Happy 10-month pandemic anniversary! It has been 10 months since I’ve last worked at a restaurant due to the pandemic. The new year seemed as good as time to reflect on the weight I’ve gained since then. In addition to no longer working at a restaurant, the gym in my building had been closed for an extended period of time and is now a limited option due to capacity. Also, the extra time led me to cook freely for practice and pictures that led to eating too many calories over time. I tried to moderate my weight gain with Youtube exercise channels, and I did some running over the summer, but when it’s all said and done, I gained back pretty much all the weight we had lost awhile back prior to the pandemic. With the new year, it’s time to get focused back on our health and I just wanted to share some of the things we’re doing to be healthier.
Although I don’t advocate for any type of trendy diets, I like to pick and choose elements of some popular diets to integrate into my life because there’s just no long-term success by depriving yourself. Here are some ways I'm trying to improve my diet.
Increasing Intake of Heart-Healthy Foods
Having high cholesterol in my family makes me aware of the things I’m supposed to be eating, and I’m glad that I’m much more accustomed to these foods compared to my younger days. I enjoy salmon, fresh berries, and nuts much more now than I did in the past. I’ve also grown to tolerate oatmeal, although I still need things like fancy peanut butter, dark chocolate, and good fruit to help me eat it. Steel-cut oats are also more favorable to me than rolled oats. Also, mixing in some flaxseed meal with oat bran meal is an easy way to get more fiber without it affecting the taste of smoothies. My vegetable intake still needs some work.
Finding the Healthier Substitutes That You Can Accept
Whole wheat bread, yes. Whole wheat pasta, no. Tofu, yes. Tempeh, no. Sometimes lines need to be drawn in the sand, and there are going to be things that you just need to accept. You can’t win all your battles so just embrace the things that you can deal with and reject the things that you can’t. Again, tempeh=no.
Whole Wheat Pizza, Better Than No Pizza?
Reducing Intake of Refined Grains, Red Meats, Fast Food
Switching up white rice and flour for brown rice and whole wheat flour was tough, but the occasional sacrifice is something I’ve learned to deal with. Although I don’t cook much red meat at home, I’ve cooked more in the past year to keep my skills up in the kitchen. Slow cooking red meat is therapeutic so it’s always tough to reduce consumption when you cook a larger meal that lasts days. Fast food, meanwhile, makes my body feel like crap a lot more as I’ve gotten older, but sometimes, I still crave it. I’m weak like that. Luckily, the pandemic kept me away from fast food and eating out in general.
Reducing Starch Intake Later in the Day
My eating and sleeping schedule can be all over the place. When I worked, sleeping at 2 or 3 am was pretty normal so it was a challenge to hold off on a quick meal or bite meal after work. Now, I’ve started to eat larger meals earlier in the day and reduce what we eat later at night. Usually, fresh fruit and smoothies are helpful to make me feel full due to all the water weight.
Anyone else got some good dieting tips to help ease the pain of losing weight?
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