Don’t Let Weight Gain Get Out of Control

Although doctors say you shouldn’t worry yourself over a few pounds gained during the coronavirus pandemic, you also shouldn’t allow your weight gain get too far out of your control. It is easy to understand why you may have gained weight while sheltering at home during the pandemic. After all, searching online for comfort food recipes has reached an all-time high making it easy to gain five, ten, or even twenty pounds. Step one for losing pandemic pounds is to come up with a plan. Weight loss is doable, but you will need to manage four components, including your menu plan, exercise routines, stress, and sleep hygiene. Whether you’ve added unwanted pounds or not, now is a good time to reassess key lifestyle issues.

Wisely use the down time while sheltering in place to reshape your priorities and refocus your efforts.

• Avoid Sugary Food & Drinks - Don’t be fooled by food products and drinks that are marketed as health foods. These can contain significant amounts of added sugar and sodium.
• Consume More Protein - If you are looking for the best protein sources for losing weight, try increasing your daily intake of high-protein foods such as whole eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, meat, and low-fat dairy products.
• Eat Fewer Carbohydrates - Diets are not one size fits all, and different levels of carbohydrate intake work best for different people. While eating fewer carbs is crucial, you don't need to completely eliminate carbs from your diet.
• Exercise More Often - Although it is true that you cannot out exercise a bad diet, being physically active is an important component for successful weight loss. However, start slow or your body will tell you to eat more.
• Eat More Whole Foods - Whole food menu plans are based on consuming foods that are unprocessed and refined as little as possible. Whole food diets typically do not contain added salt, refined sugars, or animal fat.
• Get More Rest Every Day - Even in younger people, a sleep deficit of three to four hours a night over the course of a week has major effects on their ability to manage stress and process glucose from carbohydrate intake.

It may be difficult for you to notice but spending too much time at home creates numerous unforeseen consequences that can trigger weight gain. Create a daily exercise routine like taking a walk and don’t abandon your pre-quarantine menu plan. Weight gain related to the coronavirus or self-isolation is the result of overeating and becoming less active along with the probable changes in sleep habits. Staying up late and sleeping until noon could also be a culprit. Increased appetite and weight gain have long been linked to inadequate and often excess sleep. Unfortunately for most people, it is easy to abandon their sleep routine with extra time on their hands. To stop gaining weight, stop staying up late and sleeping in the next day. Relying on comfort food causes your body to crave sweets, fats, and salts due to an increased release of cortisol. Consult with a weight loss specialist at MRC Fort Walton to learn more about healthy snacks and stress-reducing activities.