This Quarantine 15 seems to have doubled on my waistline! :-O Being at home during this quarantine has not been favorable to my body. It seems that every time I walk anywhere in this house, I end up in my kitchen with something in my mouth. My clothes fit a little tighter. The warm weather has went south for the season and thus my walks are fewer. Going to the gym is a little risky right now. Ok! So I’ll stop with the excuses! 😀 LOL! Does anybody else find themselves in my position? Q15 times two! That’s the 15 pounds gained from being on lockdown, times two! That’s 30 pounds in case I lost anybody! 😀 LOL! I feel as if I have exceeded the 15 pounds that experts claimed would be normal during this pandemic. We already tend to pack on pounds during the Holidays and the winter months. Listen! I cannot afford to pack on any more weight. I am making small changes to avoid the Q15x2 dilemma. For example, even if it’s packaged, I am eating more fruit. Peaches are one of my favorite fruit, but they are out of season right now. Reaching for the canned peaches is better that what I was reaching for, cookies! I am reaching less for the chip bag, and just eating a meal with the spirit of snacking comes upon me. What things are you doing to stop the Q15? Rachel Links, a registered dietician, gives us some practical things that we can do to combat the quarantine 15m.

Tips for weight loss during quarantine

Here are a few easy strategies to stay within your target weight range during quarantine. Some of these techniques may even promote weight loss — both during and after lockdown.

Stay hydrated

When it comes to weight loss, what you drink is often just as important as what you eat. Soda, sweet tea, and sports drinks are typically loaded with added sugar and lack important nutrients like vitamins and minerals. These drinks not only raise your calorie intake but also your risk of weight gain (12Trusted Source). Contrarily, drinking more water can help you feel full, thereby decreasing your daily calorie intake. For example, a study in 24 older adults with excess weight and obesity showed that drinking 16.9 ounces (500 mL) of water before breakfast reduced the number of calories eaten at that meal by 13% (13Trusted Source).

Squeeze in some physical activity

While hitting the gym may not yet be an option, plenty of other ways exist to add physical activity to your routine. Try taking a walk around your neighborhood, doing some bodyweight exercises like pushups, or finding a home workout routine online. High intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga, aerobics, and Pilates are a few exercises that you can do almost anywhere with minimal or no equipment. These activities not only burn extra calories to ward off weight gain but also help manage stress and anxiety (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).

Stock up on healthy foods

Eating healthy is much easier when you have a fridge full of nutritious produce like fresh fruits and veggies. Conversely, keeping junk foods like chips, cookies, and cakes on hand may increase your risk of overeating. Next time you go grocery shopping, load your cart with nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. If you’re in a supermarket, try to shop around the store’s perimeter, which is typically where most of the fresh and healthy foods are located.

Cook at home

Cooking is a great way to improve your diet quality while experimenting with new foods and flavors. Plus, preparing healthy meals at home puts you in control of what you’re putting on your plate, making it easy to incorporate more high quality foods. A large study in 11,396 people associated eating home-cooked meals more often with better overall diet quality (16Trusted Source).

What’s more, those who ate more than 5 home-cooked meals per week were 28% less likely to have excess weight and 24% less likely to have excess body fat, compared with those who ate home-cooked meals fewer than 3 times per week (16Trusted Source). While it’s fine to order from your favorite restaurants on occasion, try finding a few new recipes to prepare at home each week.

Stick to a routine

When you’re not leaving the house often, it can be easy to cast aside your daily routine. Yet, establishing a schedule and sticking to it is a great way to build healthy habits while creating a sense of normalcy.

Try setting times to wake up and go to sleep, getting dressed even if you’re working from home, and taking regular breaks throughout the day.

You can also try planning out your meals for the week and setting aside time for meal prep. Interestingly, studies link meal planning to improved diet quality, increased food variety, and an average body weight (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).

Creating a routine can also ensure that you’re able to exercise consistently, which can help promote weight loss (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly, stocking up on healthy foods, cooking at home, and sticking to a routine are all useful strategies for weight loss during and after quarantine.

Rachel Links:

Whatever you do, don’t let this quarantine stress you out. Stress tends to lead to overeating. Make small changes and stay consistent. In the words of our beloved governor, Deacon Andy Beshear, We will get through this!

Blessings

Lady Jae

Sources:
 Rachael Link, MS, RD (2020, August 19) Concerned About Quarantine Weight Gain? What to Know

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/quarantine-weight-gain#tips