Did you gain the “COVID-19” over the past year? It is similar to the “Freshman 15” — a number of studies show that many people did gain weight in 2020. In a poll taken by WebMD®, 50% of women and 25% of men reported they had gained weight during the pandemic lockdowns. Another survey by Weight Watchers® had similar results. About a third of the Weight Watchers respondents said they gained weight, with the average gain of 12 1/2 pounds. Another study of nearly 8000 adults was taken last April, with results published in the Journal of Obesity. Almost 28% of the total sample reported weight gain.
Individually we can do nothing to change the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and the resulting stay-at-home or work-from-home orders. Nor can we change the fact that many gyms were closed and it was not easy to exercise with other people. Because of the situation, stress, anxiety, and depression increased for many people. This can lead to a lack of sleep, which itself can cause weight gain. Feelings of high anxiety can lead to overeating ultra-processed foods that are high in salt, fat, and sugar and low in nutrients. Some people binge-watched TV or Netflix® shows in an attempt to alleviate stress. Sales of alcohol were up by 40% in the early days of lockdown. All of these changes, taken together, made weight gain likely for many people.
If this happened to you or to a loved one, what can you do? In order to lose weight or make any other change, you need to take action.
Change Your Thoughts
Our thoughts are very powerful and greatly control both our feelings and our actions. If you have no willpower to control what you eat, you will overeat when you go to a buffet restaurant. In order to change your thoughts, you have to be aware of what you are thinking in a particular circumstance.
As an example, consider the case that you are working from home due to the COVID-19 shutdown. Write down your thoughts. One thought might be “I will overeat because I am home all of the time.” Then reframe the negative thought to a positive one. In this case, change your negative thought to “I will have more time to cook healthy food without my daily 30-minute commute to work.” Every time you find yourself thinking the negative thought, practice saying the positive one to yourself instead.
When the fitness center I go to shut down last April, my first thought was catastrophic. “I won’t be able to exercise anymore!” I soon chose to change my thoughts to “I will figure out a way to keep on exercising.”
Change Your Feelings
Negative thoughts usually lead to negative feelings such as sadness, depression, and anxiety. On the other hand, positive thoughts lead to positive feelings of optimism, happiness, or contentment. One way to short-circuit feelings of anxiety is to practice deep breathing. One technique is called box breathing. To box breathe, first inhale for a count of four. Then hold your breath for another count of four. Exhale to a count of four, and, lastly, hold the exhale for another four-count. Most people they feel more relaxed and in the present moment when they repeat this two to three times.
Deep breathing increases the oxygen supply to the brain and helps with the relaxation response. Once you feel more relaxed, it is easier to change your thought patterns and your actions.
Change Your Actions
The final step is to change your actions. If you are working at home for the first time, you might choose to take periodic work breaks. During the breaks, practice deep breathing or walk around outdoors for 10 minutes. Each of these actions is relaxing and makes it less likely you will eat as a stress reliever.
When you realize you have an extra hour of free time that you used to spend commuting, you can spend part of that time searching the internet for healthy recipes. With a few healthy recipes, you can shop for whole foods instead of ultra-processed convenience foods. The extra time also gives you more time to cook healthy meals for yourself and your family.
While my fitness center was closed, I searched YouTube and tried out a number of different exercise videos. My center also began offering Zoom classes and I tried out a number of them. Even though the exercises I did at home were different from those in the gym, I made it a goal to keep the exercise schedule I had followed at the gym.
Experience Changed Results
By changing your thoughts, feelings, and actions you should experience changed results. If you think positively about your eating and exercise habits, you are likely to feel more positive. These positive feelings should lead to healthier actions such as exercising regularly and eating mostly whole unprocessed foods. When you perform these types of actions habitually, you will have a healthier body and mind.
If you need help with the process of changing your food or lifestyle choices, I would be happy to help. Contact me through my website at GingerHudock.com for a free 20-minute phone consultation.
