Quarantine Weight Gain is Real: What Should You Do About It?

Published on: 25 March 2021 Last Updated on: 27 December 2024

There’s no denying that quarantine weight gain is real. A survey found that close to 36% of the 19,903 people surveyed in over 140 countries shared that they have gained weight while in lockdown. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were committed to doing home workouts.

However, since most are not familiar with the training that would best suit them, many found it difficult to stick to a regimen. A considerable number of gym members haven’t been able to go back to gyms since the onset of the pandemic over a year ago.

Lockdown Weight Gain Is a Serious Matter-

Weight gain during the lockdown has signaled the waning motivation of individuals to work hard to keep their bodies healthy, and both mental and physical fatigue has become increasingly prevalent.

With increased levels of stress, gaining unnecessary weight only serves to put more strain on people’s health. This is why it’s necessary for people to take their health seriously. Obesity is a huge risk factor for COVID infection and complications.

Here are a few tips to start putting your health and wellness first:

Stick to an Exercise Routine:

It can be challenging, but you have to force yourself to stick to a workout routine. If you have fears of being exposed to the virus in a public environment, there are plenty of exercises that you can do at home.

In fact, you can download mobile apps to help you connect with other people so you can have a workout buddy to motivate you. You can also enroll in virtual workout classes if it helps you stay focused. If you prefer working out at home, you can use apps to help you craft a plan.

Start slow, and set aside at least 30 minutes a day, three to four times a week to focus on your workout.

If you prefer doing workouts with a personal trainer, you can ask your gym if they offer such a service.

If not, there are a number of personal trainers who advertise their services online. Some of them are willing to do online sessions. Try doing a variety of exercises, including yoga, bodyweight exercises, or running. Walking your dog for at least 30 minutes a day can help you lose weight, and dancing is also a great way to shed off some fat. You can watch YouTube videos of Zumba classes to get started. Not only will it help you lose weight, but it will also give your mental health a boost.

If you have any illnesses that may be exacerbated by exercise, consult your doctor. Ask for recommendations about what exercises would work best for your present condition. It’s okay if you need to start slowly; what’s important is that you make a change from leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Invest in Your Nutrition:

On top of your workout routines, you should also invest in your nutrition. Make sure that you are eating adequately and appropriately. Stick to a nutritional plan that best suits your health needs. It can be tempting to binge on comfort food because of the emotionally draining situation that we’re currently in, but your best bet would be to consume ample amounts of fruits and vegetables while cutting back on sugary food items and processed meals.

It might be a good time to develop your skills in the kitchen and get cooking. Making home-cooked meals is a great way to help you stick to your diet. In fact, a study has shown that individuals who consume home-cooked meals are less likely to gain weight.

Since you are in quarantine, use the time you have at your hands to experiment. Start meal planning so you can squash those cravings that you have late at night. Aside from food, you can also take supplements to help you lose weight. Choose healthy supplements that help you burn fat faster. You can learn more here.

Remember, you should aim for a balanced diet. It is unhealthy to follow crash diets that could affect your immune system. If you want to curb your eating routine by adopting methods such as intermittent fasting, be sure to ask your doctor first. While you may want to experiment in the kitchen, experimenting with new diets can be risky.

You need to be properly guided on how you should start and progress on a particular diet.

Follow a Routine:

Quarantine fatigue can cause you to lose focus. You can try to shake it off by following a routine. Ever since the pandemic disrupted our regular routines, many found it hard to cope, which resulted in behaviors that caused them to gain weight.

One way to combat this is to set up a new daily routine, which can help you maintain a sense of normalcy. You can start by setting a time for when to wake up, do chores, eat meals, work out, attend work or school, and sleep.

Once you get the hang of it, you can slowly incorporate meal planning to ensure that you are getting the right food in your system, helping you fight off obesity.

Getting the right amount of sleep can also help you strengthen your immune system. Aside from giving your body plenty of rest, following a sleep routine helps to fight off midnight cravings and prevent weight gain.

