We've taken to eating more during Covid-19, and as a consequence many of us have put weight on. Here are a few easy tips to help you stay within your target weight range especially during Covid-19 quarantine. You may find some of these suggestions promote weight loss, during any future lockdowns.

Stay hydrated

When it comes to weight loss, what you drink is just as important as what you eat. Soda, sweet tea, and sports drinks are typically full of added sugar and these drinks not only raise your calorie intake, but also your risk of weight gain.

On the other hand, drinking lots of water can help you feel full, thereby decreasing your daily calorie intake. For example, a study in 24 older adults with excess weight and obesity, showed that drinking 16.9 ounces (500 ml) of water before breakfast reduced the number of calories eaten by 13% at that meal.

Fit in some physical activity

While going to the gym may not everyone's cup of tea there are lots of other ways to take physical exercise. You can go for a brisk walk round your neighbourhood, do some bodyweight exercises like push-ups, or find a simple home workout routine online. Yoga, aerobics, and Pilates are a few exercises that you can do almost anywhere with minimal or no equipment.

These activities not only burn extra calories to counter-act any weight gain, but also help manage stress and anxiety.

Eat healthy foods

Eating healthy is much easier when you have a fridge full of nutritious produce like fresh fruits and vegetables. When you continue to eat junk foods like chips, cookies and regular take outs, they may increase your risk of overeating. When you go grocery shopping, try and stick to buying fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

Cook at home

Cooking is a great way to improve your diet quality, while experimenting with new foods and flavours. Plus, cooking at home puts you in control of what you’re putting on your plate, making it easy to incorporate more high-quality foods.

A large study of almost 12,000, people associated eating home-cooked meals more often with better overall diet quality. What’s more, those who ate more than 5 home-cooked meals per week were 28% less likely to carry excess weight and 24% less likely to have compared with those who ate home-cooked meals, fewer than 3 times per week.

While it’s fine to order a take-out or eat at a restaurant on occasion, we can all try finding a few new recipes to prepare at home each week.

Stick to a routine

While we're living through this unprecedented pandemic, it can be easy to give up on our daily routine. Yet, establishing a schedule and sticking to it is a great way to build healthy habits while creating a sense of normalcy.

Try setting times to wake up and go to bed getting dressed even if you’re working from home, and taking regular breaks throughout the day. You can also try planning out your meals for the week. Studies link meal planning to improved diet quality, increased food variety, and an average body weight.

Creating a routine can also ensure that you’re able to exercise consistently, which can help promote weight loss.

Conclusion

Drinking lots of water, exercising regularly, choosing healthy foods, and sticking to a routine are all great tips to help weigh loss during and after quarantine or self-isolation.

Source: https://www.healthline.com