For many families around the world everyone; except those who provide essential services like our awesome Medical Personnel, security agencies, shop attendants and a few others are on lock down. What this means for many is that the fridge and the kitchen are just a few steps away, and with more free time there is a tendency over indulge. That’s why we need to be careful that we don’t come out of this period a dress size or two bigger (unless you have actually been trying to add weight). Anyway I have been thinking of a few ways to ensure I don’t add weight (maybe even loose some)  and here are a few tips which you may find useful.

 If you aren’t aiming to score then you may end up missing the goal post or scoring an own goal. My goal is to try and drop some weight and work on my abs . For someone else there goal may be not to add too much, and for yet another person it may be to ensure they just maintain the status quo while for another it may be to drop a whole dress size. For different people the goals are different which is why it’s important to have a goal in the first place.

As adults we need to exercise self-control, moderation and discipline when eating.  So even though you can eat as much as you want, please do not! Learn portion control and when you eat try and eat the right thing. If you are a rice lover, try having a fist sized portion of rice and add veggies to help fill you up. Instead of eating 3 of those lovely meat-pies you baked why don’t you have just one and save the second one for the next day or just give it to your neighbour?  Try reducing your quantity and instead of going for seconds try drinking water and see if you feel full enough. Remember when it comes to food and keeping weight off  less is always more!

While I am one of those who believe it’s ok to indulge every now and then, it should not be the norm. You must be watchful of the kind of foods you eat on a daily basis. Like Majek Fashek sang ” You can not plant Cassava and reap up Cocoyam” so there is no magic in the mix. You need to eat clean and eat right as much as possible. For instance we all know that fruit and veggies are healthy so do a little research and find recipes for nutritious and filling smoothies , salads and generally ensure you are eating right.

While it is wise to cut out certain food altogether the reality is that sometimes you want to just eat your favorite dish of rice and stew  or indulge in those chocolate cookies,  so go ahead. Choose one day of the week as your cheat day and try your best to stick to it.  However, remember that though its cheat day you must still show restraint and not fill your plate with all the “contraband”foods in your house. Moderation and discipline is always key.

There is no getting away from this one, though food is major physical fitness is very important. For those of you who are gym buffs there is a lot of exercise you can do around the house. For weights you can fill empty plastic bottles with sand or stones and you can run around the house or use a skipping rope, just find something around the house that you can use. If you must use gym equipment then you can order an elliptical or treadmill online, though gym equipment is generally pricey you can find something reasonably priced that you can easily set up in your home. You can also find some easy home routines online just try searching but ensure that you start slowly so you don’t end up doing more harm than good.

This is connected to Exercise. A long morning or evening walk is a good way to exercise and get your blood pumping. Try going on a long walk with your significant other or your children as it’s also great way to bond while burning calories, and if you have bicycles even better . If you walk alone then that’s fine as well as it’s a great time to clear your head, reflect  and plan for the days ahead.

This is another way to get exercise done…instead of sending everyone on errands do stuff yourself so that as you get up , climb the stairs and sit down you find yourself burning calories. So don’t be that Mummy who sits in front of the TV all day; get up  and get moving!

You can start a challenge where interested friends will encourage each other to eat healthy or exercise . This will encourage you  to be healthy and keep you accountable . You can also get your children to give you cues or better still they can be part of your routine as well, its always better when it’s a family affair.

Like a friend says there is not just one way to stay fit or burn fat but consistency and determination in what we eat, when we eat and how we eat goes a long way. So watch what you eat , keep moving and please share your fitness tips too!