Gained 30 lbs during COVID in belly and now have...

[Anonymous]

I gained 30 too during that time and just recently lost 20+. When I lost, my waist shrank 5 inches. Cut processed white carbs, drink a ridiculous amount of water, focus on lean high protein foods, fruits and veggies, do daily core, lift weights and walk/run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I gained 30 too during that time and just recently lost 20+. When I lost, my waist shrank 5 inches. Cut processed white carbs, drink a ridiculous amount of water, focus on lean high protein foods, fruits and veggies, do daily core, lift weights and walk/run.

Oh and cut alcohol and other sugars.

[Anonymous]

I found intermittent fasting, cutting sugar and daily walks really improved my health and weight started to shift. I also got an old school pedometer to track steps and started doing body weight exercises 3 days week, it's really important to maintain muscle or build it as we age and body weight is right there, no need to go to gym, etc. Lots of workouts on YT.

Dr. Jason Fung has videos on YT, several books (see library or Amazon) and 2 women on his team do a podcast called The Fasting Method. Find a schedule that works for you. All of my health markers have really started moving in a + direction.

[Anonymous]

I also gained 30 pounds in Covid, combined with the timing of peri-menopause. I’ve lost 25 with wegovy and the belly fat is the last to go. Which is weird because I’ve always lost weight in my mid section first, when I yo-yoed 5 pounds.
I also lift weights twice a week with a trainer, eat a ton of protein and drink a ton of water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I carry my weight in the belly and have recently lost 20 pounds, hoping to lose 10 more. It’s just weight loss in general - I’ve been no sugar, low carb but I’ve also read that exercise is really beneficial for getting rid of visceral belly fat - the dangerous kind that isn’t the kind you can grab but goes around your organs - even in the absence of actual weight loss so I believe moderate exercise 150 min a week at least is a crucial piece of it.

I will say you’ll have to see if that’s what’s causing your issues. I’m a little dubious but it’s possible.

Dubious why? Just curious: OP here. Was told this by urogynec.

I’m the PP and it’s possible but I guess it seemed a little to me like one of those blow off explanations women get from drs. I did not have those symptoms when I had more belly fat. I have noticed my occasional heartburn has gone away so I think there can be changes, I’m just saying may the Dr could explain it more clearly in your case but it’s not like every woman with excess belly fat has those symptoms.

Yeah I was also tested for pelvic floor issues and kidney issues

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fasting

Yes, this. It's the obvious solution that no one wants to admit

[Anonymous]

Not to jump on OP, but can someone please explain how/why Covid brought on 30 excess pounds? Assuming you were relieved of your commute, you had time to take the dog for a walk, as well as plan your dinner menus. I honestly want to know how your day-to-day life impacted you this much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fasting

Yes, this. It's the obvious solution that no one wants to admit

What do you mean "...that no one wants to admit"? It's a daily topic of discussion on this and the Diet forum! I'm not disagreeing with you BTW that fasting works, but for you to say no one wants to talk about it is misleading. OP can actually find a lot of helpful info on this topic simply by using the search function.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to jump on OP, but can someone please explain how/why Covid brought on 30 excess pounds? Assuming you were relieved of your commute, you had time to take the dog for a walk, as well as plan your dinner menus. I honestly want to know how your day-to-day life impacted you this much?

I went on Lexapro and my mother died. Thank you for the judgment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to jump on OP, but can someone please explain how/why Covid brought on 30 excess pounds? Assuming you were relieved of your commute, you had time to take the dog for a walk, as well as plan your dinner menus. I honestly want to know how your day-to-day life impacted you this much?

Oh goodness, how holier than thou…do you have no bad habits or vices? People were home, stressed in many cases for all kinds of reasons, bored, without usual outlets, eating was something you could do. So many people gained weight, it clearly wasn’t an unusual consequence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to jump on OP, but can someone please explain how/why Covid brought on 30 excess pounds? Assuming you were relieved of your commute, you had time to take the dog for a walk, as well as plan your dinner menus. I honestly want to know how your day-to-day life impacted you this much?

