How losing weight during quarantine works
Many people need to lose weight during quarantine. Stress eating became a widespread response to the uncertainty brought by the coronavirus pandemic. With all the strange stuff going on, how do you get yourself back into shape?
We’ll start by rooting out the cause of our poor eating habits during these times. More importantly, we will go through the different ways you can do it! Then, we’ll explain why you should still watch what you eat.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought so many weird changes to our lives. We’re still far from the end of it, though, so we should keep our bodies in tip-top shape. After all, this will help us minimize our COVID risk and keep other illnesses away.
Why do people eat more during the pandemic?
Have you ever heard of the “Quarantine 15”? You probably guessed we just made up the term recently. It refers to the 15 pounds of weight gained during the pandemic.
Why is this a thing nowadays? People have been hanging out at home way too often. Countries have implemented lockdowns to keep the spread of the coronavirus.
What’s more, we followed public health guidelines such as social distancing. We limited our time outdoors and stayed in our homes more often. This had many unintended problems, though.
People felt more anxious about the future. They just wanted the lockdowns to end. Those working from home may have coped a bit better.
So we waited for several months, just sitting around the house. However, the virus just kept spreading. Eventually, people had to find new ways to cope.
Specifically, people ate more snacks during the pandemic. In the US, 76 million snack eaters said that eating helped them relax. Nearly half of them preferred crunchy snacks.
Sadly, 3 out of 10 snackers admitted that they gained weight because of their habits. Specifically, 76% of Americans gained roughly 16 pounds between March and July 2020.
Why should I stop stress eating?
You may already know why you should stop eating to manage stress. Still, we have to tackle them to help all readers understand this issue. Here are the usual health problems it causes:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Joint pains
- Breathing problems
- Sleep problems
You may gain so much weight that you qualify as obese. It’s when your body mass index (BMI) is at 30-35. Not only will you get fat, but you also increase the risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms:
- Reduced lung volume – Too much fat could push up on your diaphragm. This may collapse your airways, making it harder for your lungs to mix oxygen into your blood. In turn, you’ll have a harder time breathing with COVID-19.
- More blood clots – Studies show that obese people’s blood has a higher tendency for clotting. This is dangerous because COVID-19 causes a person’s blood to coagulate more.
- Weaker immunity – If you’re obese, you’re replacing more immune tissue for body fat. This means your body creates fewer immune cells that fight illnesses.
- Weaker vaccine protection – COVID shots help immune cells “remember” the coronavirus so they could fight this disease. However, cells from obese people are weaker than normal. As a result, the vaccine isn’t as effective for them.
How do I lose weight during quarantine?
After recalling the risk factors from being fat, it’s time to get rid of it! But how will you do it? Can you pull it off even if you can’t go to the gym? Well, yes, you can!
Think about it. People gain weight during the pandemic because of too much eating and not enough moving. Fortunately, you can do something about them indoors.
Let’s start with your food. People have been stress eating even before COVID. You can do it during this crisis. Here’s how you stop using food as a stress reliever:
- Eat more healthy foods – Try adding some vegetables to your next meals. Once you’re used to them, try adding some more. Even better, use this as an opportunity to try cooking at home. Try making dishes that include veggies.
- Avoid junk – You don’t have to join the majority who are eating more chips. Instead, munch on seeds, nuts, and whole grains. Don’t touch the ones you still have at home and don’t buy more—i
- Get enough sleep – If you’re stressed, a good night’s rest usually helps. Most people need around 8 hours of sleep.
- Limit your portions – Servings per meal should fit in the palm of your hand. When you’re snacking, try to eat only half.
- Enjoy your meal – This may seem odd since we told you to eat less. Yet, this will help you get the most out of your smaller meals. Take time to savor your food. You’ll notice that the smaller portions are still filling!
Now it’s time for the exercise part. Aside from being cooped up inside, most people tend to stay on the couch.
Read More: Natural Weight Loss Tips and Tricks
You could beat the trend using these tips:
- Do chores – Just ten minutes of exercise every day can do wonders for your health. The term “exercise” often refers to physical movement, so even household chores may count. Examples include cleaning your house. Get rid of clutter and fat at the same time!
- Just walk – This is an even simpler way to exercise. Walk around the house for 10 minutes or so. It’s even more beneficial if you have a yard because you get to bask in sunlight too.
- Follow an exercise routine – Contrary to popular belief. You don’t have to buy expensive gym equipment. They’re free, and you don’t need any weights or other equipment. You may find helpful exercise routines on the internet.
Final thoughts
The pandemic caused many of us to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. This plays a role in our harmful eating habits. In turn, they could ruin our metabolic rates and cause heart disease.
If you’re having trouble following our tips, don’t worry. These aren’t the only ways of losing weight during quarantine. Perhaps other weight loss programs suit you better.
Take Weight Watchers, for example. It’s been around for several years, helping Americans improve their health and get into shape. It even adapted to the pandemic!
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Learn more about losing weight during quarantine
Why do people eat more during quarantine?
People find it hard to adapt to the drastic and constant changes brought by the pandemic. A whole society does not usually stay indoors for more than a year to avoid a virus. Food can make people feel better about the whole ordeal, even for a little while. As a result, more people ate snacks during quarantine.
How do I lose weight during quarantine?
First, cut down on stress eating by avoiding chips, candies, and other snacks. Then, replace those with healthier foods, especially vegetables and nuts. Also, perform more physical activities such as walking around the house or even just cleaning it. Lastly, get enough sleep every night so you can relieve stress naturally.
Do I have to spend a lot to lose weight?
Contrary to popular belief, you can bust some pounds without spending a lot on gym equipment. You may lose weight from doing chores or following online exercise routines. Cook meals at home that contain healthy ingredients so you can reduce fat and increase your cooking prowess! You don’t have to buy special meals either.
