How to avoid weight gain in a lockdown?
Is lockdown weighing you down? No pun intended but lockdown is weighing hard on us and not to mention our weighing scale woes.
The trouble with fat jokes is that there’s no good confirmation that it makes any of us feel better or improves any bonding. It is making us feel worst and giving rise to multiple instances of body shaming. YOUTUBE, INSTA, and FB posts all flooded with individuals feeling worried or fearful about rapidly gaining extra weight during the COVID pandemic and lockdown. This only goes to show how deeply ingrained weight bias governs our society.
Obesity is a serious ailment. But we have an unhealthy approach towards it. Weight gain, obesity and growing health issues have made people think more seriously about weight loss programmes. Also, the false emphasis on the importance of being thin to look beautiful is driving people to take to sudden crash diets to reduce weight fast, which is unhealthy.
Social media should be used responsibly without portraying negative body images and messages of fast weight loss, crash diet fads, reduce weight fast-diets, shed extra kilos diet etc. People blindly follow crash diets without thinking about long term detrimental effects it can have on the body and overall health.
Few handy tips to keep the weight down and adjust to the new normal
Set aside “Me time” and exercise
Many of us are working from home. Learn to take breaks and get active. We need to adopt simple means to exercise and adopt less aggressive approach example you can start by walking on our terraces, yoga, skipping rope, Chair yoga and stretches etc. Avoid being glued to your television or Laptops continuously. Take breaks and stretch your body. Try full body stretching exercises or simple warm-up exercises. Surya Namaskar is one way to get all-round exercise. Always set aside some time for yourself each day. You are under social lockdown, not exercise lockdown!
Mind your Thoughts
A balanced state of mind is the key to healthy living. Keep your thoughts positive. Maintain a gratitude journal and pen down your thoughts each day. This is a great way to de-stress and learn something new about yourself each day.
Monitor your eating routines
Healthy routines impact weight gain or weight loss. Prepare home-cooked fresh meals with sattvic ingredients. Form a habit of eating meals without sitting in front of the TV or phones—eat-in silence. Chew food well. These are essential healthy habits which should be routinely followed. Eat on time. Do not skip breakfast. Be mindful about how much you eat. Eat only when hungry.
Happy Hormones
Your emotional wellness plays an important role in keeping your weight in check. Include fresh foods, green leafy veget ables, fruits etc. in your daily meal plans. Foods such as bananas contain folate and Vitamin B, which helps to fight depression by releasing serotonin (happy hormone.) Other foods rich in happy hormones which can help you get in a better mood and reduce stress are all citrus fruits, pineapple, strawberries, spinach, various nuts and seeds pumpkin seeds, almonds, tofu etc.
Hydrate your body well
Drink ample liquids throughout the day. Include with each meal some liquid-like, buttermilk, soups, lemon water etc.
The goal should be healthy weight loss, so try to reduce your weight gradually and not suddenly. So stay active, remain fit and try to unlock the weight loss the healthy way. Watch our video for more tips.