Avoiding Your Favorite Pre-Pandemic Clothes?

A major cause of Pandemic Pounds is not stress-related anxiety, but the additional time spent at home living day-after-day in their food environment. In many cases, stay-at-home workers are struggling to flatten their own pandemic curve that is measured in pounds. A recent WebMD poll found that almost half of the female participants and about one-fourth of the men reported weight gain. That has led some experts to proclaim that it is time to stop thinking about survival and start implementing sustainable strategies for weight control. In general, a lack of exercise, long hours at the computer and TV, and stress eating are commonly listed as the primary reasons for unwanted weight gain.

For some, an increase in alcohol consumption and mindless snacking on the sofa can be added to that list. Try these helpful tips for managing pandemic pounds:

• Avoid Refined Sugars - Limiting your consumption of simple carbohydrates like those found in sugary foods, sugar-sweetened drinks, pasta, and baked goods can help you achieve your weight goals while improving certain health markers.
• Eat More Protein - Since consuming healthy amounts of protein can fill you up and limit between meal hunger pangs, high-protein foods and supplements are a useful weight loss tool. Like most things, over doing it can backfire.
• Consume Less Carbs - Although you can lose a lot of water weight after starting a low-carb diet, critics of low-carb menu plans point out the rate will slow after the first few weeks. However, if you stick with your low-carb menu plan, your fat mass should continue to decrease.
• Move More Often - When you add exercise to your weight loss routine, it is critical to manage portion sizes and avoid snacking between meals. Your body’s first response when exercising more is for you to eat more often, but consuming real foods can keep you satisfied and energized.
• Increase Intake of Whole Foods - For inspiration, visit your favorite fresh food store and fill your basket with fruits and vegetables. Adding whole foods to your menu plan is a great way to increase nutrients and fiber.
• Work on Sleep Quality - If you can, avoid taking late afternoon or early evening naps. Try to relax before bedtime by taking a soothing soak or reading a book, as naps can make it difficult for you to fall asleep at night.

Getting control of emotional eating during the COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge that most of us have never encountered, but getting started on a weight loss journey that ends with sustainable weight loss requires the same level of personal commitment that it did before the viral outbreak. If you are already at a healthy weight, then you are ahead of the game, but staying at a healthy weight always require a sustainable plan that includes healthy menus, a little exercise, and the right support mechanisms to help keep you on track. Although gaining a few pounds in the short term is nothing to worry about, it is important to establish new routines for dealing with the “New Normal”, which still finds most of us spending lots of time surrounded by our home food environment as well as still choosing from limited exercise options. Have a professional create personalized menus that meet your needs. It will work the same as before the coronavirus.