As individuals begin to emerge from their seclusion as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, many are reconsidering the food habits they’ve developed over the last year and a half. Some individuals improved their nutrition during this period, while others gained the now-famous “quarantine 15.” Whatever your present condition, it’s not too late to start implementing some of the good lockdown habits that may help you lose weight. Other pandemic-related eating tendencies, including weight gain, might disrupt your good eating habits in the long run if you don’t address them now. Monica Reinagel, LDN, a clinical nurse specialist, certified nutritionist, and presenter of the Change Academy podcast, provides professional guidance on which dietary habits to adopt in the future and which to abandon.
Healthy Habits
1. Having Breakfast
During the epidemic, many office employees switched to work-from-home arrangements, sparing them from morning commutes. And if you’ve ever had a schedule that needs you to rush through school drop-off and traffic to get to your desk on time, you know that breakfast is typically the first item to go. “People often cite ‘run out of time’ as an excuse not to have breakfast,” explains Reinagel. Some folks used the time saved by not having to rush out the door in the morning to improve their self-care by doing basic things like eating breakfast. And this may aid in weight reduction. Research published in the journal Proceedings of the Nutrition Society in June 2021 discovered that people who did not have a morning meal were more likely to consume more added sugars, carbs, and total fat during the day. “Somethings you want in a healthy diet, like fiber, are typically front-loaded for the day at breakfast,” explains Reinagel.
2. Homemade Lunch
When workplaces closed due to the epidemic, many individuals were forced to forego takeaway lunch specials — a poll by market research company Acosta revealed that 31 percent of people ate lunch at home every day, compared to just 18 percent pre-COVID — and this may have been a blessing in disguise. According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition in April 2020, when researchers assessed the nutritional quality of meals eaten at full-service or fast-food restaurants using data from 35,000 Americans between 2003 and 2016, they discovered that less than 0.1 percent were of ideal quality, based on the American Heart Association 2020 diet score. Packing lunches for the office might help keep weight in control as individuals are increasingly called back to work.
3. Skipping Restaurants
Many individuals have found themselves dining out significantly less often than they used to as a result of restaurant closures and capacity constraints. This is a good thing in terms of weight. According to research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in January 2016, 92 percent of restaurants provide much more calories than you need on any one dining occasion.
4. Eating Whole Grains and Beans
People stocked up on shelf-stable goods, including dry legumes and whole grains, early in the epidemic to assist reduce visits to the grocery store. These are also some of the healthiest foods on the market. “Eating these meals regularly provides gut health advantages.” “People who consume a lot of these are more likely to maintain a healthy weight,” adds Reinagel. Research published in The Journal of Nutrition in July 2021 discovered that persons who ate three servings of whole grains per day had lesser increases in waist circumference than those who ate little or no whole grains. Even if you’re shopping more often now, it’s still a good idea to maintain these essentials on hand.
5. Weighing Yourself
If you wear fitting clothing to work every day, a tight waistline might indicate that you’re gaining weight. But what if you’re constantly sweating, as many individuals did during the pandemic? That’s when you need to use the bathroom scale. According to a study published in the journal Obesity in February 2015, weighing oneself more often is consistently connected with better weight results. It’s a good idea to keep it up even if you return to wearing trousers with zippers.
6. Cooking More
If you spent any time on social media during the epidemic, you undoubtedly saw a lot more home-cooked meals than usual. “People were forced to relearn their ability to cook meals day after day,” adds Reinagel. “Many found their joy for it.” With limited alternatives for out-of-house entertainment and restaurants sometimes off-limits, families resorted to their home kitchens for both fun and nourishment. Home cooking is the king of good health practices; studies indicate that those who cook for themselves consume fewer calories and eat a higher-quality diet.
Habits That Can Derail You
1. Grazing and Snacking
“Working in or near the kitchen was difficult for many of the folks I work with,” adds Reinagel. Normal mealtime has occasionally degraded into an all-day smorgasbord for people who have unexpectedly found themselves working from home. Every time you enter your home kitchen, it’s simple to grab a handful of this or a nibble of that. Reinagel adds that in the absence of societal restraints (not wanting to eat a family-size bag of chips for lunch in front of a coworker, for example). People were unafraid of their munching habits.
2. Emotional Eating
The epidemic caused unparalleled stress and uncertainty in people’s lives. You are not alone if you dealt by eating your emotions. “Food was a continual stress reliever for boredom and screen fatigue,” Reinagel explains. According to a study, emotional eaters are 13.38 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than persons who do not use food as a coping mechanism. Learning new strategies to deal with stress and process intense emotions may help you break the cycle of emotional eating.
3. Buying Treats in Bulk
During the first several weeks of the lockdown, terrified consumers emptied grocery shelves. “If you played your cards well, you didn’t set yourself up for failure by purchasing enormous tubs of flavored popcorn and the gigantic barrel of cheese balls,” Reinagel explains. The truth is that many individuals did just that. If you’re still accumulating Oreos in the thousands at a buying club, it’s time to reconsider your purchasing habits.
4. Delivery App Abuse
Food delivery app usage is expected to skyrocket in 2020. According to MarketWatch, the top four corporations increased their sales by a total of $3 billion. Research published in Frontiers in Nutrition in February 2020 offered some insight into what individuals consume when they order meals using these apps. Cheeseburgers, pizzas, nachos, cheesecake, and baby back ribs are the most often requested foods – classic calorie bombs that are sure to sabotage any weight reduction attempts.
5. Overdoing Alcohol
According to a report published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in December 2020, 60.1 percent of respondents aged 21 and older who were asked indicated they were consuming more alcohol than they were before the epidemic. “People tend to underestimate how many calories alcohol adds to your diet,” explains Reinagel. “You may easily increase your daily calorie consumption by 30 to 40%.” According to Reinagel, there is another issue. These calories provide no satiety or the sensation of fullness and pleasure that comes with eating.
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