“Oh my goodness!”, I gasped as I stared at the flashing numbers on the weighing scale. “Dear, I think the scale is broken…we should throw it out, really,” I picked up the scale and headed to the dustbin.
“Woah, woah, woah, how broken is broken?”, my husband asked suspiciously.
“Well…it says I’ve gained 5kg in 3 months! How’s that possible?! Confirmed broken!”, I protested loudly.
“Erm, you sure it’s not all the snacks and the new recipes you’ve been trying out lately?”, the husband was treading on very thin ice here.
“So, what are you trying to say, hmm?”, I asked carefully.
“Uhhh, I mean, what’s for our tea break today? I’m starving!”, he said as he gently slapped on his tummy; beaming. Crisis diverted.
But in all honesty, my husband was right. There’s no denying that the lockdown has brought on a whole level of eating “disorder”, for lack of a better word, in many of us. I mean, what do you do while locked down at home? Cook, bake, order, eat, and be merry lah!
Eat & Be Merry
Overnight, online grocery shopping exploded and the F&B and delivery services were booming. Whether you enjoy cooking, forced to cook, or prefer ordering out, there’s never a lack of supply. So really, putting on those extra weights isn’t that difficult.
To top it off, the lack of movement and exercise, what with being stuck at home all day every day, can easily get our weight balloons up. Losing them is the problem.
Not to mention, the stress of being contracted with the disease, losing income, worrying about loan repayments can drive a person to binge eating and start an unhealthy lifestyle of eat-sleep-and-repeat.
Time to Face the Music
In order to break that cycle, something’s got to give, but don’t worry, we won’t give up on food, just yet! We can lose weight while still enjoying our favourite food by making a few simple adjustments to our habits and lifestyle. Most importantly – start right NOW! Procrastination will never get us anywhere.
Get Back in Shape with These 7 Tips
1. Consistent! Consistent! Consistent!
That’s right, consistency is the key to our weight loss plan. In fact, to all plans in life! By being consistent with a routine, it helps our brain to automate it.
We get it, in our busyness, maintaining something as “extra” as exercising can be demanding, but hey, that’s one box we need to jump out of.
Remember that regular exercises give us a whole range of health benefits and an underworked body will lower our immune system and cause all kinds of complications as we grow older.
As you embark on a journey of healthy living now, take time to try out different activities and sports, experiment with different timing, schedule, and even frequencies.
You’ll eventually come to a rhythm that’ll work best for you. And sometimes if you really can’t make time for your usual regimen, just go for a walk or squeeze in a 15-minute at-home workout or stretching exercises. Whatever you do, keep at it and don’t give up.
2. Stay Motivated
Now that we are being consistent with our exercise routine, staying motivated is what is going to maintain our consistency. It’s true we don’t need a lot of fancy equipment and things to exercise, but a little help will go a long way.
Perhaps investing in a set of quality working out clothes would do the trick; besides, it helps keep our womanly bits supported and protected, too!
Setting goals will keep us on track but remember to set realistic and practical goals. Goals like “squeezing into a size 0 pair of jeans when we’re now a size 6 in 3 months” is not realistic nor is it safe.
Reflect on the reasons why you want to lose weight – a healthier image? To lead by example for my children? Better focused at work? Long term goals like this will help you set the tone in making an achievable short-term goal in your wellness journey.
3. Get Plenty of Sleep
Lack of sleep affects our moods (thus, motivation!) and stimulates our appetite; that means we’ll end up eating unnecessarily, and we all know that emotional eating often calls for unhealthy comfort food.
So aim for 6–8 hours of quality sleep every night. Consider a pair of black-out curtains, switch off all gadgets before going to bed, and setting the right temperature in the room improves sleep, too.
4. Be in a Calorie Deficit
Now that sure sounds like a big term! But all it means is to be mindful of what we eat. Our body needs only a certain amount of calories to keep us functioning optimally.
Anything more will be turned into fat and that’s how we gain weight. “Eating to live” is then a more wholesome motto and we should abide by it.
Without going into a whole complicated formula of counting and subtracting calories right off the bat, here’s a straight forward tip – consume food that nourishes and heals (i.e. whole, natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, lean meat, legumes, and nuts).
