Think You Have Put On Weight During Lockdown? Here’s Why!

 We all have that fear of putting on a few pounds here and there. 

But, when fear becomes reality, you’re often left wondering what went wrong. And, if you put on pounds this lockdown, there is so much more to it than you might think.

  

According to a recent survey, 47% of British Nationals acknowledge that they have gained weight since the lockdown started back in March—a relatively high number but with multiple root causes. Many people stay at home or work from home and still manage to keep fit, so what went wrong during the  lockdown period?

 

 

The lockdown had been physically and mentally exhausting on everyone since people aren’t generally used to living in an isolated environment, let alone staying away from their loved ones. 

To top that, the work from home concept became stressful for some, though it was inevitable. 

Even at HumbleWorks HQ, we put on a few collective pounds ourselves.  

Here’s what we believe caused this dilemma.

Here’s why you may have gained those pounds during lockdown:

 

Stress

Many of us may not realize it but stress is a trigger for multiple things. During the lockdown, your stress levels may have risen due to working from home-related burnout, feelings of uncertainty, lack of socialisation, and financial concerns, among many other reasons. Stress not only impacts you mentally with anxiety, and in extreme cases depression, but it can also trigger binge-eating habits as well as increased cortisol levels that promote fat storage in your body - a contributor to weight gain.

 

Turning into a couch potato

We understand that working from home was necessary in the interest of your safety—and the safety of others—but, turning into a couch potato was not. Sitting for a prolonged period on your couch or chair may well have added to your weight gain. Also, entertaining yourself in isolation may have proved an equally hazardous contributing factor —like playing video games, binging on Netflix, connecting on social calls for hours on end to keep in touch, or staying in bed though sheer lack of motivation. There are many factors here, you name it, and all are equally responsible for sitting for prolonged periods But, remember: sitting is a slow killer associated with multiple health issues.

Comfort eating

Comfort eating became more like a ‘quarantine diet’ in lockdown. Due to food shortages and logistical roadblocks, many decided that cooking frozen food or ordering takeaways most days was so much easier than cooking healthy food —not to mention the increased alcohol intake. 

Lack of a routine

Mass quarantine destroyed our regular routines for months on end.

This level of upset inevitably fostered new, unhealthy habits due to physical barriers and mental fatigue. In these cases, reaching for the remote control was often so much easier than creating new daily rituals. And, of course, less movement and exercise means more weight gain. 

Now that you know  what went wrong, why not find a way to make a change? 

Check out these tips that helped us at HumbleWorks to gain back our ground while still working from home.

Here’s how you can still maintain yourself if you’re isolating or working from home or still in lockdown:

 

Settle into a new routine

Putting your life together with a routine is a lot of work but it isn’t impossible. Take time to sort through your priorities and jot down a list of activities to add to your routine, arranging your time as you would when you used to commute to work. Setting allocated time for meals, chores, exercise, and work will help you maintain a solid level of health while working towards your goals.

 

Make insightful choices

Stressing about weight gain creates a negative impact on the body and mind. So, the best way to tackle it is to make insightful choices. 

Address diet changes by swapping unhealthy food for healthy calories—or go for a caloric deficit if you want to limit your food intake. If you don’t like the gym, choose an activity you can do outdoors locally or at home. Every mindful choice you make will get you one step closer to a happier and healthier life—so keep working towards those goals, step by step.

Find more excuses to move

It is quite obvious by now that a lack of movement leads to being unfit. So, find every opportunity you get to move around, be it strutting around the house or putting together a simple exercise regime. At the moment, many people are investing in the services of virtual personal trainers or trying out YouTube fitness videos—both are effective.

Try moving enough to achieve 10,000 steps a day; if you usually drive to the shop, walk instead (if it’s close enough). Take the steps instead of the escalator/elevator. Walk around the garden—the point is, do whatever works for you.

All that movement will gradually start making your muscles more flexible and start burning stored fats. 

 

Give ergonomics a thought

When choosing tools or furniture, ergonomics are essential. Turn a blind eye to generic furniture and invest in the ergonomic kind—items specially designed to provide comfort while creating a healthy, efficient work environment in your place of choosing. 

Utilizing a standing desk can help you work while standing and enable movement while improving your posture.  

Standing at work will change your life for the better while helping you keep those pounds down—and that alone makes a standing desk excellent investment, indeed.

A piece of advice: check out the HumbleWorks range of ergonomic concepts and improve your health today.

Now that things are getting more streamlined and the situation is slowly reaching the ‘new normal’, we are still going to be in lockdown from time-to-time. So, why not poach on the above tips and get yourself a new routine till you find your footing, to get to a healthier YOU.

 

For more essential advice on wellbeing,  check out our blog on ‘Mental Health in Isolation’.