Hey there viewers!
The current COVID-19 pandemic has forced a lot of us into isolation.
It is necessary that we practice social distancing and stay isolated to prevent the further spreading
of coronavirus.
For a lot of us, staying fit while in isolation is challenging.
With gyms and parks closed down, this burden has been made even worse.
It’s easier said than done, but if you’re determined to maintain your physique, you
can absolutely do it within the confines of your home.
In today’s video, we will talk about 9 ways to prevent weight gain in isolation.
Can watching light-hearted comedy shows help?
Does mopping the floor burn calories?
We’re talking about all of this and more...
#1 Journal Your Food Intake
Sitting at home for several days can make you lazy.
Laziness encourages mindless eating.
One of the most effective ways to practice conscious eating is to start journaling your
food intake.
That’s right.
Each and everything you eat goes into the journal.
Whether you’ve had a small biscuit or a full bowl of pasta, record everything.
Your basic food diary should contain what you ate, when you ate it and the quantity.
Recording food type, time, and quantity are crucial to avoiding unhealthy eating habits.
Noting your food intake helps you analyze and understand your eating habits.
Food journaling also helps you set healthy eating goals.
When you look at your food diary at the end of the week, and see you have had only two
servings of protein or veggies, you know where the problem lies.
Analyze your intake of nutrients.
Balancing your daily diet so it includes all essential vitamins and minerals should be
your end goal.
#2 Do Not Eat In Front of a Screen
As much as you are tempted by the idea of binge eating while watching your favorite
shows, do not give in to the temptation.
You might love binging documentaries or watching chilled out web series.
But your butter popcorn and ice-cream tub shouldn’t accompany you.
You end up consuming surplus calories.
Experts say not paying attention to your food makes you eat more than you usually would.
It is because the brain is more focused on other activities than accessing hunger.
This doesn’t apply to just ‘watching’ TV.
Your brain even gets distracted when you are reading while eating.
So what is the best way to eat if not in front of the screen?
Well practice mindful eating for a week and you will be surprised by how much more you
appreciate food as you record the visual pleasure of the food, delicious smell, and finally...
the taste!
Make sure you eat food slowly, chewing properly with every bite so your meal lasts 20 minutes
at least.
This is the minimum time your brain takes before sending out the “I am full” signal.
Remember, the secret is in eating slowly while enjoying the taste, smell, and appearance
of the food!
Are you enjoying this list so far?
Well this next point will surely surprise you.
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#3 Do Your Chores
You can no longer go to the gym?
Well, workout at home.
And you won’t need dumbells or heavy gym machinery.
Making the most of everything is in our hands.
You can burn calories even while being confined to your home.
Do your household chores.
Tasks like vacuuming the carpet, mopping the floor, and washing dishes burns calories.
The end result is a clean home and better health.
A 150 lbs person can burn 150 calories in an hour if they work hard enough to get their
heart to beat faster.
Remember, choose tasks hard enough to make you sweat.
So go crazy and clean every nook and corner of the house.
#4 Dance
Ok, I get it.
Not everyone enjoys doing chores to burn calories.
Well, there are more interesting ways and I promise you will enjoy it.
One of them is dancing.
Any activity done with intensity burns calories and helps you lose weight.
It doesn’t matter whether you love Zumba, salsa, or twerking, just enjoy the activity
and be consistent with it.
Dancing is an effective way to burn calories because you are more likely to stick to it.
To get the best results, pair dancing with diet control.
You can organize watch parties online with your friends where all of you dance together
in your own homes.
Having more people participate in the activity makes you more accountable and turns it into
fun.
Go crazy.
Dance all night if you like!
Who said night parties can’t be organized during isolation.
That’s what video calls are for!
Before we move any further, here’s another video to help you shed some pounds.
Check out 5 Bedtime Drinks That Can Help You Lose Weight.
#5 Watch Your News Consumption
We all want to stay updated on what’s happening in the world.
And we should.
But too much of everything is harmful.
With 24*7 news reporting, you stand the risk of overexposing yourself to content that can
raise your anxiety.
If you find yourself checking Twitter or TV every few minutes, control the urge next time.
A study conducted on two groups of undergraduate students found there were negative psychological
effects of watching news constantly.
It could trigger anxiety and cause total mood disturbance.
Experts suggest these negative psychological effects can be buffered by progressive relaxation
after watching the news and limiting news intake to a few minutes every day.
For instance, you can choose one news medium and check it out for just 15 minutes.
But why are we concerned with all of this in the first place?
Because our immune system, emotions, and brain are connected.
When you are stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol.
Cortisol stimulates insulin, fat and carbohydrate metabolism to release energy quickly.
This increases your appetite.
You need more food to deal with the fight or flight response.
Cortisol causes you to store fat in the abdominal area, which is toxic in the long run as it
increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
#6 Watch light-hearted comedy shows
Watch light-hearted comedy shows as they help you relax.
Laughing lowers blood sugar levels, relaxes the mind, and boosts immunity.
A study in 2006 analyzed the interactions among the human brain, immune system, and
emotions.
It was recorded that laughter boosted the production of health-protecting hormones in
the body.
When you are relaxed and laughing, your cortisol levels drop.
Wait, there are more benefits to laughing.
Every deep-rooted laugh results in the contraction and expansion of belly muscles that have a
similar effect as exercising your abs.
Experts believe laughing for 10 to 15 minutes daily can burn up to 40 calories per day.
This is equal to losing four pounds of weight a year just by choosing to laugh heartily.
#7 Cook From Scratch
This can be an ideal time to amp up your cooking skills, and make sure you maintain your healthy
physique.
Processed, fast food items may feel like they are making our lives easier.
But they contribute to your weight gain as they are usually packed with sugar and fats.
They increase your calorie count without you realizing it.
Give yourself a break from ready-to-eat soups and noodles.
Follow a good recipe video on YouTube or read a cookbook online.
Cook food from scratch and you might actually emerge with a fitter physique than you originally
had.
Prepare soups, veggie casseroles, and whole wheat pasta from scratch.
You will thank yourself later.
#8 Liquid Calories Are Your Enemy
It is easy to drink several glasses of cold drinks, or packaged fruit juice without knowing.
When we are watching TV, we end up consuming more liquid beverages.
Studies have shown a 60% rise in obesity among participants when they were given daily servin
gs of sugar-sweetened beverages.
The main reason behind weight gain due to liquid calories is that your brain doesn’t
register liquid calories the same way it registers solid calories.
You end up consuming surplus calories leading to weight gain.
The best way to avoid liquid surplus is by switching to unsweetened coffee and green
tea.
#9 Protein is Efficient
It is easy to lose track of your diet and indulge in sugar and carbohydrate-rich foods
when you are in isolation.
If you don’t want to gain weight, make sure you consume enough protein while maintaining
a healthy diet.
Protein is the king of all nutrients!
Your body burns calories while digesting and metabolizing them.
A high-protein diet can boost your body’s metabolism anywhere between 800-1000 calories
per day.
Need more reasons to eat a Spanish omelet along with a bowl of delicious Greek yogurt?
Are you self-isolating?
Are you following any of these tips?
Let us know in the comments.
We love hearing from you.