These are the common habits to be mindful of in order to stay healthy and fit at home.
In the grand scheme of things, putting on a few pounds during this COVID-19 pandemic should be the least of your concerns. As long as you're safe at home, staying healthy, and doing everything you can to prevent the spread of the virus, that's all that matters.
That said, self-quarantining and social distancing don't exactly present the most healthy or active lifestyle. With so much time spent indoors, you may now be worried about maintaining any weight loss progress you had made before the lockdown orders were put into place. Or, you may simply want to emerge from this pandemic as healthy and fit as when it started, which is totally understandable.
Here are some common habits people have been adopting during quarantine that can lead to weight gain. Be mindful of these, and you can keep your health and fitness in check for however long the current situations lasts.
1. Too much snacking.
We're all trying the best that we can to manage the ample amount of idle time at home, however, if you're like me, you might be winding up to the kitchen more often than the usual, eh? "Let me see what's in there, I'll just have a look" kind of thing. Unfortunately, not all snacking is unhealthy, often, the most satisfying snacks are the ones worst for you — stacked with empty carbs, sugar, and salt, which are not as great in excess. If in case you need to satisfy a snacking need, try your best to constrain or limit your portions or pivot to healthier, produce-based choices that include filling protein and fiber, similar to carrot sticks and hummus or an apple with almond butter.
2. Eating too much bread, pasta, and complex carbs.
If you're super active and burning off a lot of calories every day, processed carbs like bread and pasta won't be as bad as it is for you. Otherwise, those carbs can easily turn into extra pounds. It is definitely okay to eat bread or pasta, but everything in moderation. You want a little trick? Limit yourself in consuming complex carbs before noon or 1 pm.
3. Ordering too much take out and delivery.
Even before the outbreak, this is by far the best way to continue to support your local restaurants, most of which are in dire need of your support. However, you need to understand that although many restaurants prepare food that tastes good and pleases their customers, those ingredients or portion sizes don't necessarily keep you fit. Support restaurants, but be mindful of how much you're eating. And try to keep your orders full of as many fresh fruits, vegetables and protein as possible.
4. Drinking (too much) alcohol.
Let's be honest: Nearly everyone is consuming more alcohol during these trying times than ever before. One, maybe two glasses of wine or a cocktail are typically okay. But binge drinking or getting drunk? Well, it's not only bad for you, but it has a cumulative effect on your body, mind, and weight (hi, drunk snacks) that's not great.
Drinking also makes your sleep worse, which can cause you to eat more and exercise less the next day. So, keep in mind what and how much you are consuming and try to moderate it as much as possible.
5. Drinking juices or sodas instead of water.
Let's be honest. Who among us hasn't enjoyed that fresh, sweet glass of OJ in the morning? It feels healthy, like you are doing your body a favor, right? Its true that there are plenty of vitamins and nutrients in your glass of juice, but there is also an unreasonable amount of sugar in every sip; sugar that mostly won't get burned off unless you are running or exercising as often.
As for soda? There is undoubtedly no benefits from drinking soda, we all know that. Instead, drink water or tea. Your body will thank you later.
6. Not watching your portion sizes.
During these stressful times, a lot of us prepare comfort food because, well, comfort food gives you this happiness and warm, fuzzy feels. However, the downside of consuming comfort food all too often, is that, it comes with massive portion sizes and loads of butter or cheese. So yes, if you want to keep your weight down, keep your portion sizes small.
7. Isolating yourself
It's often-overlooked, but healthy eating habits have a strong psychological component. If you find yourself increasingly isolated, it could be a symptom of depression, which is frankly probably more common now than ever. In isolation, people can much more easily depart from their regular routine, and as a result, eat more, drink more, and snack more. As odd as it may sound, do yourself (and others) a favor and check-in via phone calls, texts, or video conferencing. It's not a direct way to lose weight, but indirectly, it's a vital way to keep your mental health in check, which can benefit your whole body.
8. Inactivity!
We're all binge-watchers of cable news or streaming TV right now, and/or glued to our laptops in order to work from home… which leads to a lot of sitting time, and way less moving time.
Moving your body and working out leads to healthier habits. So if you can, go for a safely and social-distanced walk. If that's not possible, do some stretches, planks, ab exercises, jumping jacks, burpess, or running in place at home. Get your blood pumping and work up a sweat. It will make you feel a lot better, and keep you in shape.
9. Ignoring a routine.
At times like this, one of the most disorienting parts of the way we are living our lives now is the loss of old routine (think: getting the kids prepped for school, running, showering and getting dressed for work, commute, etc). This alleviates inactivity and the best way to avoid this is by starting a new routine to stay healthy.
Wake up at a regular time. Take a morning shower and get dressed. Schedule a regular walk or activity. All of these things will go a very long way to keep you healthy and fitter. And remember, we are all in this together.
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