Mommy, my jeans seem too small… I froze as my nine-year-old daughter told me this. I was too embarrassed to admit that mine doesn’t fit that well either. And the harsh truth is that unless our clothes shrunk (possibly that new washing powder I bought …mmm …) we have also been caught in the weight gain during lockdown nightmare … No, really? Is it possible? Reluctantly, I have to admit. It is exactly that.
Is it the same for you? Are you also reaching for comfort food? Trying out new dessert recipes. Eating when you bored.
Well, at least you can take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. Research shows that 37 percent of Americans and almost 60 percent of French people have already gained some extra weight during confinement. But knowing that we are not unique in this regard is not enough. We need to find a solution to stop, prevent and reverse this weight gain. And that’s exactly what we will discuss here today.
Wondering what that one piece of advice is that we need to beat our weight gain during confinement? Read on to discover the simple truth. And you might just be surprised.
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How to stop weight gain during lockdown
One thing I know for sure is that we did not gain weight during lockdown because we are not being active during the lockdown. It’s actually quite the opposite. We are spending a lot of time outdoors, being physical, and hence have a bigger appetite. Combine that with all the unhealthy food options available at home as a result of our dessert testing marathons, and there is no other possible outcome than our resultant weight gain during lockdown. But it’s time to take action and turn it around now. Are you in with us?
Do you want to know my favorite remedy to avoid weight gain from water retention and digestion problems? Check out the reasons for weight gain section below, or if you can’t wait, beat the crowd and get a sneak peek here …
Click here to save the post on how to beat weight gain in your favorite healthy living board on Pinterest and join us in the next free 7-day detox cleanse challenge. You can read more about this popular challenge for moms here.
Grab your free weight loss checklist
and learn exactly how to prevent and stop weight gain during the lockdown. And it includes a handy weekly meal planner template.
It’s time to take back control of your body and mind and live your best life. This free and easy to download printable will give you quick access to action steps you need to stop the unwanted weight gain. It’s perfect for use during times of stress, as the current lockdown posses, but will also work at any other time of hardship. Especially when you need a quick fix to turn around weight gain and feel amazing. Get yours now.
Reasons for weight gain
All though the causes for weight gain are quite universal, there are some additional reasons for fluctuations in our weight during times of lockdown. Let’s have a look at both the common and more specific weight gain reasons. Some of them might not be what you’ve expected.
STRESS
Stress seems to have become a more common word in our household. As parents, we are obviously stressed about the financial implications of this lockdown, but we are also worried about everyone’s health. Even the kids and especially teenagers are more worried about the COVID-19 epidemic than we initially thought. Their anxiety mostly stems from fearing the unknown. And if you need a bit of help to get the kids to understand this pandemic without causing anxiety, you must download the free COVID-19 guide. This practical master guide is filled with activities, coloring pages, fact sheets, journal pages and more to help moms, kids, and teenagers. If you don’t have your own copy, click here and grab one now.
The reason all this stress can cause weight gain has to do with our stress hormone cortisol. It comes in play by causing overeating as well as cravings due to the rise in insulin levels. By avoiding or handling stress better we can ensure a healthy body and mind and reduce weight gain.
INACTIVITY
Depending on where you are in the world, you might not even be allowed to leave your house to exercise. Fortunately here in Switzerland, we are able to enjoy the outdoors and we spend a lot of time walking in the forest, cycling and running. As I mentioned above, however just as a lack of exercise can cause weight gain a sudden increase in exercise can also cause weight gain due to the increase in appetite. And when this need for extra energy is not supplemented with healthy foods, it’s easy to gain weight even though you are exercising.
Another important fact to keep in mind is the 80/20 rule when it comes to losing weight from exercise. Research has proven that our weight is 80% dependant on what we eat and only 20% affected by regular exercise. This especially holds true as we age. Your child might be able to easily lose a couple of pounds by being more active, but for you, eating less will have a much larger impact. That said, exercise is still important to strengthen our bodies, minds and immune systems. Even when it plays a smaller role in weight loss.
ABNORMAL HORMONE LEVELS
Various hormonal abnormalities influence our weight. Especially as women. The most common culprits are thyroid hormone, estrogen and insulin. If you are unable to change your weight by reducing your calorie intake and being more active, it might be due to hormonal imbalances. Visit your GP for a routine check-up to rule these out.
HOMESCHOOLING
Yes, the pressure of homeschooling indirectly affects our weight by causing stressing and emotional anxiety. Why are teachers better at teaching our kids? Because we are too emotionally involved. When our kids are anxious or stressed, so are we. And this emotional stress often affects our eating habits. So there you have it… another valid excuse to feel sorry for ourselves having to homeschool…
EMOTIONAL OVEREATING
When we are depressed or anxious we often resort to overeating to try and cope with our untamed emotions. But we all know, this strategy, unfortunately, does not only fail but even worsens the problem, as an increased waistline simply adds to our depressive feelings. Rather address your emotions and avoid trigger foods.
There’s no better way to get your emotions in check than by using a journal. Whether you are a beginner journal writer or not, here are some great tips to get you started and use journal writing as a means of self development and emotional control
And to help you succeed, here is a free 365 day reflection journal to write down those big emotions and transform them into a mega inspirational force. Getting into the habit of writing down your emotions will help you discover your inner self, find solutions and take action. Grab your free journal below and get started.
Click here to grab your free reflection journal
FLUID RETENTION
Fluid retention is commonly caused by a high salt intake, increased blood pressure and inadequate lymphatic drainage. You can overcome this easily by
- exercising regularly
- limiting your salt intake
- having your blood pressure checked and treated as needed
- eating more potassium-containing foods like leafy green veg, fennel and avocado
This is my secret to avoiding fluid retention and bloating. And it really works!