Cut out simple, processed food, such as sugary drinks (yes, that includes Boba milk teas and boxed juices!), desserts like cakes and ice creams (did you know that a simple cheese platter makes a healthier choice than a piece of Black Forest cake?), and fast food.
5. Hydrate Well
Our body is composed of 60% of water (our brain and heart are made up of 73% water and our lungs a whopping 83%!) and that tells us how important it is to our bodily function.
Research suggests that the more hydrated we are, the more efficiently our body works, that includes staying sharp and attentive and burning body fat. Isn’t that amazing?
Whenever we feel hungry, instead of reaching out for a cookie, try going for a glass of water first, that’ll suppress our appetite and ward off the empty calories that you might have consumed.
Staying hydrated boosts our metabolism, too. So, if maintaining a healthy body and losing some extra pounds are your goals, then drinking enough water is definitely a good step forward.
6. Enjoy the Journey and Have Fun!
Everything works better when we’re having fun! While there are heaps of diet and weight loss plans out there up for our choosing, it’s best to start with something simple, such as regular exercise and healthy eating.
Paleo, Keto, Atkins, et al, are great if we exercise caution and do our due diligence by doing thorough research.
It’s definitely not a wise thing to just dive right into any weight loss plans just because it was made popular by media influencers. Without the proper knowledge, we may quickly fall off the bandwagon or worse, mess up our health.
7. Mindful Cooking; Mindful Eating
Healthy eating and eating clean plays a big role in controlling our weight. Instead of avoiding fat or carbs altogether, why not seek out natural ingredients and healthier options?
Choosing a cholesterol-free, fatty acids-rich cooking oil helps in maintaining a healthier eating habit.
A high cholesterol diet can narrow or block our arteries in the long run, which puts us directly at risk of heart diseases.
One way of treating high cholesterol is by swapping with a heart-healthy lifestyle and eating habits – hence, a cholesterol-free cooking oil is a great place to start.
Fatty acids serve as energy for the muscles and our vital organs as building blocks for cell membranes and as energy storage for our body.
Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that our human body cannot produce but needs for metabolic purposes, and so, we need to acquire them from food. So, what can we do to start eating healthy?
Have You Had a Taste of SUNBEAM?
A proud production of Sime Darby Oil, SUNBEAM Oils takes pride in being a healthy, premium oil. It’s naturally cholesterol-free and rich in nutrients and vitamins; making it a go-to brand of choice among health-conscious consumers.
Besides known for being cholesterol-free and rich in essential fatty acids like omega-3 and 6, SUNBEAM cooking oils are also packed with Vitamin E (that boosts our immune system and skin health), come high in monounsaturated fats (that helps in weight loss), and polyunsaturated fats (that helps to build up cell membranes).
As one of the well-loved household names, you can choose from the two varieties: SUNBEAM Sunflower and SUNBEAM Canola Oil. Not to mention, SUNBEAM’s brand values are deeply rooted within the company, where they always ensure that the development and production of all its products and services are of premium quality; towards a healthier way of life.
Before you start to prepare healthy meals for your family with SUNBEAM Oils, join a special contest from this brand and stand a chance to WIN lavish prizes!
Join the Beam Beam SUNBEAM Contest & Win!
Follow these 3 simple steps to win exciting premium prizes today:
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- Purchase minimum RM18 worth of SUNBEAM products* in a single receipt.
- Answer this question with YES or NO: “SUNBEAM Sunflower and SUNBEAM Canola Oil are products of Sime Darby Oils”.
- WhatsApp your answer and receipt to this number: +6011-1274 5462
And voilà! You’ll stand a chance to walk away with:
- Grand Prize: Le Creuset Cookware Set worth RM5,000 [x1]
- 1st Runner Up: KitchenAid Artisan Mini Stand Mixer worth RM2,500 [x3]
- 2nd Runner Up: Tefal Optigrill worth RM1,000 [x5]
- Consolation Prize: RM200 Gift Voucher [x25]
*SUNBEAM’s products are now available in-store in all major grocers like Giant, Aeon Co., Aeon Big, Mydin, HeroMarket, Maslee, and Lulu Hypermarket, as well as online groceries like Potboy.com.my and MyGroser.com.
Visit Taste of Sunbeam’s Facebook today for more information! To lose weight and eat well, let’s start from home with SUNBEAM Cooking Oils.