Did you put on weight during the various lockdowns?
Lockdown weight exists.
If you did put on weight , you are not alone.
Some data:
- Public Health England surveyed 5,000 people and found an average gain of over 3Kg (half a stone). People felt that lockdown had disrupted their daily routines and found it challenging to keep up with healthy habits. Snacking and comfort eating were the main contributors in half of those who reported weight increases.
- The Institute for Fiscal Studies found there was a significant increase in calories from takeaways that picked in the second UK’s lockdown.
- People asking the NHS for help for weight loss are on average 2.24Kg heavier than those during previous three years.
- Those enrolling in NHS diabetes prevention programme were almost 4Kg heavier on average.
- In addition to type 2 diabetes, weight gain increases the risk of a heart attack and stroke.
While the numbers do not bring comfort and certainly do not solve the problem, knowing that lockdown weight is a thing, it happened to many of us, helps somewhat to understand the personal level of disruption the pandemic has brought to our lives.
Feeling guilty about it will not solve it. Adding negative emotions might even make it worse because comfort and emotional eating led to the lockdown weight in the first place.
Going back to the office and venturing back into the outside world may have motivated you lose this weight. Finding a compelling reasons and lots of why(s), that you are committed to do this work will keep you going beyond the initial stages.
How do you know when you are committed to something? When you know that you will keep going, keep trying no matter what. Until you reach your goal. Wouldn’t it be amazing to make this the last time you try?
That means you commit to continue even when you ‘fail.’ What you do after a failure is what determines whether you will succeed or not long term. Use a failure as the reason to give up. To beat yourself up, to tell yourself that you are too weak, you will never achieve it or that soemthign is worn with you, and you will these thougths your reality.
Tell yourself that you will continue right after, and you are on your way to success. More on failures in a future blog post.
Read my guide ‘Food, eating and overeating’ to re-frame the weight problem as a behaviour. Weight is the symptom. It is not about losing weight but gaining control over the food you eat. Eat what your body needs to function properly, no more.
Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full.
If you need help get in touch. Understanding what caused your lockdown weight (and I do not mean the specific food you eat too much) means that you will address the underpinning cause of your emotional eating. Addressing this cause is the only way to make losing weight long term.
