A weight loss routine on a usual day takes a bit of strategy and thought. That said, when you’re in quarantine under stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders, your resources are considerably limited. It’s not possible to follow many of the recommendations for forming your strategy when you must remain socially distanced, cannot go to the gym or a yoga studio, and need to limit your trips to the grocery store.
That said, even while you’re in quarantine, it’s still possible to come up with a healthy weight loss routine that you can stick to and that will bring you results. The key here is to start with baby steps and avoid overwhelming yourself.
The Importance of Starting Small in a New Weight Loss Routine
Remind yourself that you’re already facing many large changes in your life because of the lockdowns. Don’t forget that this is also a tense time. As a result, it’s usually considered to be unwise to flip your lifestyle upside down even more with a new healthy weight loss routine.
Take small, gradual steps, adding a bit each day or even each week, depending on the size of the steps you’re taking. If you start to feel overwhelmed, give yourself the opportunity to back off a little. Either take a step back or don’t add anything new until what you’ve already started begins feeling normal to you. There’s no reason to rush. It’s more important to do it right than to do things quickly at first only to lose control of them.
Use These Tips to Create a Weight Management Strategy in Quarantine
- Reduce your sodium intake – It won’t help you to burn fat, but it will help you to reduce your water retention and bloating.
- Have veggies or fruit with every meal – Even if every bite you take isn’t filled with nutrients, try to eat veggies or fruit with every meal and snack.
- Reduce your sugar and refined carbs – There are good carbs and not-as-good carbs. It may be impossible to cut out added sugars and refined carbs but try to reduce their intake. Replace them with whole grains.
- Drink water – Your faucet is right there all day long. Refill your glass or bottle and sip away at it all day. It will keep you hydrated and will help you to avoid overeating at snack time.
- Eat small meals instead of grazing – If you find yourself grazing on snacks all day long between your three large meals, consider boosting your control by having four or five smaller meals throughout the day instead.
