Pandemic 30

[House Cat]

Has anyone else gained the dreaded pandemic 30? I was feeling pretty motivated to diet and exercise this summer then Omicron hit and now I feel like I’m right back in the early days of the pandemic. I definitely don’t want to make this the Pandemic 60! I keep telling myself I will make small, healthy changes…tomorrow. Any advice? What’s working for you?

 

[elizat]

It gets a lot of hate, but Weight Watchers here. I have done it before and fallen off the wagon, then gained it back, plus more, when I stopped tracking what I eat, but I started in October and it's worked really well, combined with walkiing/walk/jogging 5-6 times a week a few miles a day. I think you could probably make the exercise less or optional because most of weight loss is diet, but I feel better when I do it and it's good for you. Most of weight loss is really diet, TBH. The exercise is just good for me to get out, clear my head and I feel better with movement.

I know that the idea of intuitive eating is very popular and it's fantastic if you can do it. But, I clearlly cannot intuitivley eat and pick healthy choices that don't cause weight gain.

We just bought a rowing machine and it will be delivered next week, so it will be nice to have that as well.

 

[House Cat]

It gets a lot of hate, but Weight Watchers here. I have done it before and fallen off the wagon, then gained it back, plus more, when I stopped tracking what I eat, but I started in October and it's worked really well, combined with walkiing/walk/jogging 5-6 times a week a few miles a day. I think you could probably make the exercise less or optional because most of weight loss is diet, but I feel better when I do it and it's good for you. Most of weight loss is really diet, TBH. The exercise is just good for me to get out, clear my head and I feel better with movement.

I know that the idea of intuitive eating is very popular and it's fantastic if you can do it. But, I clearlly cannot intuitivley eat and pick healthy choices that don't cause weight gain.

We just bought a rowing machine and it will be delivered next week, so it will be nice to have that as well.

I tried weight watchers once and could never stay within the points. Are the first couple of weeks kind of like “surprise! This is why you have a weight issue! Eat less!?” I’m asking because I got really discouraged

 

[TooPatient]

I have been cooking recipes from SkinnyTaste.com plus her books. She even has a free weekly meal plan if you don't want to plan all the meals yourself. Delicious food and I am losing weight.
I also have a new scale (a local weight loss place went out of business so I bought their Tanita body composition analyzer) that is awesome and helping me see that I am losing fat while building muscle.

 

[TooPatient]

As an idea, here are some of my meals recently....

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Oh yes, I could blame the pandemic but I gained weight way before it from crippling depression that lasted three years. Now I’m not depressed but still carrying the weight around

Anyways, eating Paleo and working out on a treadmill helped me lose 70lbs years ago, right before getting pregnant with our second son. Giving up gluten really helps but of course it’s easy to replace it with all the gluten-free goodies. I gave up gluten a year ago, this year will be focused on a drastic reduction in sugar, I figured doing things in stages would be more sustainable.

Best wishes on your journey to better health @House Cat!

 

[yennyfire]

I’ve been making Skinnytaste recipes for years and have very rarely had a bad one. I love that she has so many cuisines and cooking methods available. It’s all about portion control. For example, if you don’t know what a serving of grain cooks like (1/2C is a serving), measure it until you are comfortable eyeballing it. Same with protein, etc. I have gained weight through the pandemic and it’s not because of the recipes I’m using, it’s because I’ve started taking second helpings with my second glass of wine, lol! It’s how I get through the day!

 

[TooPatient]

I’ve been making Skinnytaste recipes for years and have very rarely had a bad one. I love that she has so many cuisines and cooking methods available. It’s all about portion control. For example, if you don’t know what a serving of grain cooks like (1/2C is a serving), measure it until you are comfortable eyeballing it. Same with protein, etc. I have gained weight through the pandemic and it’s not because of the recipes I’m using, it’s because I’ve started taking second helpings with my second glass of wine, lol! It’s how I get through the day!

Definitely good enough it takes willpower to not have a second serving! I accidentally served up double portions of chicken one night because I was tired and forgot that I had actually done a quadruple batch. Oops!

