Hey everyone! Like most of the world right now, my life was upended and turned upside down and I’m still sorting it out. As a consequence I let the Incredible Shrinking Woman blog slide for a few weeks! I’m back now, though, and I think I’m back on top of the game so it shouldn’t happen again. So let’s get on with week 51! Today I’m talking about tips for managing portions, even during a lockdown!

Pounds lost: 63.8

% to super goal: 50.6%

Still here, still doing the damn thing!

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Your eyes do not deceive you! I have finally reached the halfway mark. What I realized shortly into the new year is that there was no chance of me meeting my next milestone date. For those following along, I set a goal of 18 lbs every three months. I made my first few goals, but this last milestone has proven to be a literal pain in the ass. I’m still not there yet, and my goal date was 2/29.

So for the moment, I’ve thrown dates out the window and I’m tracking to milestone pounds lost. My next one is 72 lbs and I am 11 pounds away! For the first half of the year, my frenemy was traveling. Every time I traveled, I was able to connect with my teammates that I don’t get to see very often, but I almost always gained five or six pounds that took weeks to come off again.

And Then Came the Lockdown

My new frenemy is, like most of the world, lockdown. I mean, let’s be real, it’s waaaaayyyyy too easy to walk the few steps to the pantry and grab some chips as opposed to having to leave my desk to get to a restaurant. In my area, grocery stores are overloaded, frequently out of supplies, and home delivery options are yet to catch up. That means I’m often stuck with snacking on whatever is handy as opposed to some of the more healthier snacks I was trying to stick to.

I will tell you though, I am beyond fortunate in that I have worked from home for the last ten years. So for me, this is kind of par for the course. Even if I am going crazy by not being able to leave if I want to! Washington state, where I live, has just shut down the parks. This makes it hard to get off my butt and walk. I think that’s the majority of my struggle since all this began.

Being Home Way More Often = More Grazing

While I struggle with the exercise thing, the skills I learned in Noom [affiliate link] about managing portions is coming in super handy these days though. I’ve posted about them before, but my favorite ones bear repeating:

1. Don’t eat directly out of the bag or container. Measure out a single serving into a separate plate. It may sound odd, but it does help you limit what you eat. It’s a way to compromise between completely eliminating the food you love from your diet, and eating way too much of the stuff that doesn’t do your goals any good.
2. Load up on stuff that is filling. I felt constantly hungry when I first started Noom. Eventually, I realized that I was eating a lot of “empty” calories. Noom refers to this as food that is calorie-dense. These are foods that don’t fill you up much compared to the number of calories you’re consuming. Think about this: 1/2 a tablespoon of Land O Lakes spreadable butter over three whole cups of chopped, steamed broccoli is the same calories as you get from a serving of potato chips. Broccoli also has a ton of protein. This will keep you full for longer. Three cups (think three of your closed fists, approximately) would fill you up much more than a serving of potato chips. Broccoli may not be your thing, but if you consider the calorie density of what you’re eating, you can eat more of the low density food to help combat your hunger. While still allowing yourself the fun stuff like chips from time to time.
3. Make the good snacks more accessible. Something that worked well for me was to get veggies and other healthy snacks and prepare them in advance. That way, when I got hungry for a snack, the healthy stuff was all ready to eat. Given the same convenience, I found I chose healthy more than unhealthy.
4. Include the “fun stuff” in your daily budget. Think of your calories in a day as a budget. Reserve some of that budget here and there for the stuff you enjoy. Cutting something you crave completely out of your diet will make you want it even more. You’re then more likely to binge and eat more than if you just ate a reasonable amount of whatever it is you’re craving.

Plus All the Rest of It

Aside from not getting enough exercise, I’m struggling with a kind of general anxiety which makes me tired all the time. I’m not sleeping very well most days. My mind goes around in circles and it’s hard to fall asleep, let alone stay asleep once I finally do. I’ve found that it helps to allow myself plenty of time and really pay attention to my preparation for sleep.

Speaking of which, it’s time for bed. I hope you all are staying safe and well, and as happy as you can be, given the circumstances. I’ll talk to you next Sunday! Be well.