Flashback to a "non-disclosed" number of years and I'm and staying out and having a blast, it's freshman year in college and my face is getting a little round... can you guess why? Lets just say beer calories aren't flattering on anyone. FAST FORWARD to present day and my only my current drink of choice for overindulgence is non alcoholic sweet tea which has also sadly become not good for my figure either.
In the morning I catch a glimpse of an all too familiar train wreck with bags under her eyes and greasy hair from last nights adventure, but again, unfortunately the coolest thing I got up to last night was binge watching the latest season of Lucifer on Netflix and stealing my daughter's M&Ms from the candy cupboard. It doesn't look like things will change any time soon and even when it does will drinks with friends still look the same? Either way, it is time to make a change. I am not happy with my current Quarantine self and it is time for Quarantine 2.0!
Normal website posts would tell you to haul your arse to the gym and get to work, but that is not exactly possible for some of us right now. Going to the grocery store has become scary and exhausting. If anxiety exhaustion worked out my body the same as physical exertion, WHEW Id have a whole different body right now. Its too bad my anxiety recovery plan looks like hitting up a Dunkin' Donuts.
Here are some ways I am using to plan to loose the weight:
Cutting DOWN the sugar. Listen, this is a judgement free zone and if you're reading this with any interest, you've got some Quarantine demons. Mine is sugar. It's always been sugar. I am currently trying stevia in my sweet tea until I'm ready to cut out the sweets all together. I used to drink tea black with no sugar, but with kids and being trapped at home and suddenly no one is paying attention to how many cups of juice or tea or soda you have, we are all just trying to survive the day.
Less fast food. As a family of 6, eating out is expensive. Eating at home can get really boring sometimes though so I am really trying to find new recipes and stay out of the drive thru. I am focusing on meals using whole ingredients and trying to stay away from processed foods. That isn't to say I don't buy a box of chicken nuggets and frozen fries and heat them in the air frier for an occasional quick meal for the kids. We are all only human and some days end in grilled cheese sandwiches with fruit and chips for dinner. Take it one day at a time!
WORK OUT! With four kids at home all day and two of which are doing homeschooling, it is actually impossible for me to work out uninterrupted for any length of time. The very SECOND I lay down my yoga mat in the living room and turn on the TV, someone NEEDS MOM! So, I have started doing mini workouts all day long, in my kitchen, in the pantry while I'm waiting on the toaster, in my home office while I'm brainstorming, even in the shower. My earth shattering trick isn't crazy at all. Every time I think about my weight, I sneak in some squats. I like to do sets of 25 and aim for 4 sets in a day. If I'm cooking dinner and my mind checks out (as it does) and I think man, I can't wait until summer and I hope I'm thinner. BAM! Time for squats. I also do arm circles, arm pumps (like bicep curls and then pressing down hard to the hip), and over the head claps like a genie. You can really do anything from jumping jacks to push ups or lunges, the point is to do a set/rep each time you find yourself thinking you should work out. Just stop and do it, right then!
Drink more water. I don't know about you but I swear I wake up, and then I blink and it's bed time and I haven't had enough water. What did I do all day? I have no idea at this point so I chug water and then run to the bathroom back and forth and swear up and down I will do better tomorrow, only to be repeated by the exact same performance the next day. Now I know what you're thinking, I have all the fancy water jugs with the lines and the cup with the metal straw and I like them, but I get so busy that I forget to use them. So from now on I am going to take a sip of water every time someone says MOM. Kind of like the meme where they say do a shot, but don't do that cause you would be passed out by 10 am. Instead of a shot like the good old days it will be a sip of water but it will give me a reason to smile and get that water down! You can use any version of this that makes sense to you, annoying dog barking...again? Take a sip! Boss (or husband lol) has a ridiculous "catch phrase"? Take a sip!
I am only going to leave you with just this short list because I think that these few things will help. I am going to try them and you should too! Let me know what you think about this article or anything you are doing to get through this time that is helping! Share this article, and follow me @jacqulineterrydesigns to share your "Quarantine 15" experiences. We can all get through this together!
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