Weight Gain During The Lockdown
If you are worried about gaining weight during the lockdown I have put together a few tips that may help you to manage your weight and stay healthy.
Before you read on please remember to be kind to yourself. We are living in an extremely unsettling time and during periods of prolonged stress and anxiety the body has a ‘fight or flight’ response which results in the release of the hormone cortisol. Consistently high levels of cortisol can increase both the motivation to eat and the appetite for calorific foods.
So what can we do?
Eat a nutrient dense diet
It is important to support the body’s reaction to stress by providing the appropriate nutrients. Include a source of protein with every meal and snack as this will help to keep your blood sugar balanced and reduce the likelihood of cravings. Fill your plate with a rainbow of vegetables, they provide fibre and multiple nutrients plus they will fill you up so you are less likely to reach for snacks in between meals!
Have a plan
Write down all of the meals and snacks that you are going to eat over the next few days and stick it on the fridge. Include some nutritious comfort foods like fruit crumbles, nachos with homemade salsa, flapjacks, cereal bars and cinnamon baked apples. The plan should contain every meal and snack that you are going to eat - don’t deprive yourself and make it as delicious and nutritious as you can
Prepare your food in advance
Once you have your meal plan in place prep like a boss! Get everything batch cooked and, where possible, meals and snacks ready each day.
Have a routine
Being at home all day means that delicious food is constantly available and our daily schedule tends to be more flexible. This can lead to irregular eating patterns and all day grazing. Establishing a new routine will help you to keep snacking under control and will also help with sleep quality and digestion. Try to wake at the same time every day and put a structure in place sticking to 3 meals and 2 snacks if you need them.
Be kind to yourself
Remind yourself that this will pass, we will get through it but in the meantime there are likely to be moments that you feel worried and anxious. Rather than turning to food have some lovey ‘non-food’ ways to make yourself happy or relaxed. Exercise is brilliant and there are so many options online now, listen to some music, let yourself watch rubbish on TV, read a book, paint your nails, go into the garden and my favourite – phone a friend!
If you have any questions or would like to book a Zoom consultation please get in touch - caren@penarthnutrition.co.uk
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