Embrace your LOCKDOWN LOVE HANDLES

We have enough going on without the added pressure to lose weight

- BESS BROWNING

The gyms are closed, our Zumba classes have been cancelled and comfort eating (and drinking) has felt like the right – and only – way to navigate through the relentless stresses of COVID-19. So, you’re certainly not alone if while swapping your trusty loungewear for a pair of jeans you’ve noticed they’re a little tighter. In fact, research shows that getting on for half the nation (42%) say they gained weight during the first lockdown.*

Of course, we need to be mindful about what we put into our bodies, but we also need to stop being so hard on ourselves – putting on a few pandemic pounds need not be a bad thing. None of us was left unscathed by 2020 and the last thing we need now is to stress over the scales. More than ever, it’s time to embrace our new-found curves, shimmy our hips into a pandemic-free world, and feel better about our bodies than ever. We speak to one woman who is doing exactly that.

‘I LOVE MY NEW BOOBS AND BUM’

Samantha Priestley, 49, is an author and lives in Sheffield with her partner, William, 39, and her daughter, Eva, 23. Scrolling through recipes online, my mouth was starting to water as I called out to my partner, William, in the kitchen. ‘This is the one!’ I said as I started envisioning the tantalising spices and colourful ingredients I’d need for the Indian-inspired dish I’d cook for us later.