Countries across the globe have implemented measures to slow the transmission of the coronavirus. One popular directive issued by national governments is to advise people to stay home and avoid non-essential travel.
During these times of uncertainty, many turn to food for comfort. Although there’s nothing wrong with snacking once in a while, eating to calm your nerves can cause rapid weight gain.
Excess weight can cause a lot of problems in the body. Being overweight, for instance, can aggravate arthritis symptoms. You may need to undergo other types of rheumatoid arthritis care if the NSAIDs and other pain relievers you’re taking are no longer effective.
If you’ve noticed that you’re packing on the pounds, make the conscious decision to turn your life around and commit to managing your weight.
Here are four tips to help you reach your weight goals during these unprecedented times:
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Come up with a Structured Meal Plan
When you’re in the kitchen, you shouldn’t wander in there for several minutes and come out with whatever food you find in the pantry or refrigerator. While you’re cooped up at home, you should maintain a sense of normalcy by following a routine.
An excellent way to achieve this goal would be to create a meal plan for yourself (or your household if you’re living with your family). When done right, you could produce the calorie deficit necessary for weight loss while giving your body the energy and nutrition necessary to stay healthy.
Meal prep also makes your life easier. You won’t have to worry about what food you’re going to eat next and avoid over-eating, as well.
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Create an Eating Schedule
When you’re busy working from home, keeping yourself nourished at decent hours can be difficult. An example is jumping straight into your laptop after waking up and working on a major project until mid-afternoon.
This unhealthy habit needs to stop. You should eat at regularly scheduled times — similar to what you’ve been doing when you come to work in the office. During these tough times, a little meal scheduling can go a long way in keeping your body healthy.
Tip: You can avoid grazing (also known as mindless eating) by making sure you eat in the dining table. Refrain from bringing your next meal to your work area.
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Snack Wisely
Afternoon snacks are inevitable. At some point, you’re going to need pick-me-ups to get your brain pumping again. If you’re going to have snacks, however, make sure you do so without ruining your weight management goals.
Rather than eat straight from the bag, pour snacks into a transparent single-serving container. This way, you see exactly what food you’re putting in your body and know how much snacks you’re eating.
Also, try to consume healthier snacks. Instead of eating strawberry ice cream and triple chocolate cookies, snack on nuts, seeds and dried fruit.
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Exercise More
Don’t make the excuse of not working out simply because the gym or fitness center in your community isn’t open. Build a gym in your home and start burning those calories.
Not sure what indoor workouts you could do at home? Consider these suggestions:
- Dancing – Whether you’re following a choreographed hip-hop routine, a waltz with your spouse or free-form movement with your favorite pop song, this activity can get your body moving. Just create a playlist with your preferred music app, choose upbeat songs, press play and starting dancing. Make sure to keep the space clear when you’re going to dance.
- “Zoom” Aerobics – You don’t have to exercise by yourself. Join a Zoom workout aerobics class to get your body moving. You could also invite your online friends and stay fit together.
- Planking – This deceptively simple-looking workout will improve your upper-body and core strength. If you’re doing this for the first time, try a plank with your knees on the floor or bent instead of keeping your legs straight. Then, hold the pose for at least ten seconds. As you get more used to this workout, plank with your legs straight and increase your hold time to 30, 45 or 60 seconds.
- Stairs Workout – If your house or apartment building has stairs, use them to get the exercise you need. You can even get creative by turning your stair workout into an interval training session. Spend a few minutes on the stairs. Then, try jumping jacks for a minute or two.
Shed pounds and keep your body in excellent shape. Instead of worrying about the future, look at the pandemic as an opportunity to check your overall health and take measures to stay as healthy as possible.