Losing the Covid Stone

Anyone else sick of setting goals that are unrealistic or challenges that are unobtainable?

I’ll just have this chocolate hobnob with my tea and then I’ll start the Atkins/Dukan/Weight Watchers/intermittent fasting/starvation diet I have planned for myself tomorrow.

I’ll resist that slice of pavlova next time it’s offered (and if I don’t, I’ll do an extra training session to make up for it). I’ll go for a run on top of my training session in the gym to burn it off, I’ll stay in this weekend and at very least avoid drinking gin and tonic before my bottle of red wine- and if all that fails and let’s be honest it probably will, I’ll start again on Monday, good auld reliable Monday. 

That was the story before lockdown and with the onset of Covid weekdays blended into weekends, one bar of chocolate in the evening became a mega sized bar with afternoon tea and my weekend bottle(s) of wine seemed much more appealing on a Wednesday. 

Apparently 32% of us have been boozing more in lockdown and that’s before we even discuss the food situation. Lack of routine and emotional eating hit me hard during lockdown and when my fridge asked me what the f**k I wanted this time on one of my many visits I knew things weren’t the best. When I found myself crying while eating cakes in the utility room, I knew there was a need for immediate action.

Anyhow here I am having just received similar results from my new electric scales that 48% of us apparently did and another appliance message, this time ‘please weigh one person at a time’. This time I finally feel in the zone and ready to embark on a journey that I’ve been on many times before but this time I feel differently about. Why is that I ask myself?

I think the reason is that Covid and the resulting lockdown have put a lot into perspective for me. I’ve realised that having roots, a hairier body and an extra stomach aren’t the be all and end all. That achieving ‘the perfect body’ at my age after having three children is probably unrealistic or involves too much work and most importantly that my previous mantra thanks to Kate Moss of nothing tastes as good as skinny feels doesn’t quite resonate with me like it previously did.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ok with the Covid stone I’m carrying but this time I’ve realised that getting and staying in shape is a healthy lifestyle choice that firstly has to be realistic and secondly needs to be treated with the patience and consistency it deserves. Also, it’s not all about spinning, circuits and weightlifting, I swam in the sea every day during lockdown and the clarity and headspace it awarded me helped me with every aspect of my life. 

Over the next few months I’m going to attempt to utilise all the misjudgements I have made over the years in relation to my diet, health and fitness and try and help anyone else looking for support on their journey to making better choices be it losing the Covid stone or just trying to be a fitter, healthier version of yourself.
Life coach and sports scientist Adam Kelly from Pura Vida who is also the race director for The Gavin Glynn Foundations King of Greystones and a triathlon coach will talk us through training for a triathlon. In this case a virtual one.

We will have tips on nutrition, meal/snack ideas and hacks on saving time/money on food and most importantly BEING PREPARED!!

Also, we will talk about using your bodyweight and the beautiful outdoors to help reach your fitness and weight loss goals while reaping the benefits on your mental health.

Many of us felt exposed during lockdown and used food and drink or our control of it as a coping mechanism for the feelings of anxiousness and insecurity that Covid brought with it. Now it’s time to take our lives by the reigns and try and shimmy and shake ourselves back on track to a path of long-lasting contentment and happiness.