Binging and coronavirus

I am determined not to put on weight during this event, and all I can share is what’s working for me.

I created a list of chores. I’m the kind of weirdo who revels in check marks when lists are being completed. Some of it is just “make work”, but it keeps me up and keeps me running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I’ve cleaned out my closet, put away winter clothes, pressure washed the porch, cleaned baseboards, taken down pictures, completely dusting and wiping the glass and rehanging, I even bought paint and am painting a room every couple of days and then deep cleaning the room afterwards. I’m halfway through the fourth room. The garage needs a serious reorganization, as does a row of cabinets holding a very large collection. I even spent an hour scooting around on my butt, trimming a giant hooked rug the cat turned into his play space. Rug looks like new.

I make elaborate (for me, and within goal) meals that keep me standing and washing dishes (and not missing restaurant meals). Right now I have bacon crisping in the oven, and bread dough rising. I’m making “Dresdener Handbrot” for dinner, from scratch, after enjoying some at a German Christmas market.

I’m trying new recipes and learning to use a Ninja Foodi that thankfully came arrived a couple of days before the mess hit. It is, BTW, amazing, but the learning curve to use it has kept me off my butt, too.

I make up reasons to go up and down the stairs. I’m washing things that don’t really need to be washed. Putting away one piece of laundry at a time to keep moving.

My local yoga studio is broadcasting sessions, and I find it very soothing and more comfortable to have familiar voices with the same old “patter” I’m used to, rather than trying to find new stuff online. I do a couple of those a day.

We can still go out for walks here, so I walk or run our local bike path two or three walks a day.

My husband is in heaven with all the food issuing forth from the kitchen, and he’s even quickly gotten in the habit of walking a couple of times a day because he sees me doing it, and he feels compelled to, too, lol.

The wierd thing is, once you make up your mind to keep moving, it becomes habit almost immediately. I go to bed exhausted, my move ring is turning as much or slightly more, and, to my utter amazement, my steps are WAY higher than they were a week ago.

I’m drinking a lot of hot drinks, even though we were briefly in the 80’s here. Hot drinks curb my appetite.

I didn’t stock up on snack foods, and don’t plan to when we make the next grocery run. I’ll stick to my usual fresh fruit. (Sure will be glad to restock on that! )

I made a choice to cut my calories from 2300 (I was in recomp) to 1900 til this is over. That’s been a challenge, but I’ve been able to be reasonably close on average. Today will be slightly over because I just *ahem* got into that bacon I was crisping.

Find stuff to do. Idle hands tend to head towards the mouth. Busy hands are preoccupied and the time will zip by so fast you’ll be back to a planned meal or snack time before you know it. Having a schedule for those helps, too, as does oreplanning your food diary. )