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7 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Weight During The Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to adapt in so many different areas of our lives. It can sometimes feel like we can’t do anything the way we used to or the way we’d like to do.

Working out falls into this category and, as a result, people are gaining weight.

All over the country, gyms are closing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Even if your fitness center is still open, you may not feel comfortable being there because of large groups of people or mask mandates. Whatever the reason, many people are adjusting their wellness routines.

Even though changes might be hard to make at first, there are plenty of things you can do to maintain your weight, even during this crisis.

You might be trying to achieve short-term results, but you will also find long-term benefits.

There are often higher premiums on life insurance for overweight individuals, so fighting through this coronavirus crisis to maintain your weight is important for the future.

A healthier weight will also help you live longer and at a higher quality of life.

Here is my list of seven ways to maintain a healthy weight during this pandemic. The ideas on this list could apply to any time of life, but they are especially important given the current circumstances in our world.

7 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Weight During The Pandemic

#1 – Drink Your Water

Many people struggle with hydration under normal circumstances.

When it comes to maintaining your weight, however, drinking enough water is especially important.

Water is an essential part of burning fat through a process called hydrolysis and also aids in removing waste from our bodies.

Drinking enough water also helps you to control mindless eating because it acts as an appetite suppressant. If our stomachs are full of water, we do not experience the feeling of hunger, and we are less likely to eat when we don’t need to.

The right amount of water that each person needs is unique to each individual, but there are common places to start.

Have a glass of water every time you eat and drink when you are thirsty in the interim periods. This is a great starting point that applies to most people.

#2 – Take a Walk Everyday

I have been a Wisconsinite all of my life, so I know some of you read that headline and scoffed at the idea of walking outside in the cold. This is a friendly reminder to take a short, brisk walk. You don’t need to run a marathon.

Even if it’s cold outside (that doesn’t apply to many Southern states), bundling up to take a walk is worth it. This pandemic has forced higher levels of inactivity, so getting up to move is a good idea, even if we aren’t talking about maintaining weight.

Talking a walk every day is a great way to burn extra calories and combat the sedentary lifestyle this pandemic is trying to force on many of us. You may even enjoy your routine to the point that it makes you want to walk for a longer period or even start to incorporate running.

#3 – Eat Fruits and Vegetables

If we are going to be eating more during this pandemic, it might as well be something healthy, right?

While the first part of that statement is meant in humor, the second certainly holds true. Healthy foods are better for weight maintenance than unhealthy foods.

Now, I understand you didn’t start reading this to have me tell you that healthy foods are healthy for you.

The less repetitive part of the suggestion is the different reasons why fruits and veggies are good for you.

For starters, they are full of water, which is an important consideration that we talked about earlier. In addition, fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of fiber.

This is an essential component that many of our diets are missing, and it is important for our digestive health.

7 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Weight During The Pandemic

#4 – Manage Your Stress

Easy to do during the midst of a global crisis, right? As difficult as it might be to keep your stress levels under control in our current world, it is imperative to do so.

High levels of stress and various stressful events negatively affect our bodies in many ways and weight is no exception.

When we are stressed, our bodies produce higher levels of a hormone called cortisol.

One of the negative effects of cortisol is its impact on insulin levels. It promotes an increase in these levels, causing your blood sugar to drop, which leads to the craving for fatty foods.

Taking time every day to do something that relieves your stress is important because it will help you to do less stress eating, leaving your waistline trimmer.

Yoga, reading, prayer, and exercise can help manage stress. Choose whatever works best for you, but low stress levels are imperative.

#5 – Workout

Working out takes the daily walk I mentioned early and goes one step further; no pun intended.

Increasing your caloric output during a workout helps offset extra calories you might be eating, but it also can provide help with a metabolic boost for hours after.

If you utilize interval training or resistance training in your workouts, you are likely to see an increased calorie burn after you finish your workout.

Your body needs to expend extra energy in order to heal, and these types of workouts require more recovery.

7 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Weight During The Pandemic

#6 – Cook at Home

Eating fast food or takeout from other restaurants is one of the leading ways we increase our intake of calories.

These foods are filled with more fat and calories than the foods we would cook at home, and it is harder to know exactly what a cook or chef puts into them.

Eating at home puts you in control of your meals. You can track the ingredients you put into your meals as well as your portion sizes so that you are more aware of what is going into your body.

Also, lack of time is no longer an excuse not to cook since this pandemic is keeping so many of us at home.

#7 – Keep a Wellness Journal

A wellness journal can really be whatever you want it to be. It might be a food log, a workout tracker, a diary, or all of the above.

The important part of keeping a journal is that it makes you aware of what you are doing for your health and how you are feeling on a daily basis.

When you have a record of how foods, workouts, or emotions are affecting your life, you can use the information to decide how to plan your course of maintaining a healthy weight.

A journal also makes you aware of your actions which motivates you to make healthier choices.

Maintain, Don’t Gain

This is an unprecedented period of time for all of us. We are dealing with the effects of a global pandemic and the way we go about our daily lives is completely different from what it used to be.

We might be moving less, eating worse, or just feeling an overwhelming mix of emotions that cause negative reactions in our bodies. The results of all of these can lead to weight gain.

Fortunately, there are plenty of things we can do to keep our weight healthy during this crisis.

By taking small steps like the ones above, we can be more aware of our health.

Focus on the physical, dietary, and mental parts of your life and the scale will stay in a healthy zone.

Dan Chojnacki writes and researches for the life insurance site, EffortlessInsurance.com. He currently trains in Green Bay, WI where he is also a group fitness instructor.

In his free time, he enjoys running, swimming, biking, playing tennis, and coaching youth softball

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