Worried About Gaining Weight During the Second Lockdown? Here Are Some Things You Need to Know

Life during the COVID-19 pandemic is extremely challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally. Those who are currently at home face a whole array of challenges. A major challenge most people face these days is gaining weight during lockdown. What causes weight gain during lockdown, and how can we minimize the damage? Here are some safe tips to prevent weight gain.

Drinking Water

Hydration is one of the most important things these days. Drink water to help your body curb appetite from eating out of boredom. Fizzy drinks and packaged fruit juices do not provide the nutritional values your body needs and add unnecessary calories that are not easy to burn off.

Physical Activity

Staying at home, limited movement range, and gym closures have caused some of us to get out of our fitness routines and adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. Although the gym is closed now, today you can use new technologies to work out at home with household equipment or even with a six-pack of water. You can also go for a short walk on the grass or jump rope—anything that gets the body moving is good.

Nutrition

Diet plays the most important role in weight management. Avoid unhealthy foods entirely and stock up on healthy foods to eat. This will help you take control of your weight. Besides that, try to cook at home—it will also serve as a great activity, and you'll know exactly what you're putting into your body.

Portion Sizes

Eat from smaller plates and packages. This may cause you to reduce your calorie intake by about a third.

Mindful Eating

Mindless eating is the worst because then you consume too many calories without realizing it. Boredom can mislead us and disrupt feelings of hunger and satiety. Therefore, it is recommended to draft a menu with a clinical dietitian, using online services, who can help find the most suitable foods for you.

Reducing Stress and Anxiety

During lockdown, there is a massive increase in mental health problems. Loneliness, anxiety, and depression are the most common mental issues identified recently. Social isolation severely impacts our psychological health, and it is one of the main causes of weight gain during lockdown and a potential barrier to weight loss. Economic, mental, and emotional stress relates to an increase in cortisol, which causes us to increase appetite and gain weight. Try stress reduction techniques like meditation (you can find it on YouTube or download an app), ensure adequate sleep, and focus on positive thinking.

Take Care of Yourself

If there are chronic illnesses, keep in touch with your treating physician and check that the metrics are okay. Following the previous lockdown, many technologies were developed, allowing communication with the doctor without having to visit the clinic physically.

In conclusion, remember that this is a temporary period, so it is important to maintain as much positive thinking and optimism as possible.

Adina Bakr is a clinical dietitian at the DMC Center for Diabetes Treatment