This is a worrying time.  A frightening and anxiety inducing time for even those who have a positive attitude to life and all that it throws at them.

From various interactions on social media and with the voluntary work I am involved with I am aware that for many, the situation is really frightening, and they’ve been struggling with sleep, eating sensibly and managing their days whilst isolated from family, friends and regular social interactions.

I’m certain that you may have observed an increase in people running, walking, jogging and cycling.  Weekly routines for many individuals include regular gym visits or exercise classes and this group appear to be really struggling with the physical isolation aspect of life “in lockdown”.

We are unable to influence anything in the larger scheme of things.  All we can do is work within the constraints of what is in our direct control.

Some of these things such as not leaving the house unless absolutely necessary and, when we do, practising physical distancing are being imposed on us.  It’s imperative that we listen to the advice that we are being given and adhere to it.

But how can we ensure that we maintain or even improve our own physical and mental wellbeing at this time?  We have to take responsibility for keeping ourselves as mentally and physically fit as we are able to.

For me, there aren’t too many changes.  I am still exercising first thing in the morning, on a daily basis for around an hour and on my own – the same place and generally around the same time of day (7am/8am).

I have a daily exercise regime which involves back, neck and shoulder stretches to maintain my flexibility and ability to remain independent.  That’s particularly important to me as a disabled person.  I need to be able to maintain (and perhaps even improve) my ability to carry out everyday activities of personal care – showering, dressing managing to use the toilet, mobility.

Exercises to increase my heart rate, maintain muscle mass and strengthen my core are an essential part of my daily routine, just as much as dental care is.

My exercise routine is seated on a gym ball, in an upstairs room looking out to the street – we have views across a large open lawned area – a University hall of residence.  I put music on, music that I love listening to.  I fully immerse myself in what I am doing for an hour.  Counting my reps, making sure that my stretches are done fully.  30-40 minutes of vigorous bouncing and “marching’ swinging my arms to get my heart rate up to peak.

That exercise is now particularly important and the urge to just “get it over and done with” in order to get on with my day has gone.  I have more time in my day to get on with those other things.

I also have the time to concentrate on ensuring that my meals are as healthy and as nutritious as possible – including beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, fresh salads and vegetables.  This is also something I am very used to doing.  We don’t eat takeaways and we eat out only rarely – so we aren’t seeing the changes to our everyday life as being too restrictive.

We are also able to spend more time in our garden.  I appreciate that not everyone is lucky enough to have outdoor space and there isn’t a day that goes past at the moment when I am not grateful for the space that we have and the fact that we both love gardening so much.  Watching the progress on the growth of various seeds we have planted (courgette, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, flowers, salad leaves, beetroot).

Stay safe everyone, stay well and take care of yourself.  It’s really crucial that you do that at the moment.

For me, trying to lose weight without keeping track of what I’m eating is a bit like trying to travel somewhere without a map. You might eventually reach your destination, but it’s likely to take much longer. You might take a few wrong turns, go back on yourself or even end up completely lost.

The food diary is my map.

Another big change has been learning that every trip out of the house doesn’t have to involve food!

Once upon a time, a trip into town would probably have included lunch. A visit to the garden centre would have meant coffee and cake.

Now, I’ll often plan — or even prepare — what I’m going to eat when I get home before I leave the house. It might be a salad waiting in the fridge, for example. That means I can walk through the door knowing exactly what I’m going to eat rather than standing in the kitchen wondering, “What do I fancy?” Inevitably, what I “fancy” when I’m hungry tends to be something involving high-calorie carbohydrates that won’t necessarily keep me full for very long!

Something else I found helpful was making a list of all the reasons WHY I wanted to lose weight. Keep yours somewhere safe — perhaps stuck to the inside of a kitchen cupboard door — and look at it occasionally, particularly when you find yourself raiding the kitchen looking for treats.

One question I’ve learned to ask myself before eating something particularly calorific is:

“Do I really want to eat this more than I want to lose weight this week?”

That moment of thought can make a huge difference.

Am I genuinely hungry? Am I bored? Am I fed up? Have I simply seen something tempting and suddenly decided I want it?

Sometimes I’ll have a glass of water, wait five minutes and then ask myself whether I still want whatever it was I was about to eat.

Because once it’s been snaffled down, it’s too late!

And if you then feel cross or disappointed with yourself, that feeling can last considerably longer than the few minutes of enjoyment you got from eating the treat in the first place.

I also remind myself how fantastic it feels to see a loss on the scales at my weekly weigh-in. That wonderful feeling can last for days. Remembering it when temptation strikes can be a surprisingly powerful motivator.

