Whether it’s having bulging cupboards in anticipation of a snap lockdown, comfort or not being able to exercise – many of us have been thrown off course at some point during the last 12 months due to the global pandemic.
In fact, a new survey reveals that one in three Australian’s have gained weight during the pandemic. But fear not!
There are some helpful ways to get rid of your lockdown lard…
Check them out below…
15 EASY weight loss hacks to get rid of your quarantine weight
1. Drink more water
Make sure you’re drinking as much water as you can. We often mistake thirst pangs for hunger pangs. By drinking between six to eight cups of water each day, you’ll not only curb the cravings but help kickstart your metabolism.
2. Watch your portions
Portion control is one of the most important factors in weight loss. If you eat just the right amount of food, you’ll strike a balance and you’ll be able to lose weight.
If you eat too much food, you’ll gain weight – and if you eat too little (which many women do because they think it will boost weight loss), you could plateau or actually gain weight and you run the risk of becoming malnourished.
3. Ditch the car
The best way to start exercising is to start off by walking. And the easiest way to do this is to try walking to your destination instead of jumping in the car.
Start off slowly with this one and commit to just 10 minutes of walking per day for your first few days. Often, you will find that once you start moving you will feel like going for longer.
4. Use veg instead of carbs
Cutting out starchy pasta, which is also heavy, is a great way to lose calories from your meal.
There are around 392 calories in one serving of pasta. But you don’t have to say goodbye to your fave spag bol meals – why not try them zucchini spirals instead?
You can also use cauliflower instead of potatoes for mash or even your pizza base!
Check out our yummy Garlic Chilli Prawn zoodle recipe on The Healthy Mummy app.
5. Pick a leaner meat
Try having more meals with white meat. But you don’t have to ditch your shepherd’s pies and chilli con carne, as you can use turkey mince instead of beef.
Turkey mince has around 100 calories per 100 grams while beef mince has 124 calories per 100 grams.
The differences aren’t huge, but the biggest difference is that turkey is leaner, has less fat and is higher in protein – which is great to help with weight loss.
6. Cut out your cappuccinos
A cup of cappuccino contains 150 calories, whereas a cup of white tea is only 3 calories. If you still want caffeine as a pick-me-up in the morning, try swapping your tea for white tea.
Maybe later down the line, you could try swapping white tea for calorie-free peppermint or green tea which are packed full of antioxidants and act as an appetite suppressant?
7. Say ‘so long’ to certain cereals
Heavily processed cereal is filled with refined sugars leaving your blood sugar levels to spike.
Swapping cereals for oats, which are digested more slowly than refined grains have a gentler effect on blood sugar and insulin, keeping hunger at bay.
A great way to start of your morning, oats are full of fibre and since fibre slows digestion, you’re less likely to feel hungry straight after breakfast (we’ve all been there).
8. Take the stairs
If there’s a choice between taking the lift or walking up the stairs, then go for the latter option. Adding a few minutes of stair climbing per day can help you burn those extra calories.
What’s more, walking up a flight of stairs or two can also help strengthen your glutes as well.
9. Change it up
It can get boring very quickly doing the same workout routine day in and day out. A great way to stay motivated is to change up your workouts to keep things interesting!
Why not try some of the Challenge workouts, go for a run, a swim or even join a new workout class you’ve always wanted to try out?
Or maybe there’s a recipe you want to try on the Challenge app that you’ve not before. Today is the day to try something new!
10. Reward yourself
As part of these smaller goals, set yourself up with some little rewards to treat yourself when you reach them. This will really help you to stay motivated.
For instance, maybe when you lose the first 5kg you will buy yourself a pedicure or new dress. Try sticking to treats that aren’t food related.
Reward yourself after achieving your smaller goal rather than waiting to celebrate your major goal, as that could be over a year away. But small indulgences will definitely help spur you on.
11. Mix in yoghurt
If your favourite recipe asks for you to use sour cream, cream or butter then do not fret, the healthier alternative is plain yoghurt!
Honestly, you will hardly notice the difference if you start dolloping fat-free Greek yoghurt on top of your soup or curry.
Full fat sour cream has a huge 21g of fat and 214 calories per 100g, whereas 0% fat Greek yoghurt has 0g of fat and only 65 calories.
12. Prep ahead
By picking a few meals with the same ingredients from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, you may be able to prep for the week.
Not only will this help keep the cost of your shop down, as you’ll be using similar ingredients for each meal, it will also help you watch your portion sizes and free up your evenings spent in the kitchen every day!
13. Sign up to the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge
If you are wanting to lose weight and improve your energy – not to mention – help improve your overall health and wellbeing – our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is an awesome program to check out.
Our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge includes:
- 28 days of at home exercise routines (no gym needed) – with video instruction
- Customisable and breastfeeding friendly meal plans (including 7 Day Cleanse)
- Time-efficient exercises for busy mums – under 30 mins
- Challenge combines Pilates exercises with interval and circuit training (HIIT)
- Suitable for basic to advanced fitness levels
- Home to thousands of EASY-TO-MAKE recipes!
To learn more about our 28 DAY WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE CLICK HERE or purchase our Smoothies.