 

[lala646]

For me, portion control and calorie tracking combined with exercise works. I gained a bit this fall, as I was in a bit of a funk with the current Covid landscape and work being overwhelming, but I'm back to tracking and it works. Like @elizat said, diet really is most of it. I personally find measuring my portions is really helpful, so I would suggest getting a good kitchen scale. I will often measure ingredients by weight rather than by volume when cooking. The difference can be surprisingly substantial. And now that I'm back to working from home, I'm trying to do 30-60 minutes per day on the treadmill, just to keep up some activity.

ETA We've also really reduced the carbs in our diet, though not eliminated them completely, as that's not sustainable for us, and try to incorporate tons of veggies into our diet. Turns out we love zoodles!!

 

[Calliecake]

I haven’t been on a scale since last July. I gained 12 pounds over the first 15 months of the pandemic. I lost at least five of those pounds last summer. Once Covid started ramping up again, my sugar crazings started up again. I have no idea what I weigh now. I put the Fitbit back on January 1st and am hoping to get back on track again. At my age my entire body has changed. I will be happy if I can lose some of the weight. I have given up hope of losing it all and I’m fine with that.

 

[elizat]

I tried weight watchers once and could never stay within the points. Are the first couple of weeks kind of like “surprise! This is why you have a weight issue! Eat less!?” I’m asking because I got really discouraged

Honestly, you really have to change the way you eat. I eat a lot of lean protein and most of it is 0 points for me. Also, you really have to bulk all your meals up with fruits and vegetables, which do not have points. In order to make my day fit into my points I've had to really change how I eat. It's hard. I won't lie. But I have lost 32 pounds since October as of this week. I am eating much healthier as well.

 

[House Cat]

As an idea, here are some of my meals recently....

This food looks delicious!!

 

[House Cat]

Honestly, you really have to change the way you eat. I eat a lot of lean protein and most of it is 0 points for me. Also, you really have to bulk all your meals up with fruits and vegetables, which do not have points. In order to make my day fit into my points I've had to really change how I eat. It's hard. I won't lie. But I have lost 32 pounds since October as of this week. I am eating much healthier as well.

32 pounds is such a great accomplishment! Thanks for the advice. I was thinking about WW this morning. I might give it a try again

 

[Calliecake]

@ House Cat, Could the weight gain have anything to do with a medication or peri menopause? If this is too personal a question, please ignore.

Reading your post @elizat makes me realize I really need to change my diet.

 

[elizat]

32 pounds is such a great accomplishment! Thanks for the advice. I was thinking about WW this morning. I might give it a try again

It's workable if you commit. The first two or so weeks are really hard.

Some swaps that I made to fit into the program are really easy. Switching to fat free Greek yogurt versus regular yogurt was easy. I do not eat as much rice or pasta or potatoes anymore, and I have found with eating more vegetables there's lots of things that I like, where I don't need the starchy items.

I do lots of dinners with a sauteed or baked lean protein, lots of different roasted vegetables. I have replaced spaghetti squash for lots of noodles and pasta, unless I really have to have the pasta.

The other thing is portion size. I had previously done WW before and so I had learned to weigh and measure my food, but I obviously stopped doing that. When you realize how much food you are eating, even if it is food that is healthy and good for you, it can be really eye-opening. I quickly learned that a lot of my portions on items like cheese, nuts, and even low-fat dairy or much larger than a normal portion.

If I'm being honest I had really gotten to the point where I was sick of cooking and a lot of my cooking consisted of heating up a bag of rice and doing a starchy vegetable like peas or lima beans with butter and whatever protein I made for dinner. Not the best choices.

The one thing that I think is probably helpful for anybody that wants to eat a little bit lighter is making soup. I always have a large pot of soup in the fridge.

The soup that I have on the stove today is simple but good. 1 tsp of olive oil, half an onion, garlic, about 5 carrots roughly chopped, two red peppers and saute for color. I add around 3 cups of butternut squash, an apple and a box of vegetable stock. I season with salt, pepper, thyme, a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg, let it all cook until soft then puree. It's really similar to the butternut squash bisques with basically no fat and tons of veg. You can can change the squash too or do all peppers and carrots. Roasted red pepper is good here too. It's a nice lunch or snack or good with a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner.

Making changes like that have been easier than I thought. I love butternut squash soup, but I don't need heavy cream and butter.

 

[diamondringlover]

I have gained 10 pounds during all this.....

