COVID-15-NetFlix & GrubHub

COVID-15 can be described as the 15 lbs. of weight that you may or may not have gained during this time of social distancing. We nervously binge eat as we watch all the latest shows on NetFlix. It’s no longer NetFlix and Chill, it’s NetFlix and GrubHub. You may have also nervously eaten all your COVID-19 food you stock piled.

People have given up on having a summer body, as the waistline seems to be the one thing enjoying all this stress, and has decided to expand. I can confess that I gave up on my summer body in the middle of April, and most of my friends have also confessed to doing so as well.

Stress is at an all-time high, we have no idea when this pandemic will end, when we’ll have to stop social distancing, or when and if we will ever get back to work, and in some cases if our jobs will still be there. All these stressful issues create uncertainty, and in my case binge eating. The worse part about stress eating, is the body can sense when we are stressed and will not let go of the calories. The calories are saved because our bodies foolishly thinks it will need it for energy in case we are caught up in the dilemma of fight or flight. I say foolishly, because in any event where I have to decide whether to fight or flee, I’ll probably lay down and play dead.

Below are five tips that have been helping me maintain my weight , or at the least not gain anymore than I already have.

Five tips to manage your weight during the pandemic

Please note the suggestions below are by no means medical advice, I mean… I am a doctor (PhD), but not that kind.

• Sleep: Studies have shown that people who don’t sleep enough are more likely to be overweight. This could mean getting eight or more hours a night, depending on what your body needs. Get some rest.
• Seek out healthy recipes and cook at home: Seek out healthy recipes and cook at home: There is still the option of ordering take out or having food delivered, so some of us (myself included), are still able to make unhealthy food choices. If you are home social distancing, this is the time to learn about cooking healthy foods. Pinterest is my go-to for all recipes, healthy and/or unhealthy. But in this instance I’m talking about the healthy alternatives. In your quest to find healthy recipes, be sure to include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats or fish depending on your diet preferences.
• Portion Control: Try using smaller plates instead of a dinner plate, and this may assist in controlling your portions. I read somewhere once, that drinking a glass of water before eating, and waiting 15 minutes will help to reduce food consumption in one sitting.
• Exercise: Because of social distancing the gyms are closed, and exercise and dance classes have been cancelled. Exercise plays an important role in maintaining/losing weight, and more importantly, improving your mental health and mood. If you’d prefer exercising in a class setting with an instructor, there are online dance/exercise groups popping up everywhere. A quick online search and you should be good to go and ready to sweat the weight gain away with your virtual friends.
• Be Consistent: If you decide to eat smaller portions, exercise, or dance your COVID-15 away, you must be consistent. A good way to be consistent is to create a diet routine and stick to it.

However you decide to maintain your weight or deal with stress during these stressful times of uncertainty, please ensure you are doing so safely. Social distancing will end eventually ( hopefully sooner than later), and if you keep your weight gain manageable it will be easier to shed once things are back to “normal.”