something throughout the day fulfils that same mindless oral satisfaction.
If you struggle to drink water, you can get a similar effect with artificially sweetened beverages and sugar-free teas and coffees (but bear in mind the amount of milk you're drinking when you add up all those cups). Also, remember that caffeinated beverages may increase your fluid requirements as caffeine is a diuretic, causing more frequent urination.
7. Exercise
Lastly, get back into a routine of regular exercise. Exercise and healthy eating go hand-in-hand when it comes to seeing weight loss results.
But exercise also has a whole host of other benefits, including feeling good (getting those good-feeling endorphins pumping) and keeping you motivated (I am far less likely to eat unhealthily when I've put in the effort to exercise that day!)
A preliminary study (2) has also indicated that exercise can actually reduce the craving for sugar and sugary foods and drinks!
That's my contribution in terms of some very general tips on how to lock down on the lockdown weight gain. But remember, this ‘diet’ is very general and is only offering generic advice. It’s not tailored to your specific needs - your body, your lifestyle, your weight loss goals, your health, your eating preferences etc.
So, to achieve the best results possible, my advice is that you book a consultation with a dietitian to get a personalised eating plan that is specifically tailored to you.
Why not book a consultation with me now?
Pro Tips:
Remember, the lockdown weight gain took at least 9 weeks to accrue (from the start of level 5 to the start of level 3, where we gained a lot more freedom). So, it's going to take at least as long to lose that weight.
If you go back to an unhealthy way of eating once you've finished this ‘diet’ and lost the weight, you're going to put it all on again with interest. Remember: diets can be very effective for the short-term, but lifestyle changes are really the gold standard.
You would expect baked beans, tinned fruit and sweetcorn to have sugar in them; but even tinned foods that don’t taste remotely sweet can have hidden sugar in them, like tinned kidney beans or mushrooms. Always read the ingredients list on the label to find the brand that doesn’t have sugar in it, and look out for 'sugar' or 'sucrose' or 'fructose'.
REFERENCES
1. DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, Wilson WL. Sugar addiction: is it real? A narrative review. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018;52:910-13.
2. Kirby JH, Duffett RG. COVID-19 pandemic… what about the obesity and inactivity “pandemics”? South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2020;33(2):27-30.