 

[OreoRosies86]

I was thinking about trying Noom? I actually really took charge of my weight at the beginning of the pandemic and lost almost 30 pounds. HOWEVER. As soon as I started back at work in person, the stress got to me over the summer and I’ve gained almost all of it back

 

[Austina]

Nah, my DIL loves to cook and feed us, so I've got no chance until we move out when our house is ready.

 

[Obscura]

When I was going through my divorce, I lost a little over 50 lbs going to the gym 3 times a week, nearly eliminating processed and fast foods, and limiting sugar and carbs. Of course, then I went back to work and grabbed convenient foods, went on dates, and made comfort meals with my now fiance and gained most of it back. *sigh*

 

[Lookinagain]

I've gained a few pounds during Covid, but what has worked for me in the past is the Dukan diet. I've generally been able to use it for a 5 or 6 weeks and drop 12 pounds or so and really, they never came back on until recently when I started eating a lot of pasta and potatoes and baking sweets like chocolate bread pudding! It worked for me but the amount of food that I was eating wasn't really my issue. It was that I was eating too much bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, and chocolate etc. Once I cut them out, I tend to loose weight quickly, even if I still have some wine here and there. And I always cook from scratch, and use fresh foods and not processed foods.

 

[jaysonsmom]

I probably gained 10lbs since working from home, but mostly from increased drinking….since I cut back on alcohol the last month, I’m already starting to look less poofy and pouchy

 

[nala]

I probably gained 10lbs since working from home, but mostly from increased drinking….since I cut back on alcohol the last month, I’m already starting to look less poofy and pouchy

Ok. I swear I’m not stalking you! Just happen to be agreeing with your recent
Posts. But I think the only way for me to lose my covid 15 is to give up alcohol! Did you reduce or quit it altogether? I’m trying to be realistic, lol. I usually drink 4 times a week. Maybe 2 drinks max. What’s worked for you?

 

[GreenPapaya]

I'm sure I have gained even though I haven't weigh myself. My er finger size went from just below 3.5 (US size) to 4.5 and I can even wear a 5 now at times.
My pants are uncomfortably snug. I'm 43 and now have belly fat.
I can't seem to stop eating sugar or sleep regularly. I sleep 2-3 hours a night and live off chocolates and altoids. I never had to actively watch what I eat before and I'm finding out I have poor impluse control. I would eat a pound of chocolates in one sitting. I'm trying not to buy junk food but vegetables go bad so quickly. It's so hard to go for walks in the dark and cold. And i just love pasta and white rice. I'm trying to be more mindful but it's such a hard habit to break. Especially being southeast Asian, white rice is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
But I'm going to be more mindful in what and how much I'm eating and work on sleeping. Well see from there.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Ok. I swear I’m not stalking you! Just happen to be agreeing with your recent
Posts. But I think the only way for me to lose my covid 15 is to give up alcohol! Did you reduce or quit it altogether? I’m trying to be realistic, lol. I usually drink 4 times a week. Maybe 2 drinks max. What’s worked for you?

Well, I was drinking up to 3 glasses of red wine a day x7 days a week!!!! My husband drank the other 1 glass (1 bottle =4 glasses), but then he drank hard liquor too….we both decided to cut back on alcohol consumption, so starting after Thanksgiving, we both cut back to just 1 glass a day, no hard liquor…so each bottle would last 2 days. After Christmas I cut back even more…now I have an occasional sip from his glass. My face and under-chin area beginning to show more definition!

 

[missy]

I have gained but it's been on purpose. 20 lbs to be exact. Which is significant. I did it by eating healthy calories and adding lots of protein to build muscle and bone. So hopefully some of the weight I have gained is muscle as I started working out with weights at the beginning of the pandemic. While I don't want to gain anymore I am not sure I have a choice. As one of my meds does add the lbs but I must be on it. So we shall see. But the first 20 lbs I gained in the past 2 years was purposeful. To get my BMI to a healthier range to help my bone health. And it did help. So yay.

I look at weight as a totally different thing now. Not to be feared but instead respected for the big difference it can make in one's health. Before I enjoyed being thin (some might say skinny) but now I enjoy being stronger and healthier and proud of the pounds I have gained.

