If you have been gaining weight this year and struggling with your health, I totally understand it’s worrying and frustrating.
The problem is it does not get better by chance and it very often gets worse if you follow the same path.
Everyday I speak and coach people who have let their health and weight spiral out of control.
There is no denying the fact that 2020 and 2021 and the pandemic has had a negative effect on many peoples health and weight. Not just physically but also mentally.
Working from home for many of us comes with its negatives. I know it does me and I’ve noticed the changes in my body.
Whilst being at home we often sit in one or two places throughout the day with little or no movement, having constant easy access to food, you have regular 30 minute meetings with the refrigerator, biscuit cupboard and coffee machine and of course we sit so much more sitting on our butts!
So let’s get down to how to fix this problem once and for all!
Very little daily movement means low circulation, which means less energy, more brain fog, less clarity and without the flow of blood, oxygen and water, the body stores fat and stores excessive water. Not a good combo!
If you wonder why you’re bloated, tired, gaining belly fat, feeling low, lacking motivation then it’s often due to lack of movement.
Something to remember in this post is, MOTION CHANGES YOUR EMOTION!
Movement changes your internal STATE and lifts you up.
This is why we love to dance, it’s very hard to feel sad when you are messing around dancing with your kids for example, we feel better when we move mentally, physically and emotionally.
Motion changes our emotions…simple as that!
It’s not surprising people are gaining weight, feeling depressed, low on motivation and need help with their health and fitness goals more now than ever.
Not being able to walk around the office, taking the stairs, biking to work, or going out for a lunch with your office buddies means less steps. Remember, your body is designed to move, hunt for food, breathe in oxygen and be in a flow state. Not sit hunched over a desk in one position for so many hours looking down into a fake artificial light.
Since working from home, you may realise you feel you get hungry more often which is often just a small feeling, you are often bored or feeling stressed, searching for a better feeling to feel some extra comfort or just feel happier!
When this happens we tell ourselves, we are starving, which is something many of us will never truly experience in life. We are often not starving, we are just feeling a feeling inside our gut!
For many people they choose smoking to change their emotional state, alcohol, drugs, anger, sex which of course some are good ways and some are not, but the easiest way to feed your emotions is eating. Especially since so many processed foods and snacks are loaded with ingredients and chemicals that are designed to stimulate the brain and create an addiction.
So think about this are you unconsciously eating certain comfort foods and snacking to simply feed your emotions, because you think you’ll feel better. Taking control of this is very important to maintain and control your weight.
A better choice would be to get out of the house and walk, take a breath of fresh air and you’ll immediately lift your spirits and energy.
So if you have found your weight has increased is simply the fact that you are consuming more calories and less movement. Below I will explain how to fix this…
Stress is a part of our lives, we all understand that. The key is to have a good understanding of how to control, embrace cope with stress. Not all stress is bad, some stress can fuel us and push us forward.
When we sit and let our internal stress build up, we produce a lot of cortisol, the fight or flight stress hormone. This encourages aching joints, back pain, decreases muscle and increases belly fat real fast.
With the increase of caffeine, low sleep, alcohol, more sitting, more screens, less sunlight, dead lines at work, persistent bosses and managers, our children, we often gain a lot of weight fast.
Instead of reaching for food, wine, comfort candy, sugar, try going for a walk or a quick 30 minute workout.
It is a much better addiction. 😉💪
6 Simple But Effective Ways to Stop Gaining Weight
Being a health and fitness coach for over 25 years and counting has made it possible for me to have expert-level experience as to what works and what doesn’t in weight loss and fitness.
Here are some effective tips to keep in mind throughout your day.
- Take micro-breaks
Take short micro-breaks every 30- 45 minutes. Set your alarm or smart watch to ensure you get up and move for 15 minute intervals. You can buy watches that buzz and remind you its time to move which are great fun.
It is very important that you move around as often as you can and get away from the chair and screen. Theres some more ideas and what I personally do below.
- Drink water to stay hydrated
We all know we should be drinking more water, but are you actually doing it?
Drink more water so you stay hydrated and energised. You’ll also be regularly visiting the toilet, who can get a little annoying, but this helps to detoxify the body and stay healthy. Not forgetting the extra steps you’ll get in as you move around.
For every time you feel like emotionally snacking, drink some water with lemon instead. It will help to reduce hunger as well as aid in burning calories and fats. I have a large workout bottle beside me all the time, so I see it and drink from it throughout the day. If I don’t see it, I will not remember to drink.
- Use a skipping rope
Skip for at least 2-5 minutes every hour.
Note that when you skip, your whole system is in motion thereby exercising and breaking down the fats in your body to improve circulation. Quick bursts with a skipping rope throughout the day will rev up your Metabolism and get the blood flowing.
- Walk and talk’s with your client’s, meetings or your boss
Get up and get moving at every opportunity. If you do not have to share screens on certain calls and meetings then ask your client if they would mind if you had the meeting without camera.
This ensures you get your steps in and keep active during the day. Plus gets you away from the screen and the dreaded sitting position that is so bad for the body, circulation and metabolism.
I often ask people to check their smart phones and tell me how many steps they reached yesterday or the day before. Many people are around 2500 steps per day which is terrible for our health.
A good goal is 8-10,000 or more per day.
This is a challenge if you are not used to it and its a real eye opener trying to reach 10-12K per day.
It takes time management, consistency and some organising of your day, which is what many people are simply not doing for themselves. It’s all work and kids comes first!
When you get it right the body and mind will thank you for it, so set some targets and get out there!
- Push-ups
Completing 20 push-ups every hour before going back to work is a greta way to boost your Metabolism and shake off the dust! 😉
Push-ups have a lot of benefits, it enhances easy flow of blood to the heart, and helps to stretch the muscles.
Let’s not forget the benefits we get from the endorphins when we do pushups. You cannot deny they wake you up with a boost of endorphins!
After doing 20 push ups you feel like a super hero for a brief period! Well at least I do! 😉
- Standing desk
Preparing your food in advance is a simple and effective way of not over indulging or letting things get out of hand.
When we have a clear understanding of what we can eat and what is waiting for us, we feel more relaxed and organised. Being organised with your meals and light snacks is a great way to feel emotionally in control.
Set specific times for your meals and snacks and calmly keep to them.
Those that have control of their emotions and follow through with their word build more confidence and resilience.
This becomes much more satisfying and rewarding. You FEEL good about your choices and in control of your actions. This is not the case for people that are gaining weight. They often have no control and eat emotionally, not because they truly need to.
Humans love to from habits and addictions. We are very good at it. The key is understand your actions, and make the right habits that help us rather than make us over weight and unhappy.
More on this topic is future blog posts.
Do you need help taking back control of your body and health, mentally, physically and emotionally? Has your health started spiralling out of control recently.
Get in touch today by completing the application or contact form and let us know what you need help, we are here to help!