You have to make sure that you are getting quality, restful sleep so that your body is able to rest and recuperate. This way, you will be ready to take on a new day.

Endnote:

Now you have a deeper understanding of what quarantine weight is and how it can affect your risk for developing other chronic diseases. Try not to be too hard on yourself, as the last year has been difficult for everyone. Focus on formulating a new routine and sticking to it, and you’ll start seeing a difference in your physique in no time.

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We’re What We Eat: How Eating Habits Affect Our Well-Being

Eating is not just about dumping fuel into the tank so we can drive another twenty blocks. Multiple psychological and sociocultural factors also dictate how, why, when, and what we eat. Varying eating habits around the world can have a significant effect on our well-being. This post aims to shine a light on some of these habits to examine them more closely. Habit One: Is Breakfast The Most Important Meal Of The Day? Cereal manufacturers are keen on the idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Is it true? According to researchers Tanya Zilberter and Eugene Yuri Zilberter, recommendations for breakfast eating behavior remain categorical but at the same time scientifically unsound health guidelines. If we look at the science and ignore cereal marketing, there are many benefits to eating at the start of your day. The following scientific information is extracted from the materials provided by the National Library of Medicine: Breakfast eaters tend to get more nutrients over the course of the day. They are also more likely to intake a wider range of nutrients. Breakfast has been associated with improved weight control and health indicators of cardiometabolic risk. This applies to adults and children. Studies have related breakfast eating to improvements in attention and better cognitive function, regardless of age. Remember that breakfast means different things around the world. Eating a pain au raisin in Paris is not the same as eating bratwurst in Berlin. The nutritional value of a full English breakfast is not the same as a continental. Attempting to run the first few hours on an empty tank is generally not as healthy as providing your body with some fuel. What’s important, however, is to start the day with food and supplement your nutritional intake during the day. According to the researchers whose statement has opened this section, skipping breakfast is not necessarily a big deal. People need to consider the below points: how long they’ve been without food (if two people eat at midnight and one eats breakfast at 5 am and the other at 10 am, the different fast lengths will impact their bodies differently), and whether they make up the “lost” nutrients with their eating habits during the day. However you do breakfast, take a holistic approach to diet. Consider what you eat over 24 hours. Habit Two: What Are The Consequences Of Eating Before Bed? Just as skipping breakfast is seriously frowned upon, eating late at night is typically considered a bad habit. Science suggests that eating late at night correlates with higher incidences of medical claims. While Tanya Zilberter and Eugene Yuri Zilberter found that research on skipping breakfast and studies on eating late often fail to consider how long the participants fasted, they did find solid evidence regarding the potential risks of eating late, including the following eating behavior pathologies: Elevated insulin and glucose levels, characteristic of metabolic syndrome; Distortions of body image and mood disorders; Implications on circadian rhythm. Harvard agrees. Late-night eating is bad for health. A recent Harvard study found evidence that eating late may increase hunger, which can increase the risk of obesity. If you suspect you’re about to see yourself in a statistic, you might be right. About forty percent of the US adult population is obese. More study is required on the role late eating plays in calorie intake, calories burned, and molecular changes in fat tissue. Until that verdict comes in, it looks like avoiding late-night meals may reduce incidents of cancer, diabetes, and other conditions. Habit Three: Is It Okay To Let Kids Eat In Front Of The TV? Eating in front of the television can lead to a lack of attention, which in turn can lead to missing cues regarding fullness. This habitual overeating could then cause obesity. And there’s another interesting angle to consider regarding television, what we eat, and how we feed our children. A fact-filled study into television viewing and unhealthy eating made the research-backed observation that television and food advertising influence children’s food preferences. Studies have demonstrated that child TV watchers are more likely to prefer unhealthy food in early adulthood than kids that didn’t watch television. To help kids stay healthy and become adults who make healthy choices, monitor kids’ TV intake and defend them from unhealthy, unsolicited dietary influences on screen. These tips may help you form your kid’s eating habits: Kids’ food preferences develop by age three and tend to remain stable throughout childhood. Repeated exposure increases the chance that your kids will start liking a new food. Information that a new food tastes good will increase their willingness to try it. Kids are less interested in hearing how nutritious things are. The availability of food in the home will affect food consumption. Your food access controls will influence consumption and food preferences. If your diet is healthy, your kids will be more likely to eat healthily. As kids reach middle school age and adolescence, external influences – including peers and the media – are likely to have a detrimental effect on their food choices. Conclusion We are what we eat. You knew that. Still, it’s worth delving into research to back it up. It’s easy to forget. Many of us have busy lives and take eating for granted, treating our bodies as if they weren’t some of the most sophisticated machinery on the planet. While this post provides helpful information that may confirm your healthy eating habits or inspire you to eat differently, a health professional can help you put the best into your body to get the best out of your life. Put your health in safe hands by visiting The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or Leadar websites to find a professional nutritionist who can help you, your loved one, or your team improve your health and performance. Your eating habits have a massive effect on your well-being. Change how you eat to change your energy levels, your mood, your potential for health risks, and your life. Read Also: How Can A Cardiologist Save Your Life? Easy Breakfast Ideas For Type 2 Diabetes 5 Types Of Cancer Prominent In Women

