Are you like me in wanting to get back into shape and restart your Covid weight loss plan? Or maybe you need to just be more disciplined with the healthy journey that you are already on?
Whether you are a bride-to-be, single and satisfied, or just trying to ask the Lord to help you fit into that one good pair of dress pants that won’t bust open, this article is here as a roadmap for you and me to restart our healthy journey together. We all know it’s going to take lots of discipline with the holidays coming too, and y’all know what that means- more treats, more often. For me, being disciplined means not eating half of a full-sized Wegmans Apple Crostada or two big bowls of white cheddar popcorn all while making my dinner- I’m literally still trying to figure out why once I step through the door from my commute home from work, I get so hungry, but I digress.
My Journey…
My journey through quarantine began just like everyone else. I thought it would be about two weeks to stop the spread. Soon we all began to realize everything would come to a sudden dramatic standstill. And just like that, the “sometimes” food from Papa John’s, Popeyes, Carolina Kitchen, the Aghan buffet down the street, and the Caribbean restaurant started to become regular mealtime staples. “Hey, Marie, just take a stroll in the park and you’ll be fine,” I said to myself. Boy was I wrong!
It didn’t happen overnight but eventually, I found out that I had gained over 25 pounds since March 2020. If you are anything like me after the weight gain, I tormented myself with thoughts like, ‘What will they think when they see how much weight I’ve gained? OMG, I can’t fit into any of my work clothes anymore! I didn’t think I was eating that bad. Wait, why am I gassed out after only 15 minutes of exercising?’ For a while, I felt ashamed but then I realized the following:
- I am a human being and worrying about what others would think about me was not healthy.
- I had to show myself some grace and kindness and remember that my worth wasn’t what the scale displayed in extra-large numbers.
Introducing Edward Meeks…
One of the bright spots on this road back to better health has been Edward Meeks, a Maryland-based certified personal trainer and nutritional specialist who just so happens to be one of my supervisors at my job. He regularly sends out a fitness challenge to us all in the office, to motivate us to keep up a healthy lifestyle. I’ve challenged myself a few times but I’m not going to lie. Most of the time I look at his email all while daydreaming about when I’m going to get back to Busboys and Poets to get their shrimp and grits, or that entree from Negril of jerk chicken with extra jerk gravy, rice and peas, rum cake, plantains, and ginger beer, sigh. (If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m one of those people who already wants to eat lunch at 10:30 am).
The moral of the story is to stop stressing. Add some humor and show kindness to yourself on your Covid weight loss journey. And to all of my soon-to-be brides, all of us single sisters are cheering you on, and yes! You are going to look amazing on your wedding day no matter what size you are and if someone dumb does comment on your weight they can go kick rocks.
To get some simple but lifechanging health and Covid weight loss tips, scroll through Edward’s list below!
1. Start with healthy foods
- Fruits: Bananas, apples, oranges and grapes are all great choices, but blueberries and kale are fat burners.
- Vegetables: Try to eat vegetables with your lunch and dinner.
- Whole grains: Eat all whole grain foods (cut out most of the bread).
- Lean proteins: Baked foods only (baked or grilled chicken, fish or turkey products) (no fried foods).
2. Drink lots of water
- Drink lots of water: drink water only (no soda, juice, liquor, beer or wine)
3. Start walking
4. Eat early and not after 7:00pm
5. Get your rest and proper sleep
6. Stretch often
7. Make a plan and stick to it
Top foods to stop eating immediately…
- Bread, starch, fruit juice|soda, granola bars| granola cereal, instant oatmeal, sports drinks, fried foods, junk food|organic junk food.
Top foods to start eating immediately…
- Brown rice, fresh vegetables, regular oatmeal.
Looking for more healthy tips for your new journey?
Click here!
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