How To Lose Weight In A Pandemic

Written by Jordyn King, BS Nutrition Science

When the going gets tough…

During this pandemic, chaos can linger working at home or in the office and trying to stay afloat, it can be stressful on our bodies. Anxiety and high stress can happen to any of us, especially if you’re trying to lose weight on top of it. I for one, have gained some unwanted pandemic weight from staying at home and not interacting in social outings per usual. Losing weight is maintained through health and lifestyle changes and we need to teach our bodies to reset our minds and focus on the positives each day! It can be a challenge to overcome losing weight in a pandemic; however, these are some simple steps you can take in reducing your daily caloric intake and increasing your physical activity. 

Sleep more and feel great 

Burning calories don’t always have to involve a gym or high intensity workouts. In this post, we will be discussing some weight loss strategies through simple relaxation and rest. In a study, the Cleveland Clinic found a significant weight change in women who got seven hours of sleep versus five hours of sleep. The women maintaining seven hours of sleep showed prevention of weight loss overtime versus the women with five hour of sleep who had shown more weight gain over time. This could have been due to potential unnecessary snacking, not having enough energy for a physical activity workout, or even just eating more in the late night hours. We all know getting a better night sleep can make us feel great. 

Increasing your physical activity

Sometimes we can all struggle with days when we aren’t able to go to the gym and wear that hefty face mask the whole time. NEAT calories, which are calories you burn from non-exercise activity thermogenesis can include walking to your car from the office to tapping your foot at your work desk. These calories can add up in a day. Wearing a fitness tracker can also help you monitor your steps, track your calories, encourage you to stand, and set goals for daily exercise. I have always learned I do better reaching my goals when it comes to accountability. I have an Apple Watch and to get myself motivated, I partner with my friends for a little friendly competition, weekly check ins, and set calorie goals. Overall, Increasing your physical activity and heartrate for 45 minutes can help you lose weight. 

Water, Water, & Water

I do have to advocate about how healthy it is to drink water and only water throughout the day. For myself, I do have my occasional morning cup of coffee but other than that throughout the day, I stick to water. Increasing your water intake can increase your metabolism and reduce cravings and hunger. Write down how much water you drink, so you can hold yourself accountable. Drinking your calories can lead to long term negative health habits and potential weight gain in the future. 

Stay away from FAD diets 

FAD diets, and otherwise known as “CRASH diet” are a thing of the past that involve unhealthy eating habits, which could potentially lead to disordered eating. Diets are only short term and temporary. Thus, do not have long lasting results for weight loss. After FAD diets are complete, the weight is likely to come back in the future. Changing your unhealthy food lifestyle habits into healthy habits is the best solution for long term weight loss and keeping the weight off. Let’s say you have lost 15 pounds on the Keto diet or Atkins diet that you have worked hard for in a 2 month period; however, there were many dietary restrictions to cut out, especially carbohydrates and sugar foods. But then when time permits, you go back to your regular habits of eating high calorie foods and eventually gain all the weight back. Start out small with your healthy habits, such as increasing your fruit and vegetable intake while incorporating more into your daily meals. I have always recommended intuitive eating to my patients at the hospital, which is a self-care eating framework, where you control what you eat. It is completely fine to indulge sometimes in high calorie food, of course! I indulge in a bowl of ice cream every now and then during this pandemic and I am a nutrition professional, but stay accountable and be patient. YOU’ve GOT THIS!

As we come to a close 

Be mindful of your eating habits, because each person can struggle in their own individual food behaviors. For some it could be not knowing how to meal prep or not knowing how to prepare food at home, while others can struggle with stress, disordered eating from bad FAD diets found on their social media pages. Pandemic weight gain is completely normal, but the time is now to make some changes. Intuitive eating breaks you free from bad habit dieting and learning to eat what you want mindful without guilt, while still losing weight. This may take more time, but this does lead to better results for the present and future. Control what you can to get back to a healthy food lifestyle and to feel better. Some other weight loss tips during the pandemic include; tracking your food intake by either journaling, being mindful of extra snacking or ordering take out, and burning more calories than you consume. Small steps can add up to big changes; with more consistencies more results you will see.