Losing Quarantine Weight Gain: Tips for Dropping Covid Pounds
The coronavirus pandemic has upended daily routines and usual habits. With stay-at-home restrictions and stress levels soaring, many have packed on the quarantine 15 or more pounds. However, with strategic lifestyle tweaks, dropping covid weight gain is very achievable.
How Quarantine Causes Weight Gain
Several factors during lockdowns perpetuate covid-related weight gain including:
- Less physical activity and structured exercise
- More boredom and mindless eating
- Disrupted sleep patterns
- Increased alcohol/caloric beverage intake
- Reliance on takeout/delivery meals
- Heightened anxiety and depression
Is Covid Weight Gain Inevitable?
Absolutely not! While early lockdowns fueled lifestyle changes deleterious for waistlines, people now better understand how establishing healthy routines counters quarantine weight gain.
6 Habits Facilitating Covid Weight Loss
#1 - At-Home Workouts
With gyms closed at various times, creating a home exercise routine became vital. Online workout videos, activity apps and equipment like weights and bands replaced a scrapped gym schedule. Just 30 minutes daily substantially impacts weight.
#2 - Step Counting
Countless activity trackers monitor steps, encouraging users to hit personalized milestones (e.g. 10,000 daily steps). Quantifying activity motivates people to deliberately increase movement for weight management.
#3 - Scheduled Exercise
Without structured routines, physical activity tends to suffer. Pre-pandemic, many relied on built-in exercise like commuting or gym sessions. Scheduling at-home workouts preserves activity levels and metabolic health.
#4 - Stress Management
Unmanaged pandemic stress drives overeating and weight gain due to elevated cortisol and inflammatory biomarkers. Yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, mental health counselling and other stress-relieving strategies prevent stress-related eating.
#5 - Hydration Habits
Trading sugary, boozy drinks for more water positively influences weight during covid confinement. Proper hydration facilitates fat metabolism plus limits excess calorie intake from beverages that derail weight loss.
#6 - Quality Sleep
Pandemic disruptions frequently interfere with healthy sleep-wake cycles. Prioritizing sleep normalizes appetitive hormones that regulate hunger cues. Without adequate rest, efforts combating covid weight gain suffer.
5 Habits Hindering Covid Weight Loss
#1 - Boredom Snacking
Confinement coupled with joblessness fuels mindless nibbling all day. Curbing repetitive drifter grazing necessitates awareness and distraction techniques like phone calls to rein in pointless calorie binging.
#2 - Comfort Food Cravings
Stress eating familiar tasty treats seems harmless but comfort food provides empty calories lacking nutrition. Indulging cravings too often derails weight loss goals.
#3 - Alcohol Consumption
Happy hours may thrive digitally but increased alcohol intake piles on stealthy calories and lowers inhibitions regarding healthy eating. Limiting drinks avoids significant covid weight gain.
#4 - Video Binging
Bored nights-in trigger binge-watching and simultaneous snacking. This problematic pairing propagates mindless overeating. Disengaging from screens disrupts associative eating.
#5 - Poor Sleep Patterns
Pandemic stress commonly disrupts healthy sleep-wake cycles. Attempting weight loss while constantly fatigued seriously sabotages progress. Prioritizing sleep optimization supports weight loss efforts.
Strategies to Lose Quarantine Weight Gain
Evidence-based techniques for dropping covid pounds include:
- Intermittent fasting - Restricting eating windows
- Counting calories - Monitoring dietary intake
- Low-carb dieting - Reducing heavy carbs
- High-protein eating - Promoting satiation
- Portion control - Right-sizing meals
- Meal prepping - Planning weekly menus
Jumpstarting Covid Weight Loss Plateaus
Plateaus eventually frustrate even well-intentioned weight loss efforts. Jumpstarting stalled covid weight includes:
- Recalculating caloric need - Accounting for weight changes
- Revamping workouts - Preventing adaptation
- Trying intermittent fasting - Spiking metabolism
- Cutting refined carbs and sugar - Minimizing insulin spikes
- Increasing protein intake - Maximizing satiety
- Prioritizing sleep - Optimizing fat-burning hormones
Maintaining Covid Weight Loss
Keeping off quarantine pounds long-term requires permanent adoption of new lifestyle habits, like:
- Exercising 4-5 times weekly
- Preparing meals at home
- Practicing mindful eating
- Weighing regularly
- Tracking food and activity
- Managing stress appropriately
Consulting Professionals for Losing Quarantine Weight
If struggling to slim down, consult weight loss professionals. Many clinics offer telehealth consultations during covid-19 surges, providing customized guidance for overcoming plateaus. Professionals also address underlying issues fueling weight gain like thyroid dysfunction or eating disorders.
FAQs
Why did I gain weight during the pandemic?
Lockdowns promoted inactivity, stress-eating, poor sleep, more alcohol intake, and reliance on delivery foods - all factors spurring weight gain. Disrupted routines also removed built-in activity like commuting to work or the gym.
How can I lose the weight I gained during quarantine?
Home workouts, step counting, scheduled exercise, stress management, proper hydration, quality sleep, intermittent fasting, calorie counting, meal prepping, and expert guidance facilitate dropping covid pounds gained while staying home.
What causes covid weight loss plateaus?
Plateaus hit when caloric intake aligns too closely with expenditure. Recalculating caloric needs for current weight, revamping workouts, upping protein, improving sleep quality, and minimizing refined carbs/sugars helps spur plateau breakthroughs.
How do you keep off covid weight long-term?
Permanent lifestyle habit changes enable long-term covid weight maintenance, like consistent exercise 4-5x weekly, preparing meals at home, practicing mindful eating, regular weigh-ins, tracking intake/activity, and effectively managing stress.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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