Hands up if you put on weight during lockdown?

Hands up if you put on weight during lockdown? I know I did and, in fact, I don’t know many who didn’t. Perhaps it’s a telling of the interesting ways we humans react to contrasting situations launched at us throughout our lifetime. Whatever it comes down to, I’ve found it rather interesting.

So why then? Why have so many of us seemed to gain a little extra this past year? Could it be down to eating or drinking out of lockdown boredom? Perhaps the restraints of being home 24/7 made eating and drinking more entertaining?

For some of us, I imagine the lockdown period soon became rather lonely, and maybe food and drink were the perfect distraction. Whatever the reason, being healthier will definitely be at the top of a fair few New Year’s resolutions lists come January (because who doesn’t enjoy spoiling themselves a little over Christmas!).

There’s the urge to enjoy a healthy, nutritious diet and exercise regularly, but many of us have found ourselves in an unhealthy routine, which has led to habits being formed. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit and, with lockdowns stretching over weeks at a time, it’s not hard to imagine how lifestyles will have now changed. 

However, it’s not all bad news. Habits are learnt behaviours, which makes it easier to relearn healthier habits and routines by reprogramming our personal software, to enjoy that healthier way of life we’ve been dreaming of.

I understand that trying to start a new lifestyle can not only be arduous but demanding and difficult, as our mind and body cling to the habit of eating unhealthy food and living a dormant lifestyle. To make the changes needed, we need to ‘tell’ our mind that the new way of life is essential, and that time out should be taken to ensure the right choices are being made. Our subconscious needs to be told to make all these ‘right’ choices. 

Whilst we’re all aware of simple unhealthy habits, like eating too many biscuits, having that extra glass of wine, or finishing that large chocolate bar, we find it hard to comply.

So, how do we fix it?

We firstly need to tap into our willpower, but remember this alone won’t help maintain a healthy way of life. Building blocks are key to maintaining a new habit. Hypnotherapy can help to break down these eating habits that have become so deeply ingrained in the unconscious mind. Hypnotherapy works by tapping into your subconscious thoughts and behaviours.

Remember, habits aren’t fixed - they’re learnt behaviours and, if we truly wish to change these, then suggestions made in a relaxing hypnotic state will aid your desired goal. These suggestions, made to your subconscious mind, encourage healthier choices, building better habits and thinking patterns to encourage a healthy body and mind.

This brings me on nicely to a new initiative that Cancer Research UK has recently launched. The challenge is to ultimately eat more vegetables by avoiding meat for one whole month, either at a vegetarian or vegan level. I personally enjoy lots of different vegetables, so it sounds like a rather tasty and easy-to-follow challenge.

By cutting meat from your diet and increasing your vegetable, fruit and wholegrain intake, can lower your risk of cancer and, in turn, help you to maintain a ‘healthy' weight. Sounds like a win-win to me!

We also know that exercise is key to achieving good fitness, a healthy body, mind and soul. Personally, I enjoy going to the gym, whether it’s running on the treadmill, attending cardio workout classes, or doing some mindful yoga. With that said, though, I’m quick to make excuses about lack of time, as I’m sure many of you will too!

My favourite form of exercise is yoga, and a very close friend of mine has actually just qualified as a yoga instructor. We don’t live as close to each other as we’d like, so our catch-ups are rare, but we managed to meet up again recently and she looked fabulous. This, to me, was instant motivation, and I now reach for my much-loved yoga DVDs first thing in the morning before I get ready for a busy day at work.

Motivation comes from our subconscious mind and, even if you think you lack it, it’s there I promise - it’s just waiting to be tapped into! Once your subconscious is on board with your aspirations, then your motivation levels become ignited. Hypnotherapy can help change our unconscious thinking, leading to positive changes in our behaviour. 

Once the concept of hypnosis or self-hypnosis is learnt, the world truly becomes your oyster! So, in revisiting my comment earlier, "I don’t have enough time to exercise" - if one has the motivation and a positive mindset, then everything else will follow suit. 

As Les Brown once said, "If it was all to do with the information, we would be all slim, rich and happy."