If you have been gaining weight during quarantine you are not alone. And it is okay! It is a stressful time and we have all been dealing with it in our own way. We can’t expect to keep the same standard we had before. Cut yourself some slack this is not a usual time. You are doing the best you can.
There are several reasons why we might be gaining weight during quarantine.
Sweat pants
When prisoner’s go to jail they end up gaining weight. It is not because they are getting delicious food it is because they wear baggy clothes. When you wear baggy clothes you don’t feel the weight gain. Weight gain doesn’t happen overnight it happens gradually. Wearing sweat pants didn’t make us realize the weight we were putting on.
I have gained 15 pounds since the pandemic started. Before if I went to a restaurant I couldn’t clean the plate now I can. It is because in the pandemic my appetite increased. When I wore sweat pants I didn’t feel the growth. Jeans remind you that you have put on weight. They indicate to you that you are full because they become tight on your stomach. A belt does the same. Those indications that we expected are no longer there as we are wearing sweat pants.
Slowly bring jeans back into your life or workout tights. Even wearing jeans once a week can make you feel good and can be an indication to you.
Side note: I need you to know though girl you are rocking those sweat pants!
Movement
Going to talk to a colleague in the office required movement. So, did the coffee breaks we took. Now we have no excuse to move and we have become couch potatoes. Crammed in a small apartment there might be no space to even take steps. This is why it is important to take steps outside. Count your steps and try to complete 10,000 steps. Motivate yourself by getting a buddy to do these steps with you. Pick up a short workout and try to do it as regularly as possible. Any movement is good movement. Start small and add it to your routine. You have to consciously put in the effort to increase steps. If I don’t actively try to make steps I can go days with just completing 50 steps.
Gyms are closed but workouts are not cancelled
Yes, it has been hard with the gyms being closed. But it doesn’t mean we have to stop moving. Find an online workout you like and try it at home. There are amazing workouts on YouTube. Short workouts can improve moods and reduce stress.
Numbing and Stress
We have been stressed during this pandemic and might be numbing ourselves through food.
Eating chocolate is okay but it is important to know why we are eating chocolate. If you are eating chocolate because you enjoy it go ahead. But if you are eating chocolate to numb pain you are might end up numbing joy as well. If we try to numb emotion we end up numbing all our emotions. So, when you are eating a lot ask yourself why? Understand why you are eating the chocolate and reflecting on the emotion at play and try to find the root problem instead of trying to get rid of it with food. Because food can only temporarily work.
I was eating chocolate whenever I would get stressed at work. At the beginning of the pandemic, I would sleep with my laptop and would be thinking about work even after the workday. I knew something had to change and once I created a work and home barrier it reduced the stress I had at work it reduced the amount of sugar I was eating. I still eat sugar but the amount I eat has decreased.
It is important to know that it is okay to be stressed at this time there are lots of unknowns. Try to notice when you are getting stressed. Write it down. Then later reflect on what happened in that moment and is it something you can change.
Talking to your friends, family, life coach, mentor or a therapist could help you.
Wrap Up for gaining weight during quarantine
This blog is not to shame anyone who has gained weight. I am in the same boat. It is to help you understand why you might have gained weight and let you know it is okay. We all dealt with this in different ways and are still dealing with it. Let’s cancel summer tank top arms and bikini bodies. Let’s have a hot girl summer where we flaunt our new curves confidently. Each part of you is great in all seasons!
The one pandemic lesson we all need to learn is to be gentle on ourselves. We are enough! Our body is enough! Treat yourselves the way you would treat your best friend.
