If there is one thing that should be low on your list of concerns while living through a global pandemic, it is how to not gain weight. However, there is a fine line between gaining a bit of weight and still living healthy. After all, consuming too much sugar, fat, and processed foods will make you gain weight, feel sluggish, and get sick.
Keeping your weight in check is not about how you look. Still, it is essential to keep in mind that weight plays a direct role in different things. Especially:
- how you feel
- how much energy you have
- and if your immune system is healthy
All of these are incredibly important for staying healthy and having a robust immune system. You will be less likely to catch a nasty virus such as COVID-19.
The food tastes fantastic. It is often a form of comfort for people dealing with an increase in stress and anxiety during hard times. Food also serves as something we enjoy, something we can look forward to. It also provides a variety of activities for people to do, such as:
- cooking
- baking
- ordering in favorite takeout meals
- and more.
With nothing to do, and unessential businesses closed, people cannot do normal activities, prepping meals becomes the activity in many cases.
But, even though this is the case these days, you must not lean on food to deal with stress and anxiety. Staying at a healthy weight for your body is essential as well.
In this post, we are going to look at a few small changes that you can make in your daily life while in quarantine, not to gain weight that will be hard to drop once life gets back to normal.
Drink more water to not gain weight
Drinking water is essential for keeping your body hydrated. Still, it is also the perfect tool for keeping hunger and cravings at bay and ensuring you don’t always overeat. A lot of the time, people are merely thirsty when they think they are hungry or craving something specific to eat.
A good trick is to drink some water if you are feeling hungry or snacky but have just eaten a full meal or will be eating a more substantial meal again soon. If you drink a glass of water and are still feeling hungry, go for a snack of your choice, but if that hunger subsides a bit, then you were likely thirsty. Go back and drink another glass of water and move on with your day!
Go on daily walks
Walking is a fun and simple way to get up and to move during the day. Working out and burning off some calories doesn’t have to be stressful, require an intense workout, or anything fancy. Getting outside once or twice per day for a nice walk is mostly all you need to stay healthy and fit – paired with a relatively healthy and balanced diet, of course.
Eat loads of fruits and veggies to not gain weight
When eating meals, especially lunch, dinner, or an afternoon snack, aim to eat some veggies. For dinner, load up with a large serving of vegetables to go with the meal you are eating for the night. Make some carrot and zucchini bread for the morning, snack on chips, dip, and veggies for an afternoon snack.
You can also opt for some meatless lunches or dinners, which is a fantastic way to boost the veggie intake as efficiently as possible. You will learn to cook with a lot more plant-based foods when you are going for a vegetarian or vegan meal.
Enjoy it, and stay healthy!