If you’ve gained a few pounds during the quarantine season, you’re not alone! The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lifestyles with people spending most of their time at home, attending Zoom work calls from their living rooms, spending late nights binge-watching Netflix with a tub of ice cream to calm down the stress. It’s relatable, it’s understandable, and it’s okay.
However, the constant staying-at-home with limited movement, helping ourselves to a pack of Reese’s, and the shutting down of local gyms and wellness centers is taking a toll on our health and pushing us towards the “Quarantine 15“.
If you are dreading the quarantine 15 just like us, we have formulated a list of what to do and avoid for weight loss that you can keep as a guide to keep off the extra pounds!
Do This For Weight Loss
Here are a few things you can do to keep yourself in shape.
Meal Prep
You might have stopped meal prepping since you’ve been at home, because why meal prep when you can whip out a few dishes whenever you’re hungry since you’re home, right?
See, this is where things start getting bad. When we prepare meals, we are mindfully crafting our meals with appropriate portion sizes and nutrition that would keep us full for longer and help us in getting in shape.
Therefore, take time out for meal prep just like you used to before this quarantine for staying fit, healthy, and keeping the extra pounds off!
Keep A Food Journal
Helping yourself to a candy or two is alright every now and then. However, without accountability, it is easy to hoard and consume more than we should.
Therefore, in order to keep extra pounds at bay, consider keeping a food journal in which you can note every meal and snack you’ve consumed during the day. A food journal will help you stay accountable while eating, and help you in making healthier snack choices—which brings us to our next point!
Have Healthy Snacks
If you think having snacks throughout the day gets you to gain weight, think again! Snacking on fruits, vegetables, and nuts can help you stay full till your next meal and load you up with much-needed nutrients.
Consider making yourself a salad with lots of greens, reds, and yellows for a snack between meals. Moreover, you can chop up some fruits beforehand and keep them in the fridge to snack up on when you’re hungry during the day or between work-hours.
Have More Water
Did you know that our brains can actually get confused when we’re dehydrated and tell us that we’re hungry when we’re actually thirsty? The consequence: we end up having more food when we need water!
Therefore, always keep a water bottle with you to keep hydrating your body. If you don’t like drinking water, you can add a few fruits or vegetables in a jug of water to make essence water that is delicious to sip on during the day! Moreover, you may have herbal teas during the day or at night to both hydrate yourself and get the benefits of different herbs. However, please check in with your doctor when starting a particular herb for the first time or if you have a medical condition.
Move!
The closing down of gyms and yoga studios has been a huge inconvenience for people who would never miss their workouts and a catch-up with their workout buddies over a cup of coffee after a session.
However, ever since we’ve been quarantined at our homes, gyms and health studios have started providing online sessions, and you can take one too! If you aren’t already a member of a gym or health studio, consider the host of at-home-workout routines on YouTube or fitness apps for absolutely free.
Moreover, you can include more movement in your routine by taking short breaks between work for a quick stretch, going for a walk with your dog, spending time doing gardening or cleaning your home (yes, that is workout too!), taking the stairs to your apartment, etc.
Get Appropriate Shut-eye
Getting proper rest is essential for your body. A well-rested body maintains good metabolism and energy levels. Moreover, appropriate sleep helps in regulating your hunger and mood.
It is crucial that you get 7-9 hours of shut-eye each night. Watching your favorite shows during late hours of the night every once in a while is alright; however, maintain a night routine where you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
Don’t Do This For Weight Loss
While giving you a guide to the things you should be doing for weight loss, it is important that we talk about a few things you should not be doing, too.
Skip Breakfast
Breakfast is considered as the most important meal of the day by researchers. The first meal after getting up in the morning needs to be fulfilling and nutritious to provide you energy for the entire day.
Never, ever skip breakfast as it can lead to impulsive eating throughout the day. Moreover, skipping breakfast can make you feel tired because you aren’t fueling your body properly.
Starve Yourself
Starving yourself is another big ‘No’ because when you deprive yourself of food, your body goes into a panic mode and slows down your metabolism to save the remnants of energy it has to fuel vital functions. By starving yourself, you may lose muscle mass and nutrients.
Therefore, it is crucial for your body’s normal functioning that you keep fueling yourself with healthy food and not deprive your body with the energy and nutrition that it needs.
Let Your Lifestyle Get Boring
Any lifestyle is bound to get boring if you let it! In order to always be looking forward to healthy eating, and exercising, figure out ways to switch things up every now and then.
You can find loads of delicious recipes online, change your exercise routine, join an online community for workouts and healthy-eating, etc. to bring in excitement in your lifestyle.
Give up
Finally, we’d like to tell you to never give up on your healthy lifestyle. Yes, you are allowed to have treats; yes, you are allowed to have rest days during workouts; yes, you are allowed to curl up in bed when you don’t feel like moving during this quarantine.
However, it is crucial that you don’t give up on your goals for a healthy body. Keep moving, keep eating well, and keep taking care of yourself. After all, if you don’t, then who will?
Final Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted most of our routines and has taken a toll on our health. Many people are also facing the ‘quarantine 15’ by putting on a few pounds.
If you’re dreading gaining weight during the pandemic, or are determined to shred extra pounds, this article provided a do’s and don’ts guide for weight loss during the pandemic.
Author’s Bio: Annie Edith has been a blogger for as long as she can remember—more than 11 years to be precise. She specializes in healthcare, elderly support, and anti-aging treatments. When she’s not writing blogs, she’s working on a marketing copy or serving as a virtual assistant to her clients.
