And so it begins

Like many of us, I have put on weight during the COVID19 pandemic. But I have put on a hefty amount. It has reached a crunch point where I need to get back down to a healthy weight.

I will be blogging about my weight loss here to keep myself accountable.

I have lost a lot of weight before and losing it again is quite daunting. I didn't find it difficult the first time - I just got in the zone and did it. My life is different now. I work from home. My partner has also been working from home for over a year which makes it more difficult - I see him eating delicious, unhealthy food and I want it too! The pandemic has been boring and I eat when I am bored. It has also been stressful and I eat when I am stressed. I found the lockdown after Christmas the hardest and felt that familiar wave of depression sweep over me. What do I do when I am depressed? Eat.

I no longer eat meat so I can't just eat the same as I did last time. I have definitely replaced some meat with fats and sugar rather than protein. I enjoy beans and pulses and I still eat fish - I am perfectly able to fill myself up with protein and veg and a limited amount of carbs.

I will eat chocolate most days - I did last time and I think it was kept me on track. But the chocolate will be a controlled, limited amount. Not just eating whatever I want and when I want. When I crave something sweet I will reach for fruit instead - and if I don't want the fruit I will be mindful that if I am not hungry enough to eat fruit I don't need to eat!

I'm feeling nervous. And I feel a lot of shame about what I have done to my body that I worked so hard to achieve. I also feel energised and committed to getting healthy again.

Wish me luck!

O