I’m writing this as someone who struggled with her weight for most of her life, from about the age of nine.

I have a significant physical disability which affects my mobility, and I use a wheelchair outside the house. I’m also only 4ft 8”, so my body simply doesn’t require the amount of food that someone taller and more active might need.

It wasn’t until I was 49 and started logging absolutely everything I ate and keeping track of the calories I was consuming that the truth really hit me between the eyes:

I was eating FAR TOO MUCH for a very short, sedentary person.

Once I understood that and began changing not just what I ate, but my whole relationship with food and the way I behaved around it, everything finally started to click into place.

At 57, I’m healthier and fitter than I was 20 years ago.

I just wish I’d discovered what worked for me years earlier.

But perhaps that’s the most important thing I’ve learned: this hasn’t really been about “going on a diet” at all.

It’s been about learning a different way of living — one small change, one decision and one bit of practice at a time.

I started my journey to lose weight and be as fit as I could for my 50th (2012)!

I’ve used many ways throughout my 7 year membership on the weight loss website I subscribe to, to keep my journey interesting and to learn what works best for me – I am very short (4ft 8″), 56 years old and don’t move very much on account of my disability. I use a wheelchair outside of the house.

One thing that has remained constant throughout is logging everything I eat and weighing out portions. If I have ever stopped doing that for any length of time, the weight starts to creep up again.

I have used 5:2 successfully and done a few rounds of the 8 week Blood Sugar Diet.
I now mostly try to avoid refined carbs (well, limit them!) so rice, pasta, cake, biscuits, pastries and bread (most things containing flour). I eat them occasionally (about once/twice a week, always small portions – 50g dry weight (rice/pasta), always wholewheat and ALWAYS measured). I try to eat alternatives – which on the whole, I now prefer!

I bulk out my meals with lots of vegetables – eat about 4-7 portions a day (home made soup or a salad for lunch, lots of veggies with dinner).

Through choice, I eat just two meals a day, that’s been for the past 2+ years. I eat lunch and dinner. I try to keep my eating to between 12 noon and 6pm. Outside of those times, I do drink tea and coffee and plenty of water. That’s a way that works for me, and I’m happy with this arrangement – not eating breakfast won’t work for everyone though. I used to LOVE breakfast and could never have imagined a few years ago that I’d skip it!

I don’t view exercise as a way to earn additional calories to eat – I use it as a way to remain flexible and independent. I do an hour long stretch and bounce seated routine around 4-7 times a week which lasts around an hour.

I try to do cardio exercise as often as possible, but because of my disability, it’s quite a challenge. For that I walk and run (HIIT) on a special treadmill called an Alter G which is able to support a percentage of my body weight as I walk and run – currently I exercise at 80% of my body weight. I do this for 30 minutes every other week. I’d love to do it weekly, but I need assistance to get into the machine and can only get this support fortnightly.

I keep on going…. as it’s what works for me.

I don’t deny myself anything in terms of food – however, I have changed over the course of my weight loss to eat much more mindfully – considering “Do I really want to eat this?” ahead of eating food that is particularly calorific or not very healthy.

Today I am eating a slice of home made carrot cake that I’ve made – I’ve worked out the calories and I’m going to have a slice as it is DEFINITELY worth it! I’ve sliced and frozen half of the cake (un-iced) in packs of two so that I can enjoy it on other days rather than knowing it’s there and needing to be consumed to stop it going off.

I have reduced the number of times I eat out as it’s impossible for me to stay within my low (1100 calorie) limit by eating out regularly – even if I choose wisely. But to be honest, I am very happy cooking my own meals and eating those, as I know precisely what’s in them – and I love, love LOVE my vegetables.

I rarely get a takeaway (perhaps 1 – 2 times a year – usually at others instigation when I am visiting friends). I used to resent these things, but I now accept and embrace them. I no longer view this as a tortuous journey but more a new way of life

I view my way of eating as keeping myself as healthy as I can in order to minimise the risk of developing middle aged illnesses (diabetes, stroke, heart attack…) and to maintain my mobility and independence.

I don’t judge my success by what others achieve nor do I judge others by the lifestyle they choose – I just try to do the best that I can for myself and in a way that works well for me.

It does help that I have an extremely supportive husband who’s happy to eat the same as I do – even though he doesn’t need to lose weight. He makes sure he does have plenty of little “extras” such as the odd biscuit, doughnut, cheese and crackers, crisps….

I hope this helps other understand that this really is a commitment for life, but it has the ability to change and prolong ones life.