As the shelter-in-place is coming to an end, you may have gotten the impression that some people were more scared of weight gain than catching the virus. Or maybe you are one of the many, that actually did gain a few extra pounds during this time, and you didn’t change much in your diet or exercise routine.
Sadly, it seems that weight gain goes against what society has told us to do from the moment we were able to absorb the message. We are conditioned to celebrate weight loss and treat it as the most incredible thing humans can do, and conversely, we’re conditioned to fear weight gain and consider it as a failure.
But weight loss is NOT us failing. It’s never an indicator of failing, but especially not during these current circumstances – weight fluctuations are an entirely normal response to our lives being very different right now. We are not in our usual routines – far from it, in fact – our anxiety is most likely heightened and we have been prioritizing other things than what our bodies look like. And that’s okay. It’s very okay if your body has changed, because your normal routine has also changed. But if you need a little extra encouragement, here are some tips on how to handle the few extra pounds:
Focus on What you Do Have~Not the Way you Look
It’s easy to focus on your body when you gain weight but try to just shift your attention anywhere else. Do things that increase your energy and overall wellbeing, rather than things that change your body. For example, if you’re having a not so good day judging your body, do an exercise you can like yoga or even stretching – and remind yourself of how strong your body actually is. This helps to take the emphasis away from how it looks (which is not as bad as you judge it to be). Simply, appreciate what you already have, because it’s great!
Accept This is Where You’re Suppose to Be
You’re in the body that you’re supposed to be in right now. Acknowledge that, accept it and show yourself some kindness. You don’t deserve to be punished for a very normal response to changing circumstances.
Confide in Someone you Trust
Feeling terrible about the weight gain? Tell someone. A problem shared is a problem halved and that person is most likely going to tell you – truthfully – that you look great and you don’t need to worry about the few extra pounds. And maybe you can both do something to make each other laugh. Laughter really is one of the best medicines!
You Have Options
If in the end you find that your few extra pounds isn’t coming off the way it use to, or that it’s come on a lot quicker than before…consider testing your hormones. It may just be that your gut has been inflamed, preventing it from making the hormones you need for healthy weight management. Going to the root cause will help to define exactly what you need to do, in order to start feeling like yourself again! The root cause often times has to do with the foods you’re eating. Even though you may be eating healthy, it may not be what your DNA needs as food. That’s why I created the Nirvana Diet™. It’s a simple blood test that tells us what you should be eating based upon your genetics, so you can take the guess work out of knowing what’s good for your body, or not. An apple for one person, reacts differently in one person’s body, than another’s. So if you’re struggling with weight loss, know that you have options!
