COVID lockdown success

springlering62

When my gym and yoga studio shut down in March, and my trainer said,”See ya when this is all over”, I was in shock.

I was terrified I’d put back on some of the weight I’ve lost. I immediately cut my daily back to 1900, made it a goal to make Facebook (and later Zoom) classes a habit, and decided to walk further every day than I had been. I also started running more frequently, and riding my bike. Getting out of the house saved my sanity.

I ended up walking several times a day, and out of boredom found myself doubling up on Zoom classes most days. I have favorite instructors, and my daughter also teaches and wanted (needed, she took lockdown hard) me to take her classes, too. We were even running “together” for a while, me on the East Coast and her on the West.

I had been hovering between 140 and 145, but within a month had dropped ten pounds.

Friday, I weighed in at 130, and decided that was just too low. I had a real rebound pig out, and made myself sick as a dog. (Which is actually positive reinforcement not to pull that stunt again. Merciful heavens!)

So I’ve decided the more reasonable course is to increase calories again and to force myself to decide which classes to cut back on. That’s particularly hard for me. I like to stay in motion, and have a hard time justifying sitting down. I really struggle with exercise class FOMO.

On the plus side, working out at home via Zoom, I felt more confident trying poses I was afraid to try in “public”, so can now do headstand without a wall, crow, assorted bakasana variations, and some other exotic positions I never ever thought I would master, and have been able to translate those into classes at the studio, which has reopened to limited attendance. Oh, and I got balance! Ten stinking years of humiliating toppling over, and suddenly, I can stand on one leg. It just “clicked”.

tuckerrj

since they started quarantine/social distancing/nonessential business closing here in middle March, I've dropped an additional 10 lbs. and upped my bench press significantly, since we have a bench and free weights. Put a pullup bar in the garage and I've gone from being unable to do a pullup to being able to do SEVEN consecutive pullups.

AnnPT77

Congratulations OP, nice work!

And congratulations to everyone who's taken what others consider the pandemic's lemons, and made some good lemonade!

I'd been working on chipping away ultra-slowly (half a pound a week or less) to lose a few pounds here in year 4+ of maintenance, starting last October. It had been going OK. But the lockdown made it a lot easier, and more consistent - without the temptations involved in a more active social life, and no restaurant meals. (I haven't eaten anywhere but home since March 13, and only got take-out once so far. Home cooking all the way!)

I'm down around 8-9 pounds or thereabouts, which makes me happy, even though it wasn't super important to do (for health or something).

I've never been so grateful to be an even-keel introvert with a home rowing machine, weights, 3 lifetimes worth of craft supplies, and the ability to cook!

I'd prefer more of a social life, but I'm adequately contented as I am. I feel for those friends who are higher in social needs than I am: That makes it harder to stay upbeat. I'm lucky.