So I got a little concerned when I heard a lot of people were gaining fat during the Malaysian Movement Control Order (MCO) 2020, otherwise known as the Malaysian lockdown. Would that be me as well?
After all, I went through the same stress (no job, little revenue, loans to repay etc.) as the most of us, and I also had some outstanding debts that weren’t forthcoming. I was encouraged though because in mid-April (when things were really tough for me), I found my shorts were loose. What news would a weigh-in bring?
I just unfroze my gym in July, when the RMCO (Recovery Movement Control Order) provisions allowed fitness and yoga facilities to re-open. I weighed myself and found about a 3 kg drop in weight, but the better news was it was accompanied by a three percent body fat loss!
So what did I do?
Four lockdown activities for my weight loss
1. Stairs stairs stars!
To avoid people, and especially avoid enclosed spaced with people, I climbed up and down seven flights of stairs to get to the ground floor (or to my flight).
So on some days, when I had to get to the grocery store, forgot something in the car etc., I spent a lot of time climbing stairs. On some evenings, I even climbed stairs after dinner!
Stair climbing, with mindfulness on the knees, is fantastic for cardiovascular fitness and boosting the metabolism!
2. Cardio strength
Cardio strength is a workout routine that combines cardio and strength movements (hence its name). It’s performed in circuit fashion, and I usually like to do one cardio followed by one strength.
There are many ways of doing it though, on some evenings, I did sprints downstairs (during the CMCO), interspersed with calisthenics like pull ups, push ups and squats or lunges.
Comment below if you wanna learn more!
3. Home-cooked food
When I began bodybuilding, I changed the way I ate. We don’t realise the amount of sugar and oil that is in food we eat outside!
During the MCO, we really spent a lot of time cooking and that made a world of difference. In fact, on most days I would have a sandwich in the late afternoon and was concerned about gaining weight, but I didn’t!
I definitely attribute home-cooked healthy food to my fat loss. Food and fitness is super important, see here, here and here!
Comment below if you wanna know what I whipped up!
4. Essential oils
I began the habit of having some dōTERRA’s Smart & Sassy (Slim & Sassy in the rest of the world) with my after-lunch coffee. Just before my evening cardio strength workout, together my afternoon sandwich snack, I would have dōTERRA’s grapefruit oil with coffee.
I also definitely attribute these essential oils towards helping with my fat loss (or boost of metabolism, however you wanna see it).
To learn more about these essential oils, click here. Or you can contact me, or comment below!
What about you?
Did you gain or lose fat during the lockdown? If you lost weight, tell me how you did it in the comments below!
