Written by Stephanie Ball – Front Door Fitness Personal Trainer
More time at home making you hungry? There are many benefits to this extra time of rest and staying home, but there are also more temptations, namely food. Stress eating, processed food, grazing during the day, and fast food binges are on the rise. But take heart, you can get through this season without gaining the “covid-19.”
Start with your grocery list.
Keep fresh foods and frozen foods rather than processed or boxed food. It’s tempting to stock up on boxed macaroni and bagels, but those are doing more harm than good. If you are trying to cut down on grocery store runs, stock up on frozen veggies and meats, fruits, nuts, and spices. Ditch the pre-packaged meals, and use your extra time at home to cook. Maybe it’s time to break out the crockpot. If you’re going to stock up, think healthy, and stay away from cheap simple carbohydrates that will leave you feeling worse.
Say no to fast food delivery.
Avoid unhealthy options for carry out and focus on cooking at home. Restaurants are now exclusively delivering food orders or offering curbside to go. Although this is very convenient, cooking at home gives you more control over what is in your food and can help you avoid calorie bombs and unhealthy hidden ingredients. An occasional treat is just that- a treat. If you need of a quick meal to go, consider some healthier restaurant options. Many local places allow you to customize. Select more vggies, meat, healthy fats, and limit the amount of carbohydrates like bread or potatoes.
Have a plan.
Plan and evaluate your meals and snacks. This can help you avoid convenience snack choices made out of desperation. The more healthy foods you have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry, the less likely you are to reach for the first thing in sight. Avoid grazing which can be easy to do when spending so much time at home. Stop and wait 10 minutes before you eat another snack. Ask yourself if you are hungry or just bored or stressed? These are trying times, and stress eating is very common. However, that won’t benefit you in the long run. Instead of eating, make some hot tea or drink water. Better yet, step outside for a walk or some sort of exercise. Front Door Fitness has several trainers ready to help you with virtual or outdoor NO CONTACT training.
You can do get through this without gaining weight or sabotaging your health! In fact, this time at home is a great opportunity to get fit considering you have more time for rest, exercise, and cooking meals at home. Don’t waste this special time and make yourself and your health a priority.
