The time has come to rejoin the workforce. Okay, so maybe you have been working from home and spending countless hours on your computer. Let me ask you this question - what have you been wearing? Does it resemble what you wear to bed? While it is true that many of us have started living somewhat normal lives again, chances are you were not in business attire when you ventured outside (unless, of course, you have officially gone back to work). How are your eating habits? Chances are, not too good at the moment. Over 42% of us gained weight during COVID. We baked bread, and then we ate the bread. There is good news. A lot of people have already taken steps to lose those unwanted pounds. If you have not, it is time to get crackin! If you have been mostly sedentary for the past year, do not think you can pick up where you left off. Even if you were running five miles a few times per week, a lot of time has passed, and you need to be realistic about your capabilities at this moment. You need to get back into your routine slowly, and very important, make an appointment with your doctor to make sure you are ready to hit the gym. Read this article to get more important tips to help you on your way to becoming fit.
As you may or may not know, being healthy and fit is only partially about exercise. Being in great shape will not happen if you eat like a twelve-year-old boy (no offense); good nutrition is essential, so use the 80:20 rule. Once again, take it slowly but with determination. If you were snacking on ice cream, cookies, cake, candy (I never realized that the letter "C" is in so many treats!) or chips and dip, pretzels, or whatever nutritionally-devoid tasty munchies you scoff down, STOP RIGHT NOW! I understand why you ate them, but now is the time to get your crap together. Put them back in their place as an occasional guilty pleasure, and when I say occasionally, I mean once a week tops. Since I want to be straight with you, my advice is to keep away from guilty pleasures until you lose those unwanted pounds. You do not have to listen to me; it is your body. However, the next topic may help you change your mind.
When was the last time you tried on a pair of work pants or whatever it is you wear to work? It might be a good idea to start trying things on. For one thing, you may be shocked into action, which is not a bad thing. Check out this article for tips on getting your act together. If you find that much of your office attire is snug, do not panic and stress out. Find the pieces that can still be zipped and/or buttoned and put them together in an easy-to-reach part of your closet. Evaluate what you have and what you need to purchase to stretch out those pieces while getting back to your fighting weight. Read this article for additional tips on how to create a "capsule" wardrobe. Perfect additions are simple white blouses and tops that can pair with any color of pants or skirts. If you have outgrown your pants and skirts, do not go crazy buying multiple pieces. Buy one or two neutrals pairs of pants that can be worn with a variety of tops. You might also want to purchase a few dresses that are not overly fitted to your body. I am not suggesting sack-like clothing that is not flattering to anyone, but pieces that will still be wearable after you lose weight or can be tailored to fit your slenderer figure after you attain it.
I want to sum up this post by talking about a very important topic: sleep! If you were not working or if your hours became very flexible, you likely changed your sleeping habits. As stated in this article, it is essential to have consistent sleep habits. However, if you have been staying up until the wee hours, it will not be so easy to go to bed hours earlier. You will have to make adjustments until you are back on track, but it will be worth it. If you do not plan, this is likely what will happen. Picture this scenario; you need to get up at 6:00, so ideally, you would go to bed at 10:00 to get eight hours. Unfortunately, your sleep pattern is going to bed at 1-2:00 am and then get up whenever you happen to wake up. The first night you will probably be rolling around, unable to get to sleep until close to 1-2:00. You still need to get up at 6:00, so you will get only 4-5 hours of sleep. Maybe that works for you, but I cannot function on that little sleep. If you cannot operate either on that little sleep either, make a plan sooner than later, you will thank yourself for it.
That is all I have to say for now, and I hope some of it proves helpful. Feel free to offer comments; we all have opinions and should be heard. Until my next post, remember to be resolved.
Cheers,
Linda L.
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