Boredom, anxiety, feeling too comfortable and so many opportunities to open the fridge and the cupboards has resulted in a dietary chaos! I can’t be the only one whose put on a considerable amount of weight since lockdown.
I often find myself exploring food pages and recipe inspiration – and once I see something I like, off to the kitchen I go. I don’t have co-workers to chit chat with during the day as I would during kitchen breaks, and so I’ve found myself compensating conversation with crisps, chocolates and biscuits. Also, the added time has meant I actually have time to make breakfast, lunch and dinner – and so a combination of all these things plus the scale reading have inspired this post.
After this self-realisation, not only did I need to cut down my portion meals, I needed to stick to eating healthy foods (with the occasional craving here and there) and this is how I’ve done it.
Build a better plate
Dieticians recommend sticking to a “plate of three” where you fill you plate – half with vegetables, a quarter with carbohydrates and quarter with protein. This is how I have now structured my dinners and it’s been working well. It does take some planning and discipline but the great news is you can do it!
Plan, plan, plan!
I’ve found when I plan out my meal – from dinner ideas to snacks – it’s helped me curb my cravings. I am a very regimented person so when I plan something, I like to stick to it as much as possible.
Snack healthy
Healthy eating also applies to snacks! I’ve swapped the calorific snacks with pre-mixed nuts and fibre for flavour, fruits to provide natural sweetness and a good portion of protein – cheese.
Drink aware
From zoom daytime drinking to wine nights. Many of us have probably found ourselves drinking a lot more than we would during our 9-5 week. Another thing to watch out for is how much alcohol you pour for yourself. When we are at home, we tend to have a free hand at pouring alcohol, a lot more than we would if we were drinking in the pub. What helps is using a smaller glass to pour spirits and more recently I have resorted to buying alcohol-free drinks such as Kopparberg.
Sleep!
It is important to get enough sleep and maintain a regular sleeping pattern. I’ve also found daily habits like limiting caffeine after lunch has helped me limit my craving and snacking.
It’s good to eat healthy meals but it goes without saying that it is equally important to exercise at least once a day. These are all behaviours that are vital for both your physical and psychological well-being, which is important now more than ever.
R x
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