Originally published in September 2020, but still very much applies today
Recently while sitting outside on a friend's driveway with a group of friends, a seemingly well-meaning man approached us from behind the fence and began asking us about our pandemic experience. Our conversation began innocently enough, when all of a sudden he dropped the question, "Have you lost or gained weight during all of this?" (this should have been an immediate red flag to us).
We replied in unison that we had all gained some weight, to which he replied, "Are you kidding me?! I've lost 30 pounds!". He then proceeded to show us his "lean legs," followed by spewing vitriol and expletives, including that COVID is a hoax and we that were "dumb women." How fun! But in this moment of peculiarity, I was able to find solace in that I wasn't alone in adding on some lbs during these "unprecedented" times.
On a three-hour car ride home this past weekend, a friend and I listened to a podcast episode regarding the recent F-Factor diet controversy, known for it's insane calorie cutting methods and other health risks (check out Emily Gellis Lande's interview with The New York Times or Heather Mcdonald's Juicy Scoop if you want to get sucked in further). At the same time, I was scrolling through photos on my phone of myself from the weekend, loathing my appearance.
These recent events have me thinking about the topic of weight, an often touchy subject. The term "weight loss journey" may solicit an eye roll or scoffing, but damn if it isn't a journey. Since freshman year of college, my weight has fluctuated both up and down the scale - about 20 pounds - consistently. I'm currently on the "up" part, after being "down" for a majority last year. I wouldn't say I've had a complicated relationship with my body, but I certainly have had one with food. I confessed to my therapist that at group dinners, the thought of asking for a second piece of bread or for another helping puts me into an immediate panic.
Throughout our pandemic fun (please roll your eyes when reading this part [did you do it??]), I've found myself turning to the comfort of alcohol more than I care to admit. A glass of wine turns into two, and before I know it the entire bottle is gone (it's just too easy). Putting on weight also came quite easily.
Which leads me to my goal, my weight loss experiment, shall we say - to lose 20 pounds. I am a believer of body positivity and of loving the skin you're in, which I do. I am also a believer that if you don't like how you feel, you can absolutely embrace a healthy change. For me, it just so happens that I feel even more confident, better and sexier with a few less pounds. Again, this is just me!! You do you, boo. I enjoy life more and more fully when I feel healthy and better in my skin.
Here are the ways I hope to achieve my goal:
Drink more water.
Limit drinking alcohol to just the weekends (perhaps my biggest challenge of all).
Adhere to a diet which I believe will work well for me and my lifestyle. I've purchased Mimi Bouchard's "21 Day Reset Plan". It's my hope that this plan will help me develop a healthier ( I mean that in every sense of the word) relationship with food, which is another goal of mine.
Utilize the Noom app on my phone which I often neglect to track my meals
Rely on supportive friends to motivate me and hold me accountable. Power in numbers, baby.
I will not set a time limit on when I would like to achieve this goal. I will do this on my time.
Move my body, which will be good for me mentally, physically and emotionally
Remind myself before I consume something how it makes me feel. "Remember how bloated you feel after you drink beer?" or "Remember that you're not supposed to eat cheese for a very good reason?!" The reason being I'm lactose intolerant. :)
I will not hate my body, nor hate myself for turning to the comforts of food during stressful times. I will not shame the skin I'm in, but instead nurture and care for it. I believe this will be the main component of success.
I look forward to documenting this physical, mental and emotional experiment. Join me, won't you?