‘I swore to myself I’d come out of this stronger... mindfulness got me through the first weeks’
MANY of Unislim members have found new ways to stay on track with their goals, including Unislimmer of the Year 2019 Bernie Finn, a chef and mum of two from Gorey, Co. Wexford, who lost 9 stone with Unislim and recently turned to US! online for community support in the absence of her usual class.
‘Social distancing meant a complete change to my routine,’ she says. ‘But after those first few days, I swore to myself that I’d come out of this stronger. ‘The biggest change for me was not going into work. As a chef, my job is very physical. I also walk to work. I’d start work at 6am, so would get 10,000 steps in by 10am. I realised I wasn’t going to be able to keep up that same amount of exercise. So, firstly, I made sure to get my walk in every day. I get up before the kids wake and go for 30 or 45 minutes. Once I get out and start walking, I feel great. ‘Unislim’s US! online is great. You’re more motivated when you’re going into a group or part of something. I’ve really missed my classes these last few weeks. I lost the weight a year-and-a-half ago and I’ve been going to the classes every week since, and I think that’s why I’ve kept the weight off.
‘It was really mindfulness that got me through the first weeks of the lockdown. Once US! online went live, I joined straight away. Having that weigh-in day is what keeps me going. And then you can share the results and connect with other members on the app.
‘Keeping to mealtimes and meal plans is key for me. I eat five times per day – three meals and two snacks, and if I keep that up, eating healthy foods every three hours, it really helps. When I first lost the weight, I gave up my car, and would walk the kids everywhere – to their soccer practice, Irish dancing and gymnastics… So we’re all missing out on that exercise too now that the kids’ activities are cancelled. We’ve started doing workouts in the back garden – CrossFit routines, star jumps, skipping rope – for about 30 minutes, which is great for all of us.
‘The evenings can be the hardest because we’re all settled in and there’s the urge to snack. I don’t have great willpower when it comes to sweet things, so just accepting that and not having the stuff in the house is what works for me.
‘When it was announced that schools were closing, I did the panic shop, buying all the treats for staying in, stuff I’d usually never buy. After that, I decided that’s the end of that because once it’s in the house, you’re going to eat it.’
Bernie says: ‘Once I eat regularly throughout the day – good, healthy foods filled with protein and veg – I don’t feel those same cravings. We’ve made some healthy apple crumbles, banana bread and dark chocolate sea salt nut bars – just healthier treats.
‘When I was losing my weight, I found language needed to be positive – if someone was hard on me or said anything negative, I’d go the other way, whereas if someone tells me I’m doing great, I’d run around after them asking what more I can do. Knowing this will end sometime… that’s important to remember. We’re being asked to stay home, to spend time with our families. We have the TV, we have food in the press – what we’re being asked to do is not hard. And this will pass.’