What You Can Do About Premature Ejaculation

Premature ejaculation, though a common condition in the male population, incites much concern and fear, especially if it transpires quite periodically. Instead of going through unverified channels to purchase cheap yet health-hazardous products, get priligy in the UK and follow these steps in dealing with PE. Premature ejaculation can also result from a lack of confidence arising out of the size and shape of your penis. It is exactly because of this reason that experts recommend that men who are conscious of their penis size should look at taking help from scientifically proven penis straighteners. If you want to know more about the products, please visit- https://jesextender.com/penis-straightener/. How To Deal With Premature Ejaculation: 1. How’s Are Your Stress Levels? Stress is often the cause of premature ejaculation in most. Yet it is the factor given the least attention. Mental stressors, as well as those similar to these, will prevent you from relaxing during coitus. It may sound ironic, that your blood vessels need to be relaxed in sexual intercourse. But biological observations show that the blood vessels connecting your bodily systems towards the reproductive system (i.e. CNS, cardiovascular system), along with the blood passageways in and around the penis, are greatly in control of erection and ejaculation. Of course, this is not to downplay the role of your central nervous system, where it all begins. We set this as number 1 on this list because it’s the variable that permits you the most control over, managing PE. Manage your stress. Commonly, stress has to do with heavy workloads and little rest or little sleep. Try to create a schedule (and working habits for efficiency) that will have you operating at your optimum without “overworking”, whilst leaving you with at least 7 hours of sleep every night. That is, amongst the rest of the leisurely activities in your day today (i.e. time with your family, etc.). You may immediately notice that after sticking to this new “balanced” schedule, PE, along with your prescribed PE medications, will appear less frequently. Plus, stress management is beneficial for your overall well-being, too. 2. Decreasing Sensitivity Of The Penis In Coitus: This isn’t the most conventional of the approaches towards moderating the occurrence of premature ejaculation. However, decreasing the sensitivity of the penis through the use of condoms has been proven effective for a number of patients. Penile sensitivity is not the root cause of premature ejaculation. But it is one of the minor factors. Note that the major root causes have to do with neurotransmitter blockage, blood, and blood vessel occlusion, and decreased capacity of the reproductive system (and its organs) to respond accordingly, from arousal to ejaculation. Then again, one of the most practical steps you may try to observe is wearing a condom. It isn’t fool-proof. Condoms are made so that they do not stand in the way of allowing sensory components to be activated around the penis, as close to when it does, when there isn’t a condom around it. In contrast, it still very lightly hampers sensation. A fraction, to say the least. While taking prescribed premature erection medication, it will be beneficial to be in the habit of wearing a condom during coitus, to aid the first. 3. Erectile Dysfunction Medication Is NOT Premature Ejaculation Medication: Though both treat male-targeted disorders, their functions are different from one another (as are ED against PE). If you also suffer from erectile dysfunction and have started undergoing treatment through ED medication, go to your telehealth physician and inquire about a prescription for PE as well. Your physician will then understand what treatment to prescribe, as ED medication may prompt the frequency of PE. The first has to do with causing an erection for a period as close to average as possible, enough for coitus. Hence, there’s some sort of delay in the process which may be what’s causing your PE. Be sure to get a diagnosis for both. Read Also: What You Need to Know When Having Gallstone Surgery 9 Ways Allergists Deal with their Own Allergies

