How I Lost My COVID-19 Weight Gain

Many of you asked me privately about my COVID-19 quarantine gained weight loss diet, so here it is! This is not a paid endorsement, just my personal experience that I thought I'd share with anyone looking to shed some pounds safely and may find it helpful.

After my 4 weeks of serious commitment to lose my COVID weight gain.

Since April, I slowly started to gain some weight but didn't pay attention to it that much. And by early June, I officially gained about 8-10 lbs. in total, which is a lot of extra weight for me. Not too long ago, I made the mistake of getting on a scale randomly just out of curiosity, thinking, "it can't be THAT bad," then I saw the number at my feet. OMG. 

It was a slow and gradual gain, so I didn't realize it as I was in elastic athleisure wear the entire time during our stay home orders. Like many of us, I turned to elaborate cooking, which gave me much comfort during these anxious times. It was time well spent as it was very time consuming from planning to execution, and I personally found it to be calming and therapeutic because I had the time. Plus, home-cooking make my guys super happy, which makes me happy. (P.S. They eat a ton!) Anyway, after my initial shock of getting on a scale, I decided to try on a pair of my skinny jeans to get a gauge and to get some motivation to do something about the weight gain as I became uncomfortable in my own skin so to speak. When I gain weight, one of those people who gain evenly throughout the body, so it is hard to see that I've gained a lot in general.

I saw my doctor for a general check-up, Kevin Jovanovic., MD, FACOG, FACS, and I complained about my weight gain. Could it be hormonal? Maybe. But I admit, I ate a lot more than usual during these last few months. For someone who always had a fast metabolism, age factors in, and I realized, I can't eat like I used to. Dr. Jovanovic suggested maybe I'd like to try CMWL (Center for Medical Weight Loss), a safe medical weight loss program that he provides. I said, "GREAT, I'll do it! But what do I have to do?" Drink four shakes and a bar per day for a week, or two weeks, but that was up to me. Ugh, that sounds easier said than done, I thought, because who doesn't love the act of chewing and tasting real food? So he offered for me to try it for a couple of days and see how I feel. Okay, deal. After two days of shakes and bars, I was actually surprised that it was much easier than I thought. I think because these shakes are so good for the body as it's filled with much-needed nutrition so that the body does not go into starvation mode. I honestly had more energy from these shakes than from eating three meals a day. Huh, wow. Okay, I can do this! So I got mental. Focus, commit, and conquer. [Note: I tried the Keto Diet the first few weeks of June, and I barely lost two pounds even with a ton of exercising. Keto also did not help my cholesterol level.]

I went in for my official CMWL appointment on June 26th to continue on the path of my new found energy. I got weighed, and everything else got measured too, from my BMI to fat percentage, fat mass, water mass, muscle mass, and my resting metabolism (see below for my stats). I was medically cleared to partake in this medical weight loss program, so he gave me a week's worth of shakes and bars, but I also bought extra supplies of shakes just in case I had a meltdown. The initial cost to enroll in CMWL is $349 for the first week and $199 per the following weeks.

After one week of solid CMWL commitment and running almost every day for at least two and a half to three and a half miles per day, BOOM! I dropped 3.5 lbs. (See proof below!) Um, MAJOR! I was so psyched about my progress that I knew I had to do it for another week to shed the rest or at least try. I was amazed at how much energy these shakes and bars provided, and it's filling too! I actually did not have any cravings for stuff during these two weeks, but again, I was mentally and physically committed. It also provided a lot of energy for me to go running almost every day. 

After my second week of CMWL, I diligently counted calories and stuck to low-fat foods but also ate good fats too, i.e., nuts, fish, avocado, eggs, etc., but in moderation, and sticking to a low carb, no processed sugar diet (ok, maybe I had a cookie). Overall, I ate as much as my resting metabolism calories per day and continued on my running regiment, adhering to at least five days a week. Plus, intermittent fasting if I felt necessary.

Overall, CMWL was a very positive experience for me, and I intend to go back on it whenever I think that I'm tipping the scale. It will be my “safe-go-to-diet.” 'Cause now, I can fit back into my non-stretchy clothes without the struggle, which is incredibly satisfying. And my skinny jeans? No problem! I highly recommend CMWL for anyone who needs a jump start to shed some COVID weight gain. It's a safe way to lose weight without feeling tired or sluggish because it’s not devoid of nutrients that the body needs. But first, you must get mental, focus, and commit to following through all the way, and you'll be glad you did. It really worked for me, and I am back to being comfortable in my own skin again and in a bikini too, ha! Thanks, doc!

CMWL Power Powder Shakes plus my favorite crunch bar.