Normal habits have been turned upside down, more people are working from home, so they don't walk to and from their office, they have convenient access to their refrigerator, and they're bored. And what do we do when we're bored? We eat.
So, what are we going to do with it? What weight loss plans work in this pandemic?
First of all, understand the kind of weight you're struggling with. Your pandemic weight gain is different from the pounds that have been steadily piled on over the years. When you gain weight over time, the body can develop something called homeostasis, or a metabolic stage.
In everyday language, that means that your body will settle in at a higher number on the scale and change your metabolism to keep you there. So when you cut calories to try to lose pounds, your body slows down and battles you every step of the way.
But the weight you gained during COVID is more a result of conditions than long-term behaviors or metabolic changes.
Good news: none of these habits are so strongly rooted that they are impossible to alter. You just need to know where to get started. Use these guidelines to get back on track.
Soup yourself!
Load your stomach with a broth-based soup before the main course to take the pressure off so that you don't plunge into a calorie-laden steak first. Avoid beer, wine, or the regular cocktail. With its high-calorie content and inhibition-lowering powers, alcohol is not a friend of yours when you're trying to lose weight.
Out of sight, out of mind
You're not likely to eat it if you don't see it. When you're tempted to consume and eat certain foods when you're not physically starving, move the food out of reach. If you're wired to finish the entire family size chip bag if it's in your lap, help yourself out and sit down with a small chunk of chips instead of the whole bag or container.
Rise and shine!
The early bird catches the worm-and also reaps larger metabolic benefits from exercise, according to a study in the journal Cell Metabolism. Researchers discovered that those who trained the first thing in the morning burned more fat and sugar than those who worked at night.
If you're really not active in the morning or an early workout isn't practical, make a point of picking a time of day when you're going to break a sweat-and stick to it. Schedule your workout on the calendar as an appointment, so you don't miss it.
