Looking to lose weight after lockdown? Read on....
The government has recently unveiled new plans to tackle the obesity crisis in the UK, after being overweight has been linked to people being at greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19. Nearly 8% of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in intensive care units have been morbidly obese, compared with 2.9% of the general population.
Carrying excess weight and having a higher BMI can put you at higher risk of various illness’s, not to mention the impact it has on your body over time. After being in lockdown, binging on boxsets and snacking more frequently than usual, it's understandable we might all be carrying a little extra weight than usual.
But with a bit of will power, focus and determination, (and a little help from our slimming variety packs), these tips could help you control your calorie intake post-quarantine and bring you through the other side feeling healthy and re-freshed. So why not put all that spare time to good use (if you are still at home) and work on your weight loss goals.
Home workouts
Social media is awash with personal trainers uploading free home workout videos on a daily basis and is a great way to keep your exercise routine ticking over whilst raising that heart rate and getting your blood pumping! Videos not your thing? Do your own workout, incorporating objects around the house to help you exercise. Stairs are great for stretching, bicep dips and cardio, whilst bottles of water and tins of food make great weight alternatives!
Ditch the takeaways
After spending more time at home in our comfies, with boredom setting in and our favourite restaurants being closed for months on end, the temptation for take out was all too real. But all those extra and un-needed calories add up, so it’s important to sustain a healthy mind-set and diet now that world has started to open back up again. To save calories, and not to mention cash, why not make your own fake-away?
With a whole host of recipes available online and with ingredients being more easily accessible in the supermarkets, now is the perfect time to polish those cooking skills and swap those greasy takeaways for healthy fake-aways.
Limit your snacking
When the urge to snack strikes, it’s hard to resist the temptation of chocolate, crisps and other high calorie, high fat foods. With boredom being one of the main reasons for doing it, it’s important to keep your mind occupied and focused on other things apart from food.
Puzzles, books and boxsets are a great way to help you concentrate, so clear your cupboards of snacks and fill up your fruit bowl with nature’s vitamins to help keep you on track.
Create a calorie deficit
Creating a calorie deficit is how our bodies lose weight. Reducing portion sizes, cutting back on snacking and choosing healthier options at mealtimes can all help towards creating a calorie deficit, as well as burning off more calories than you consume by exercising.
Credits:
i yunmai
Emmy Smith
Kari Shea