Yahoo News 'I made a simple meal swap to start a health kick and shed weight and I'll never go back'
Like a lot of people during lockdown, I found being stuck at home wasn't kind to my waistline.
In one day, my commute shrunk from a 30 minute brisk walk into the office to a three second walk into the next room in my small flat. I did try to get outside most days for some exercise but there was no denying that the amount of activity I was doing each day had nose-dived.
As the months went by, and working from home became part of everyday life, it was inevitable that my weight crept up and I started to struggle to fit into some of my clothes. The catalyst for finally making a change came during a trip to London in November last year - walking all day long around the capital seriously tested my fitness levels. And worse of all, I could see I was visibly larger in photographs, and was easily the heaviest I had ever been.
Once I got home, I decided I needed to lose weight and my goal was to get down to a healthy BMI - after becoming horrified to learn I was actually classified as 'obese'.
One of my diet downfalls was chocolate. I'd often tuck in to chocolate in front of the TV after work - but even first thing in the morning, I'd start my day with a sugary, chocolate cereal.
Then as I started to scrutinise what I was eating, I was shocked by how calorific these bowls of cereal were. And, really, they weren't even keeping me full up until lunchtime.
I made the switch to having a bowl of warm porridge every morning instead. It was a breakfast I usually only opted for in the depths of winter. But it was the perfect healthy alternative at around 200 calories a bowl and with slow-releasing energy, to keep me from snacking mid-morning.
Admittedly I tried to jazz it up with some flavourings like cinnamon but I genuinely started to look forward to starting my day with porridge and I didn't miss my sugar-laden cereals at all.
I made a lot of other changes too - making sure I walked 10,000 steps every day, rain or sunshine, cutting out snacks and trying to stick to a calorie deficit but my breakfast swap was by far the simplest change of habit.
After six months of consistency, I reached my target weight, my clothes were much looser and I had a healthy BMI. I no longer felt bloated and my confidence was boosted too.
I'm still sticking with my porridge most mornings, although I have toast and Nutella every now and then. There's still a box of (non-chocolate) cereal in my cupboard too, I have to admit. After all, a little of what you fancy does you good!
