How to Combat Weight Gain During the Pandemic?

Everyone is knowingly or unknowingly facing mental, emotional, and physical challenges during this pandemic. Being quarantined at home might seem like an excellent time to destress yourself and enjoy some quality time with your family. But, staying at home leads to less physical activity, and combining it with an unhealthy diet can have detrimental effects on your health. It is only natural to be tempted to abandon your usual diet and exercise plan and snack on fried food and indulge in a tub of ice-cream while binge-watching your favorite web series.

Doctors strongly recommend doing your best to prevent weight gain during this pandemic. Keep reminding yourself that you need to lose weight or maintain your weight. By following a healthy lifestyle, weight gain will no longer be inevitable during this time.

Here are a few tips that will help you fight weight gain during this pandemic:

1) Track What You Eat:

It is the best time to start maintaining a food diary. Make sure you write down everything and anything you eat and drink during the entire day. This includes every meal, snack, and midnight munchies. You can calculate the number of calories you have consumed in a day, which will force you to consume fewer calories the next day. There are various fitness and calorie checker apps available.

2) Cut Back on Mindless Snacking:

We know this is a tough one to follow right now when you are stuck at home. But remember your weight goals and stay strong. When you find yourself standing in front of your fridge to figure out what to snack on, ask yourself if you are hungry or just bored or tired. If the answer is not hungry, then close the fridge and step away. In case you are really hungry, do not snack on something more than 150 calories, and stay clear of refined sugar. Never eat directly from a bag, make sure you portion out your serving, and then start eating.

3) Avoid Liquid Calories:

Many people on a diet do not realize that fruit juices contain a lot of calories. Drinking juices might sabotage your diet without you realizing it. Make sure you only drink beverages that contain 0 to 5 calories. Avoid energy drinks, soda, sugar-free beverages, and juices. If you like milk, consume 1% or skim milk.

4) The Plate Method:

This method is a visual way to ensure that you get enough vegetables and lean protein and to limit carbohydrate-rich food. Fill half of your plate with non-starchy veggies, 1/4th of the plate with lean protein, and the rest with starch or bread. This method will make you feel full and help control blood sugars.

5) Stay Physically Active:

You might not be able to go to the gym or to the garden for a walk, but you can stay active inside the house. Find creative ways to stay active. You can dance or do yoga or any other exercise you like. Set time aside daily to workout.

You have a lot more time now than usual, so make the most of it and stay fit and healthy!