We can also avoid fluid retention and bloating by drinking enough water and avoiding the following
- processed foods
- high salt or sodium content foods like chips, canned soup and veg, pizza and deli meats
- high carbs like bread and pasta, rice, potatoes
How to beat weight gain during lockdown
My daughter and I had a good discussion on how to stay healthy and decided to stop trying out every single chocolate recipe we could find and rather opt for healthier options. And together we shed those extra pounds quickly and easily. We started using power actions that take little time but have a huge impact, to fit into our jeans again. It worked! And, it can also work for you.
Let’s have a look at those power actions now and start fighting this pandemic on a personal level.
how to stop or prevent weight gain
BE MORE ACTIVE
If you are not already being active, create opportunities to get moving. Go for walks, cycle together or simply play ball outside. And when you are strictly confined to your house without the possibility of spending time outdoors, find an exercise video on YouTube and start doing it with your kids every day. And remember being active is not about weight loss, it’s about having a strong body, mind and immune system.
STOCK HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS
If like us, the problem is not a lack of exercise but rather indulging in unhealthy options, replace these with healthier options. Consider fruits, vegetables, nuts and low-carb snacks. This is our favorite low-carb snacks
- chocolate chip cookies – we all LOVE THESE!
- toasted cheese bars – super yummy
- protein puffs
- peanut butter wafer crisps – so good …
SPEND TIME OUTDOORS
A good dose of sunlight will help you maintain weight and increase your metabolism. Too little sunlight causes fat cells to store fat for warmth and that is not what we need when trying to lose a bit of weight. so get out there and make some vitamin D.
HANDLE STRESS
A good way to handle stress is to take better care of ourselves. This is one of my favorite topics and I have a free course as well as many articles to help you out here. You can find some of the best ones below
- join the free How to Master Motherhood course
- Discover the best power actions to include in your kickass morning routine
- 59 self-care activities you can do in 5 minutes or less
- How to be a confidently beautiful mom
PLAN MEALS
Planning your meals for the week has two immense benefits during lockdown
- only having to leave the house once a week to go shopping and
- having certain, healthy foods at home to prepare meals and make healthy snacks
Having meals planned and prepared for the week will save you lots of time and prevent overeating. You don’t have to make elaborate plans, simply write down the meal and groceries needed, and stick to your plans. A good tip is to make bigger amounts and serve it over two meals instead of preparing a fresh meal every day.
GET ENOUGH SLEEP
REseach showed that the optimal hours of sleep we need is between 6 and 8 hours. Be sure to get good quality sleep. Both too much and too little sleep can cause depression and weight gain. So be sure to aim for 7 hours.
how to lose gained weight
Remember the 80/20 rule to weight loss? This is where you need to pay close attention and it put it to good use.
LOSE WEIGHT QUICKLY
Spend 80% of your effort to eat healthy and 20% to be more active. You can find the best tips in the free resources below
- how to be healthier as a mom
- 25 simple healthy lifestyle tips
- best healthy family tips
- top 10 tips to stay healthy during confinement
MY BEST WEIGHT LOSS SECRET
I can’t possibly end this post without sharing my weight loss secret. Whenever I need to quickly lose a couple of pounds and feel amazing I do a 7-day detox cleanse. This does not only help me shed those extra pounds easily but also boosts my energy and help me cope during stressful times.
WHEN YOU’R READY TO ALSO LOSE SOME WEIGHT AND FEEL FABULOUS
We will do another 7-day detox cleanse challenge soon to help you lose some pounds and feel fabulous. If you want to join us, simply click the button below, and we’ll let you know as soon as the next challenge starts. During this challenge, you will receive daily instructions and meal plans and a means for asking questions and getting help to stay motivated. This challenge is free and you can read more about it here.
The one piece of advice you really need
This is where that one piece of advice to help you beat weight gain during lockdown comes in. All you need is to do is
- avoid feeling embarrassed about it and use the best help you can get to quickly change things around. Don’t be fooled by quick weight loss tricks that don’t work, are unhealthy or leads to additional weight gain. If you want a no-fluff system, that really works and are safe and natural, join the 7-day detox challenge. Why wait? Join now!
how to maintain your weight loss
We have discussed loads of tips above to help you take action and lose that unwanted weight. It’s time to take control and
- download your free cheat
- add the tips to your daily routine and focus on the areas you need improvement and
- stop worrying about it and
- take action by joining the free 7-day challenge
The longer you sit and contemplate how to beat this, the more weight you will gain. No more procrastination. Action only. So gear up, join the challenge, download the free cheat sheet and let’s get started. I’m here to help you every step of the way during this free challenge. This offer does not come around very often. So grab this opportunity and let’s get started.
And when you need some more tips and inspiration on healthy living right now, here are some great free resources
- 10 best tips to stay healthy
- how to choose the best tea for intermittent fasting
- 25 healthy lifestyle tips
- tips for moms to be healthier
- how to live a healthy life made super simple
How to stop weight gain during lockdown summarized
In this post, we have
- discussed the reasons for gaining weight during lockdown
- how to stop and prevent weight gain and
- how to lose the unwanted weight
To make sure you succeed, get access to the fabulous freebies now and kickstart your healthy lifestyle
- download the weight loss during lockdown cheat sheet and meal planner
- join the next 7-day detox cleanse challenge
By doing these two things you will lose weight, be energized and feel amazing within days!
Leave a comment
below and let me know if you and the kids also gained a bit of weight during this challenging time? Let us know, helping other moms realize they are not alone in this.
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