Haha! This is the second summer we're swimming in an inflated pool! As long as the family's healthy and COVID-19-free, I'm fine with that.
This pandemic has turned us into couch potatoes
But staying healthy in this pandemic doesn't only mean staying indoors to avoid the virus. We also have to do something about our bulging cheeks and waists! Yeah, I gained back all the weight I lost by Keto dieting! And I know we're not the only family with the same dilemma. COVID-19 lockdowns have turned a lot of people into couch potatoes!
Well, my husband and I are still in work-from-home mode and my son has online classes so we really don't have time to sit on the couch and watch TV all day. But then again, the fact that we just need to take a few steps from our rooms to our home office doesn't help at all. I'm also having groceries and market staples delivered so we always have food here. You see, we are moving less and eating more!
Let's lose the fat!
The boys and I agreed that we have to lose weight and be healthy. Not to mention that I learned from Dr. Tony Leachon's nightly podcast that majority of obese and hypertensive COVID-19 patients end up in the Intensive Care Units. That's what really scared the wits out of me! Here's what I did and I'm doing so far:
Knowing My Ideal Weight
When I look at myself in the mirror, I don't see myself fat. Honestly. I know it's all psychological because deep inside it's just my brain denying the fact that I'm fat. Besides, I only see my face and not my bulging tummy. I really had to see the numbers and computations so the truth will register in my brain, LOL!
It's funny, but the first thing I did was to buy new batteries for our digital bathroom scale, haha! Now, I don't have an excuse to know my real weight. Then, I typed it along with other data on the Ideal Weight Calculator page and boy was I dumbfounded!
I'm a 5-foot tall woman weighing187 lbs. and I am 90.14% above my Ideal Body Weight (IBW)! Did you know that a person is considered obese when the weight is above 30% above the IBW. What does this make of me? Super ultra mega obese? OMG, haha!
Moving More
When the pandemic started and our local gym was closed, I turned to YouTube and Just Dance for Zumba. It was fun at first but I got bored after a few months. So for variety, my husband bought a treadmill so we can still walk and run even in the garage, and also bought us new bikes so we can still bike around the village and nearby cities.
Nowadays, we only get to ride once-a-week or every other week, so I alternate walking on the treadmill and dancing for 30 minutes on other days.
Eating Less
It was my son who taught me that losing weight should be a balance of working out and cutting calories so I'm now counting my calories, as well. I used the Calorie Calculator for this.
To keep it realistic and healthy, I set my weight loss goal to 50 lbs in 6 months or 2 lbs per week. To meet my weight goal, my daily calorific requirement should just be 1169 calories if I'm exercising 3x a week.
I'm already 42 and I gain weight faster than losing it because of slow metabolism. By burning more calories and eating less calories, I'll be able to reach my target weight in 6 months.
Staying Healthy and Strong
When I cut down on carbs during my Keto days, I had to take a lot of vitamins and other health supplements. I know I also have to increase our immunity so I stocked up on our daily essentials.
I also sleep at least 8 hours a day. Though I always end up sleeping late because of work, I also wake up late so I still get a full night's sleep.
Taking in supplements and having enough sleep makes me less sluggish in the day. I get more energy for exercise and less cravings for snacks and sweets.
This is a family effort
It's easier for us to do this now because we're now all adults in the family. With our son being more mature now, he's now part of our accountability group. In fact, he's the most health conscious in the family. He's not only the one who taught me to count calories, but he's also the one who's teaching me more fat burning workout routines. Of course, my husband did his part, too! He taught our son to ride a bike and we now enjoy cycling as a family.
So you see, now is the best time to get fit and healthy because our time for preparing for and commuting to work can now be used for exercise. Stop the dilly dallying and start getting fit and healthy now!
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