If you noticed that you gained some weight during the pandemic, do not worry –You’re not alone. According to a recent survey conducted by Google, about 38% of participants found that their eating habits had changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some of them consumed an average of 1,500 extra calories per day (which can add up to five pounds per month). . If we applied this percentage to all Americans, it would mean that an average of 100 million Americans have also experienced changes in their eating habits over the past year – which could easily have led to some pandemic weight gain.
Of course, some will say you need a diet to lose weight – probably because the diet culture has been saying the same thing for years. Diet culture says that the solution to weight gain is to limit your eating and exercise like crazy to lose weight. And yet, after these test results came out, a doctor says quite the opposite – dieting does not work. Glenn Livingston, Ph.D. and author of Never bing again, says The worst way to deal with weight gain in a pandemic is to go on a diet.
“Many people plan to fix the problem by losing weight when this is over,” says Dr. Livingston a recent press release. “Using food to calm trauma during the pandemic unfortunately creates a strong link between emotions and overeating that can last long after COVID ends. Dieting after this experience can stress the individual and trigger the link and thus create even more overeating episodes.”
Here’s why a diet would be the worst way to deal with weight gain in a pandemic, along with healthier solutions to take care of your body, directly from Dr. Livingston. And if you’re looking for even healthier tips, be sure to check out our list of the 7 healthiest foods to eat right now.
Living through the COVID-19 pandemic was a stressful time, and it can be easy to turn to comfort food to soothe anxious emotions. Why is it like that? UT Southwestern Medical Center published a study showing how our “hunger hormone” ghrelin is released in stressful situations, which means we can feel emotionally hungry when we are stressed. Meanwhile, have Journal of Consumer Psychology published another study showing how the comforting “abandoned” foods can relieve bad moods.
If you stretched for your favorite snacks during the pandemic or cooked some of Grandma’s classic comfort food (which another study shows can be a reaction in stressful times), the reaction was a natural reaction.
Understanding your emotional eating triggers is the first step in making healthier choices, according to Dr. Livingston.
“To correct for COVID-19 overeating, do not diet immediately, instead focus first on changing the overeating behavior,” says Dr. Livingston. “Working with over 1,000 binge-eating customers has taught me that even if you bingeing every day, you can quickly retrain yourself to experience the negative emotions without the urge to exaggerate.”
Here are 5 ways to stop emotionally eating for good.
How many times have you reached for a snack bag when you are stressed? As we explained, it can easily happen if your hunger hormone is turned on. But what if your body is not even hungry after that?
Dr. Livingston suggests switching from the “eat on a whim” model and instead focus on a “eat and eat by design” structure.
Take a few days to evaluate the times you feel hungry. When is the best time to eat your three square meals? Do you need a snack between lunch and dinner? Is there a time you long for something sweet where you can incorporate a healthy dessert or a small bar of dark chocolate?
Having structured times for meals can make it easier to say no to overeating methods, because your body will fall into a rhythm that works for you, rather than eating when you feel like it.
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The diet culture asks you to limit your eating. Dr. Livingston says you should eat all of your favorite healthy foods.
In fact, he even suggests that you “overlay” your kitchen with healthy food, so you always have something on hand that is delicious and nutritious to eat.
The easiest way to get this done is to Look for healthy non-perishable items which you can turn to in a pinch. Frozen products will last longer than fresh (but you should still get fresh products if you love it), whole grains, beans, legumes, canned fish and vegetables, lentil or chickpea based pasta, healthy healthy dinners, can all fit into a healthy diet.
Here are 20 healthy staples that belong in every kitchen.
One of the easiest ways to make sure you are always Eating a nutritious meal is to follow USDA MyPlate Guidelines, directly from Dietary advice from Americans. This formula breaks down exactly how to set your plate every time you sit down for a meal.
The guidelines say that you should put half of your plate with vegetables and / or fruit, a quarter of your plate with a lean protein and a quarter of your plate with a high-fiber carbohydrate or whole grain. Incorporating some dairy products from time to time, as well as some healthy fats (like olive oil or avocado) will ensure that you get all the nutrients you need.
So … will it help you with your weight gain? It is obvious that Dr. Livingston’s proposal is not a crash diet, and they do not come with any kind of ultimatum. Still, these tips will help you create healthier eating habits in the long run which will help you tear yourself away from any emotional eating methods you may have picked up during the pandemic. And according to many healthcare professionals, following these types of methods will lead to some weight loss and help you live a long and happy life.
Here are 17 healthy eating habits to start today, according to our medical experts.