Maybe I sound crazy but I think many (most?) women can understand the struggle. We are criticized for everything having to do with weight. We're too skinny. We're too fat. It seems it's OK to comment on our weight when it really is none of their business. How about we are perfect the way we are and respect us for who we are and don't judge us for our weight. I gained weight to get to a healthier place but it's nobody's business to say we are too thin, too fat etc. No.

Our weight does NOT define us.

Having said that for those who want to lose weight for your health and for yourself and no one else my best piece of advice is this. Take it one pound at a time and don't focus on too far into the future. One day at a time, one pound at a time and don't deprive yourself. Because depriving ourselves is a sure fire way for it not to work. Find a way of eating that you feel good about where you aren't suffering and that is the way it will stick. That varies for each person. There is no one way. No one diet. It's what works for you.

And while I agree with those who say exercise isn't as big a part of the picture as what we eat (for losing weight) I find exercise a critical part of the plan. Because it gives us the energy and motivation to stick with it. I feel better working out. It gets my endorphins going and it makes me feel I can do anything.

Strive for progress. Not perfection. One day at a time. You can do it.
Patience, persistence and perseverance. But make sure you are doing it for you. No one else.

 

[Dee*Jay]

The first few months of the pandemic all I did was sit in TR's dining room on my laptop all day eating the kids' oreos and doritos and ramen -- oh my! Then when the weather warmed up I started walking 10K steps every morning and lost a bit weight, but when it got TOO hot I gave that up. A three mile walk in 90 degree heat and humidity is not my idea of a good time, LOL. So I stopped walking and also went back to raiding the kids' stash. And then the poundage realllly piled on. Ugh.

When my office opened back up this July (so after fifteen months) I had to buy new pants because even my previous fat pants didn't fit! I lumbered along for a bit and then in August I said ENOUGH. I am doing kind of a half-assed version of a lot carb diet and I've lost a little over 30 lbs. Basically I just try to stick to meat and vegetables, but I'm not really following any sort of formal eating plan. I have not given up wine/prosecco, and frankly I might even drink MORE than I did before because it's my ONLY food/drink joy right now, ha ha.

I think I've got about 15 lbs to go... I'd love more but I am a realistic person and if I somehow shed that extra 15 I'd be THRILLED.

So yes, I will happily join you in this!

 

[House Cat]

@ House Cat, Could the weight gain have anything to do with a medication or peri menopause? If this is too personal a question, please ignore.

Reading your post @elizat makes me realize I really need to change my diet.

It’s not too personal.

One of my meds is actually used for weight loss (yay!)
Two are weight neutral.
Three are weight gainers.

The thing is, I’ve been on the weight gaining meds for years and they never used to affect me.

I’m getting that menopause body. Bigger in the middle, bigger boobs,, sigh. Weight doesn’t really fall off the way it used to. I’m not in menopause yet, but I can tell it’s getting close.

Before, I could reduce carbs for a few weeks and lose ten pounds without even trying. Now, I’m lucky to lose two.

Oh and by the way, I’ve gained so much weight that I can’’t remove my wedding set. I don’t know if this is a dangerous situation or not.

 

[House Cat]

It's workable if you commit. The first two or so weeks are really hard.

Some swaps that I made to fit into the program are really easy. Switching to fat free Greek yogurt versus regular yogurt was easy. I do not eat as much rice or pasta or potatoes anymore, and I have found with eating more vegetables there's lots of things that I like, where I don't need the starchy items.

I do lots of dinners with a sauteed or baked lean protein, lots of different roasted vegetables. I have replaced spaghetti squash for lots of noodles and pasta, unless I really have to have the pasta.

The other thing is portion size. I had previously done WW before and so I had learned to weigh and measure my food, but I obviously stopped doing that. When you realize how much food you are eating, even if it is food that is healthy and good for you, it can be really eye-opening. I quickly learned that a lot of my portions on items like cheese, nuts, and even low-fat dairy or much larger than a normal portion.

If I'm being honest I had really gotten to the point where I was sick of cooking and a lot of my cooking consisted of heating up a bag of rice and doing a starchy vegetable like peas or lima beans with butter and whatever protein I made for dinner. Not the best choices.