Tell me you didn’t go through Covid with school-aged kids without telling me you didn’t go through Covid with school-aged kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to jump on OP, but can someone please explain how/why Covid brought on 30 excess pounds? Assuming you were relieved of your commute, you had time to take the dog for a walk, as well as plan your dinner menus. I honestly want to know how your day-to-day life impacted you this much?

It didn’t is the simple answer. She gained a lot of weight and Covid is the easy blame but that isn’t realistic. The same way people with elementary kids aren’t carrying baby weight but that’s what they attribute it to. I would say it doesn’t matter but it actually does because if you don’t honestly account for how the weight came on, it’s harder to make the changes needed to lose it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to jump on OP, but can someone please explain how/why Covid brought on 30 excess pounds? Assuming you were relieved of your commute, you had time to take the dog for a walk, as well as plan your dinner menus. I honestly want to know how your day-to-day life impacted you this much?

Tell me you didn’t go through Covid with school-aged kids without telling me you didn’t go through Covid with school-aged kids.

Everyone who has kids during Covid didn’t gain 30 lbs or even any weight at all. This excuse makes no sense. How did having kids during that time make you gain? It didn’t. Other things did. Maybe you stress ate. Maybe your job switched to WFH and you went to a sedentary lifestyle. But your kids didn’t do that to you. Kids have been back in school since 2021, it’s crazy to claim them + Covid made anyone gain a ton of weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to jump on OP, but can someone please explain how/why Covid brought on 30 excess pounds? Assuming you were relieved of your commute, you had time to take the dog for a walk, as well as plan your dinner menus. I honestly want to know how your day-to-day life impacted you this much?

It didn’t is the simple answer. She gained a lot of weight and Covid is the easy blame but that isn’t realistic. The same way people with elementary kids aren’t carrying baby weight but that’s what they attribute it to. I would say it doesn’t matter but it actually does because if you don’t honestly account for how the weight came on, it’s harder to make the changes needed to lose it.

DP but I mean… duh? She is not claiming that Covid caused her to gain weight directly, but some of us were seriously stressed out. Some of us stress eat. Some of us eat out of boredom. Some of us graze when we’ve near our kitchen all day long.

It’s really not difficult to imagine why someone may have gained weight during Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to jump on OP, but can someone please explain how/why Covid brought on 30 excess pounds? Assuming you were relieved of your commute, you had time to take the dog for a walk, as well as plan your dinner menus. I honestly want to know how your day-to-day life impacted you this much?

It didn’t is the simple answer. She gained a lot of weight and Covid is the easy blame but that isn’t realistic. The same way people with elementary kids aren’t carrying baby weight but that’s what they attribute it to. I would say it doesn’t matter but it actually does because if you don’t honestly account for how the weight came on, it’s harder to make the changes needed to lose it.

DP but I mean… duh? She is not claiming that Covid caused her to gain weight directly, but some of us were seriously stressed out. Some of us stress eat. Some of us eat out of boredom. Some of us graze when we’ve near our kitchen all day long.

It’s really not difficult to imagine why someone may have gained weight during Covid.

I’m going to start with the “during Covid” part. Most people were only staying in their homes and avoiding being in public spaces for a short time. People began getting vaccinated in spring 2021. That’s almost 3 years ago at this point. The acute stage of the most restrictive behaviors during Covid was under a year. It’s been 3 years since that time. What this really is is a long term shift in behaviors. It’s 4 years of not moving, overeating, etc. Saying it was “during Covid” is a huge stretch at this point.

If you chronically overeat, that isn’t because of Covid anymore. If you don’t move, don’t go to the gym, don’t walk, that is not because of Covid anymore. You can’t change that pattern until you stop pretending this is all because of Covid.