Note: This is a contributed conversation written by Lynn Smythe, the Founder of The Creative Cottage blog. The opinions and text are all mine.
I don’t know about you, but I have managed to put on a few pounds during this current healthcare crisis. It could be a combination of spending more time at home, too much social isolation, stress eating, or whatever.
When things go to “sh@t in a handbag” I have a tendency to overeat or stress eat. As mentioned in one of my previous posts, Cooking at Home and Healthy Living During the COVID-19 Pandemic, I often find myself nervously snacking throughout the day.
I don’t think a family-size bag of chips and a container full of onion dip are considered a healthy choice for dinner. And, buying tons of junk food is also having a negative effect on my grocery budget. I might have to come up with a new savings plan to fuel my growing food addiction!
Keep a Food Diary
Have you put on a few pounds and are looking for help getting back to a healthier weight? I find that keeping a food diary of everything I eat and drink on a daily basis is a reality check. A really SHOCKING reality check. Once I add up all the calories I eat on a typical day, it’s not hard to see why I’ve gained a pound or two.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some great tips for Improving Your Eating Habits along with a PDF of a daily food diary. You can print out their weekly My Food Diary to keep track of what you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks on a daily basis.
Online Weight Loss Calculators
I’ve been investigating a few online tools and weight loss calculators to help me estimate how many calories I burn when working out and how many calories per day I need to eat to lose or maintain weight.
Most Weight Loss Calculators estimate how many calories are required on a daily basis to meet your desired goal. You enter a few vital statistics such as:
- Gender
- Age
- Height
- Current weight
- Activity level
- Goal weight
Daily Calories Recommendations
The calculator then provides you with a list of results including daily calories required to maintain your current weight, daily calories required to meet your desired weight loss goals and daily calories needed to maintain your new weight after reaching your goal weight.
Regular Exercise is Key
Eating fewer calories per day is just one way to get on track to dropping a few pounds. Altering your diet to more nutritious food choices is a step in the right direction to living a healthier life. Regular exercise is also key to helping me maintain a healthy weight.
I try to go for a walk, hike or light jog at least 2 to 3 times per week. I also keep a set of teeny 5 lb. weights on a small table next to my desk, The goal is to try and do a bit of light weight lifting every other day to work on my upper body strength.
Live Your Best Life
I try to never get too hung up on a specific number of the scale. You don’t have to weigh yourself on a daily basis.
But, if you do start weighing yourself on a daily basis, try to weigh yourself at the same time every day. I find that my weight has a tendency to fluctuate from day to day, week to week and even month to month.
Other Handy Online Calculators
Switching up my nutrition plan, combined with a bit of regular exercise, should have me back on track towards a healthier diet and a healthier weight in no time!
Online tools, such as Body Fat Calculators and Weight Loss Calculators may be just what you need to help you get motivated. Besides the weight loss calculators, here are a few other online tools you may enjoy:
Let’s Keep in Touch
Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share? Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email: info@thecreativecottage.net and I just might feature your story in a future blog post.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Founder and Chief Blogger
The Creative Cottage
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