Weeks 1-3 of Sheltering at Home:
Keeping myself as calm as I could, my kids feeling safe, getting them used to the sudden switch to online learning were my first priorities.
Second was managing stress, maintaining a good relationship with my husband through the sudden COVID-19-related changes, and figuring out how we were going to financially stay afloat.
Third was taking action on rebuilding the online side of my training business, and supporting my in-person clients the best I could remotely, since I had no idea when the gym would re-open and in-person training sessions would start up again.
My own diet? It wasn't a priority. I tried not to go overboard or 'off the rails' entirely, but planning meals, measuring portions and hitting macros wasn't anywhere on my radar.
That sh*t just didn't matter in that moment.
My people DID.
Stay-at-Home Weight Change Factor #7:
Other needs & concerns took priority over strict eating practices.
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Things like keeping a roof over your head, keeping your kids engaged in learning, helping your kids deal with their feelings & heightened emotions, keeping up with work responsibilities, caring for a sick family member, just keeping up with running a household, and trying to stay sane & balanced through all of this....
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It’s ALOT.
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It’s enough on its own.
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AND you’ve been doing an amazing job—give yourself credit for how far you’ve already come through this 🙌
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Following a strict diet or needing to count macros, etc, on top of all these other life concerns may just have been a proverbial ‘bridge too far.’
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I know it was for me.
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In terms of perfect storms for dietary disaster, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a perfect one, disrupting all our systems & leaving many of us struggling to find which way is up.
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Now that a few weeks have passed & many of us have adjusted to our ‘new normal,’ it’s a good time to re-evaluate what’s working (or not) in our daily health and fitness routines.
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ID’ing & understanding the likely causes of undesired/unintentional weight gain gives us the power to make needed or wanted changes—without freaking out or plunging headlong into a strict and stressful diet.
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It’s a perfect time to start living more intentionally, & creating new systems that meet our current goals and needs.
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MORE stress isn’t what we need right now.
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Simple, actionable steps that give us relief are.
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To start finding solutions, try one (or more, if you’re ready) of these 7 strategies to get back to eating and feeling better.
1. Up Your daily NEAT
2. Create a daily meal schedule you can live with
3. Develop alternatives to snacking for dealing with stress, boredom &/or anxiety
4. Limit adult & high-cal beverages—especially at the end of the day; find other ways to help you unwind/rituals to end the day
5. Get back to eating more basic lean proteins & lots of veggies (frozen work, too)
6. Meal plan & grocery shop with your goals & longer-term health in mind
7. Just keep showing up & doing your best ❤️
And make sure to reach out when you need some extra support.
I’m here for you! kate@katewhetsel.net
We're in this together--all the way.
Kate
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