Who needs a diet and lifestyle reset coming out of quarantine? And how’s life been going for you lately? For me, the protests and Black Lives Matter movement, coupled with the continued COVID-19 impact have left me kind of deer-in-headlights.
I tend to get numb and at a loss for words when stressors happen. It takes me a while to process information and feelings during these times.
I’ve been quiet over the last few weeks and I’m still processing, learning, listening and observing to everything/everyone around me. For now, I will keep my head down as I gather my thoughts.
I’ve been focusing on my fine jewelry business, which has been keeping me busy! I’m grateful to have a fully functioning online business to do what I love. The Los Angeles jewelry district where my manufacturers and setters work has been closed for a long time, but they are just starting to open up again.
I’m ready to start making my routine trips there each week, but feel I need to brush up on my social skills and the health & beauty department!
I was thinking that many of you may be in the same boat. So today, I want to share my health goals, with the hope that some of you may join me in a habits reset. The world has opened up again, and we need to get back out there feeling our best (with masks on and distancing, of course).
Health Check and Reset
Bad habits formed during quarantine
During our 3 month “stay at home” life, I found myself doing the following activities that weren’t good for my health:
- Drinking 1-2 glasses of wine every day (and they were heavy pours)
- Not watching what I ate
- Not drinking enough water
Join the club, right? So many of us fell into bad habits while at home and isolated for so long!
The wake up call for me was last week when I went to actually put on some makeup, do my hair and wear a cute outfit. My clothes were snug! I had been wearing sweats and loose fitting clothes for so long, I didn’t notice my weight was creeping up.
Diet Reset
I’ve had enough. I am doing a health reset – and this is what it consists of:
- Cutting down drinking to 4 glasses of wine a week
- Logging food on the macro plan in My Fitness Pal with focus on non-processed foods
- Intermittent fasting
- Logging my water intake
Let’s break this reset down a bit more:
Cutting down drinking to 4 glasses of wine a week
Me with wine, hub with his whiskey drink during quarantine was a frequent pastime.
Over the last few years, my palate started to prefer light white wine over the pear vodka martinis I used to love. But when it comes to wine, it is very difficult to stop at just one! And, because it’s socially acceptable to have a glass of wine each day, we can easily convince ourselves there’s no harm living this way.
But I think a big sign that it’s time to cut back on anything is when your body starts to crave it and you feel jittery or anxious when you don’t give in to the craving. I find it’s the same with sugar.
I also found after I drank a glass of wine, I was so-much-more-hungry! As a result, I’d eat more.
So, I am decreasing from 1-2 glasses a day to 4 glasses total a week. I will use my schedule to plan my 4 drinks accordingly so I don’t feel as restricted.
Logging food into My Fitness Pal
My husband has lost 17 lbs in the last 2 months by simply tracking his food. Although it takes 15-20 cumulative minutes a day to do so, it has been so worth it for him!
Food diary example on My Fitness Pal
I joined the premium plan for My Fitness Pal because of all the extra options it gives. For instance, I wanted to try the macro counting instead of calories, and that is a feature we need to pay for in the app.
I am liking how the total calories I should consume are broken down by protein, fat and carbs along with vitamins and nutrients! Yesterday when I saw at the end of the day I still had 300 calories left I could eat, I got excited and was thinking about grabbing a few handfuls of nuts. But the app told me I reached my limit on fat grams for the day, and my 300 calories left needed to come from mostly protein. I totally would have grabbed the nuts if I wasn’t on the macro plan!
Using this program for a few months to track my food will teach me better portion control and help with my discipline.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting to lose weight has become very popular in recent years. In the past, when I tried this, I wasn’t watching “what” I ate as much as trying to form a habit of eating for only a 6-8 hour window per day. I think by combining the intermittent fasting with tracking my macros, I will be much more successful!
I will be eating during the hours of 12-8 with the exception of coffee in the morning. This is the 16/8 fasting plan which means 16 hours fasting, 8 hour window eating. A few of my friends have lost a lot of weight doing just this!
Logging in Water
This is one habit that if I don’t write down, I won’t do. Just a few extra minutes a day to think about how many glasses of water/seltzer I had is worth the better skin, hair, and general health from consuming enough water each day. This won’t be hard because I’m already logging my food.
After doing the Whole 30 diet, No Sugar or Alcohol on weekdays diet, Detox Diets and so many more which I lost weight on, only to gain it back once I stopped, I am looking for sustainable lifestyle plans. I’ve learned, there is no sense in depriving ourselves of the foods we love! But everything in moderation is the key.
So, what do you think about this diet reset plan? Do you need any of this help or have you been healthy as-can-be during quarantine? Join me on one or all of these health resets! And let me know if you do! Good luck. I think we will be successful with this!
If you’re not subscribed already, join my email list to get my posts delivered to your inbox as they are published! Stay well, and I’ll touch base again soon.
Reset for me is getting outside more and watching less news.