How to Manage Quarantine Weight Gain?

Quarantine 15? - Let's beat it!

'Quarantine 15', a trending term on the internet for pandemic weight gain, is something that people are stressing about in today's times. A number of reasons have led to the 'Quarantine 15' and the most common reason being - change in lifestyle - work from home leading to sedentary ways, easy access to food and so on.

There was a steep rise in the number of people who have gained weight during the COVID lockdown. Less hours of sleep, stress, unhealthy diet and overeating, lack of physical activity also contributed to weight gain.

Research indicates that there has been an increase in people's perceived weight gain, but very little evidence of actual measured weight gain and some reports of weight loss as well.

The quarantine period during the pandemic has also led to a change in the mental state of people, which contributed to emotional eating and people struggled to stick to their fitness routine. Nonetheless, if weight management is on your mind, simple strategies can help you get back on track.

What are the Causes of Quarantine Weight Gain?

COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on people worldwide and many factors have contributed to the weight gain during the quarantine period. These may include:

Stress

The pandemic has led to a lot of stress in people's lives, whether it is being laid-off or work-from-home, the fear of contracting the disease, fear of losing their loved one, the frustration of having to stay within the four walls of their homes, having to manage home and office work due to the lack of availability of domestic help, educational institutions not operating or whatever may be the reason, they all seem to cause an enormous amount of stress.

Stress influences our food choices and eating habits. Stress over a long period of time has been shown to increase the want for and intake of food that is rich in fat and is calorie packed. This not only contributes to bodily changes in terms of physical appearance but gives rise to metabolic changes that are associated with the fight-flight syndrome.

Our body has the ability to sense the stress we feel and hence it stores all the energy it possibly can in anticipation of the energy required to run away or fight. Therefore, what we eat when being 'stressed' is not metabolized and keeps getting accumulated in the body as fat for consumption in a time of need.

Easy Access to food

Enjoying the comforts of your home while working seems to be quite a deadly combination, especially for people who need to keep a tab on their weight. Food is easily accessible, unhealthy snack choices like cookies, chips and cakes and more frequent snacking are also contributing factors to the 'Quarantine 15' situation.

Inadequate Sleep

Adults need about seven to nine hours of quality sleep in order to ward off the day and wake up refreshed, and depriving your body of the amount of sleep it actually requires can lead to a rise in the production of the hormone 'Ghrelin' - one that signals hunger to your body and a fall in the production of the hormone 'Leptin' - one that signals satisfaction. The balancing of these hormones takes place during sleep and hence depriving your body of sleep leaves you feeling more hungry and tired.

Sedentary lifestyle

Stepping out for work every day or heading to school/college in itself meant more moving around right from the time one wakes up - ensuring that your morning chores are done, getting ready for work, walks to your parking lot, running errands at work, hitting the gym or dance/Zumba routines etc., all added to the physical activity during the pre-COVID times.

Lockdowns and quarantines have led to the 'work-from-home' scenario, which not only means no access to gyms or fitness studios, but reduced movement on the whole. This has contributed to weight gain too. The long hours of sitting, excessive screen time, late nights all form a vicious cycle of lethargy.

Tips to Manage Weight Gain during Quarantine

Weight gain has become a major issue to many, and you are not alone. Here are a few simple ways to manage your weight during quarantine.

1. Follow a daily routine - make sure to have a set 'wake-up' and 'sleep' time
2. Every morning, groom yourself and dress up as you would if you were to go to your workplace; wearing pajamas or loose-fitting clothes makes it easier to ignore the weight gain
3. Make sure to step on the scale everyday. Research indicates that people who monitor their weight on a regular basis tend to be more mindful of what they eat
4. Move as often as you can and a minimum of 30 minutes of walking/cardio/yoga a day
5. Adequate quality sleep - a minimum of seven hours or more
6. Block a part of your calendar for some 'family/leisure time', engage in conversations with your family, take up a hobby, invest time in personal growth
7. Practice 'Mindfulness' - being in the moment, observing what comes to you from the outside and what you are feeling within, just observe, understand and let go. Do not judge.
8. Cook simple, healthy food - steam/boil over deep fry, healthy fats like coconut oil instead of butter or ghee
9. Portion control - limit the size of each serving
10. Drink a glass of water before your meal and start with the proteins - this helps to keep you feeling full longer
11. Follow the Plate Method -
    • Half plate - non-starchy vegetables (all vegetables other than the root vegetables like potato, yam, carrots, beetroot )
    • Quarter plate - healthy starch (whole grains - brown rice, millets, barley, wheat, oats, corn)
    • Quarter plate - Protein - preferably lean meat (chicken, fish, soy, lentils, pulses, legumes)
12. Don't give up - consistency is the key!

Covid-19 Pandemic Diet

Maintain a healthy diet during the Covid-19 pandemic. Eating the right foods at the right time is crucial for overall health, as it helps improve your immune system and fight against diseases. Here's a way you and your family can stay healthy throughout the pandemic.

1. Variety-
   • Mix of whole grains, legumes, lentils and beans
   • Fresh fruits and vegetables
   • A portion of food from animal sources - meat (preferably lean), fish, eggs milk
2. Snack on fresh fruits/vegetable or unsalted nuts
3. Reduce salt intake - 5mg (equivalent to 1 tsp) a day
4. Moderate amount of fats and oils - olive/coconut/sunflower
5. Limit sugar consumption - avoid fizzy drinks, alcohol, packaged juices
6. Keep yourself hydrated - drink plenty of water
7. Breastfeed babies and young children below the age of 2 years

All this said, the last year and a half has been quite a challenge for each one of us in our own different ways, and despite these challenges, we have and are still seeing ourselves through it one day at a time. Let us continue to stay positive, stay safe, follow protocol, support each other and remember to reach out for help when in need!

References :

1. University of Missouri Health Care - (https://www.muhealth.org/)
2. PLOS Journals - (https://journals.plos.org/)
3. National Center for Biotechnology Information - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
4. Mount Sinai Today - (https://health.mountsinai.org/)
5. South Shore Health - (https://www.southshorehealth.org/)
6. World Health Organization - (https://www.who.int/)
7. Science | AAAS - (https://www.sciencemag.org/)
8. Hackensack Meridian Health - (https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/

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