A survey taken by The Slimming Clinic in October 2021 has shown that a whopping 92% of participants gained weight during lockdown and that 90% are still trying to shake off the weight and bad habits you gained, even 4 months after completely leaving lockdown.

In fact, when we asked, 81% respondents said they gained between half a stone (7lbs) and a stone (14lbs) just from being in lockdown and allowing themselves to stop prioritising their health.

We know that any pound gained adds to your BMI and having a BMI result in the overweight or obese categories mean you are at a higher risk of developing health problems caused by your weight.

Why did Lockdown affect our weight?

We know that the lockdowns disrupted lives in more ways than just not being able to leave the house, and it was a challenge during those times to keep on top of your weight.

Many patients cited eating more (22%), lack of movement (20%) or boredom and stress (56%) that had caused their weight gain and that the habits they have gained have been really hard to reverse.

Additionally, 61% of those surveyed said they are not just eating more, but actually still eating less healthily than they were previously – meaning their weight is still increasing and causing many to feel lethargic, stuck in an unhealthy cycle and in a number of cases, depressed.

At The Slimming Clinic, over the last 18 months, we have seen more and more patients come to us wanting to lose weight they have gained and regain control of their physical and mental health and weight before it spirals further out of control.

What can we do to lose weight?

With so many of us still struggling with the after-effects of the pandemic, how can we break the cycle of poor health and get back to better eating, more movement and a stronger mindset?

In our survey, 65% of people said they have still not returned to their pre-COVID lifestyles, so we know the struggle that can come when you are trying to be healthy, but life isn’t how we once knew it.

The key here is to look at your daily and weekly diary and see how you can add in healthy things that can support your weight loss diet.

This could be going for a lunchtime walk, finding 4 days where you could fit in a 20-minute workout, drinking more water and planning your weekly meals and sticking to it!

Think of times you spend on the sofa or scrolling through your phone. Could any of those times be sacrificed for doing something that will help your weight loss diet?

If you have more time – it could even be prepping your meals for the week and being ready to grab a healthy meal for when times are busier in the week or committing to a couple of gym classes a week.

Or, it could simply be calling us and scheduling in your appointment with a Slimming Clinic doctor to chat through your health and how it is going – getting the support and motivation you need to get back on track.

We know how hard it can be when you’re in your lowest mood, or heavier than you want to be, or simply not feeling well in yourself with your weight.

Let The Slimming Clinic support you.

If you are just like the 90% of people who took our survey who are still trying to shake off that lockdown weight, we can support you with our online weight loss programmes.

All it takes is a phone call or filling in your details to get a call back from our caring support team, who can show you how joining could be the difference between more weight gain, and seeing yourself healthier by the end of the year.