The one thing that I think is probably helpful for anybody that wants to eat a little bit lighter is making soup. I always have a large pot of soup in the fridge.

The soup that I have on the stove today is simple but good. 1 tsp of olive oil, half an onion, garlic, about 5 carrots roughly chopped, two red peppers and saute for color. I add around 3 cups of butternut squash, an apple and a box of vegetable stock. I season with salt, pepper, thyme, a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg, let it all cook until soft then puree. It's really similar to the butternut squash bisques with basically no fat and tons of veg. You can can change the squash too or do all peppers and carrots. Roasted red pepper is good here too. It's a nice lunch or snack or good with a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner.

Making changes like that have been easier than I thought. I love butternut squash soup, but I don't need heavy cream and butter.

That soup sounds delicious. I always try to have a big pot of something in the fridge too. It keeps us from door dashing. I could easily make changes to what’s in the pot.

Do you ever find that you’re walking around hungry on WW?

 

[House Cat]

I have gained but it's been on purpose. 20 lbs to be exact. Which is significant. I did it by eating healthy calories and adding lots of protein to build muscle and bone. So hopefully some of the weight I have gained is muscle as I started working out with weights at the beginning of the pandemic. While I don't want to gain anymore I am not sure I have a choice. As one of my meds does add the lbs but I must be on it. So we shall see. But the first 20 lbs I gained in the past 2 years was purposeful. To get my BMI to a healthier range to help my bone health. And it did help. So yay.

I look at weight as a totally different thing now. Not to be feared but instead respected for the big difference it can make in one's health. Before I enjoyed being thin (some might say skinny) but now I enjoy being stronger and healthier and proud of the pounds I have gained.

Maybe I sound crazy but I think many (most?) women can understand the struggle. We are criticized for everything having to do with weight. We're too skinny. We're too fat. It seems it's OK to comment on our weight when it really is none of their business. How about we are perfect the way we are and respect us for who we are and don't judge us for our weight. I gained weight to get to a healthier place but it's nobody's business to say we are too thin, too fat etc. No.

Our weight does NOT define us.

Having said that for those who want to lose weight for your health and for yourself and no one else my best piece of advice is this. Take it one pound at a time and don't focus on too far into the future. One day at a time, one pound at a time and don't deprive yourself. Because depriving ourselves is a sure fire way for it not to work. Find a way of eating that you feel good about where you aren't suffering and that is the way it will stick. That varies for each person. There is no one way. No one diet. It's what works for you.

And while I agree with those who say exercise isn't as big a part of the picture as what we eat (for losing weight) I find exercise a critical part of the plan. Because it gives us the energy and motivation to stick with it. I feel better working out. It gets my endorphins going and it makes me feel I can do anything.

Strive for progress. Not perfection. One day at a time. You can do it.
Patience, persistence and perseverance. But make sure you are doing it for you. No one else.

Taking it one pound at a time is a good strategy. I’m always looking at the whole 30 pounds and it feels like too much. I’m actually thinking about having my husband hide the battery to the scale because if I don’t make the progress I think I should be making, a lot of the times, I just give up.

 

[elizat]

That soup sounds delicious. I always try to have a big pot of something in the fridge too. It keeps us from door dashing. I could easily make changes to what’s in the pot.

Do you ever find that you’re walking around hungry on WW?

I don't, not after the first two weeks. The first two weeks were hard. I do have "hungry" days and I think those are hormonal. I try to make it a point to have things with a good amount of fiber and protein though, for both meals and snacks, because otherwise, I will be hungry.

A fairly normal day for me looks like this:

B: 2% cottage cheese and if hungry for more, 1-2 hard boiled eggs

L: Usually leftovers from dinner, or soup, with Wasa crackers and laughing cow cheese, with turkey slices. If I am still hungry, I'll have some fruit and/or a serving of nuts or both.

D: Usually chicken or fish of some kind, plus lots of vegetables and maybe salad as well.

Snacks: depends on day, but pistachios, fruit, low fat cheese, wasa crackers, sliced deli turkey and chicken, cut up vegetables and hummus, fat free greek yogurt and berries, apple w/ natural peanut butter, one slice of whole grain bread with 1 TB of natural peanut butter, topped with bananas, etc.

It's a less "interesting" way of eating than I was doing before, but I feel better.