How To Care For Your Eye In 5 Medically Proven Ways

Every year millions of individuals experience eye problems. There are some issues that result in permanent vision loss, whether some can be corrected with the help of glasses or contact lenses. Research says that between the years 2010 and 2050, the number of individuals with eye diseases will double. And those eye diseases include glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and AMD or Age-related Macular Degeneration. Care For Your Eye In 5 Medically Proven Ways So, from the above information, now it is clear that we need to take care of our vision. However, we also need to face the fact that with age, our vision will become poorer, but we need to make it healthy as much as possible. 1. Opt For Regular Eye Exams Though your vision is fine and it seems that your eyes are functioning properly, there is only one option to be 100% sure. And only a medical expert can assure you of that. An eye test not only determines if there is any need for glasses, but it also helps to treat some eye diseases effectively if it is detected at an early stage. Those who have crossed the age limit of 60 years must go through a comprehensive dilated eye exam in order to check whether there are any issues with the retina, macula, optic nerve or not. So, contact any ophthalmology clinic in dubai today. 2. Eat Right Our health conditions majorly depend on what we eat. You may have heard thousands of times that eating carrots is good for your eye. But there are plenty more foods that will help you to have a healthier vision. Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, collard greens have zeaxanthin and lutein. These antioxidants prevent forming cataracts. A diet plan with grapes on it helps to prevent AMD and also keeps our retina clean. Tuna, sardines, mackerel, halibut, and salmon are enriched with omega-3 fatty acids, which are really beneficial for the eyes. 3. Wear Proper Protection Apart from being a fashion accessory, there is a more important purpose of wearing sunglasses. Sunglasses protect our eyes from harmful UV or ultraviolet rays that are emitted by the sun. In 2016, the Vision Council published a report. As per that, three-quarters of people in the United States were actually concerned about eye issues, which can arise from the UV rays. So, do not forget to put on sunglasses each time you are exposed to the sun. Also, whenever you are purchasing sunglasses, make sure that it blocks 99 to 100% of UVA and UVB radiations. 4. Give Your Eyes Rest Regularly When we work all day sitting in front of a computer screen, we often forget to blink. And at the end of the day, we end up with fatigued eyes. Research says that by the year 2050, half of the world population will be short-sighted if things will go on like this. There is a 20-20-20 rule for that. For every 20 minutes, which you are spending staring at a computer screen, look at any object for 20 seconds that is 20 feet away from you. This will reduce eye strain. You also can use some protective eyeglasses to keep your eyes healthy. 5. Keep Your Weight Under Control Being obese or overweight will put you at high risk of developing diabetes or any other systematic disorder. This eventually may lead to loss of vision. No time is too late to put your weight under control. So, develop healthy eating habits and also exercise daily in order to prevent any vision complications. The University of Melbourne in Australia has conducted research. Eye damages due to obesity, High blood pressure, and diabetes can be reversed by losing weight. Final Tips Follow all the above-mentioned tips to take proper care of your eyes. No one can deny the fact that as we'll grow old, our vision will become weak, but you also need to keep it healthy as much as possible in the long run. Read Also: Are you aware of Belviq – a Weight-Loss Drug? Seven Best Meal Replacement Ideas For Weight Loss The Science Behind Blue Light Glasses

Quarantine Weight Gain is Real: What Should You Do About It?