Managing COVID Kilos

It is no surprise that Covid-19 took a toll on most of us. With a drastic change to our everyday lifestyles, you may have noticed that your eating habits and exercise routines have been disrupted. Some may have found that working from home allowed them to spend more time monitoring their eating habits and exercise routines however, research has found that these disruptions have actually caused many to gain a couple extra kilos.

How has the pandemic led to weight gain?

If you are currently reading this, you may feel like this is the case with you. In March 2020, when Australia went into lockdown, there was a whole set of new challenges that we had to face. People who were able to work from home, had to quickly shift their work arrangements. This left many having to create a temporary office in their home, and for some, the kitchen table seemed to be the most convenient place. Studies have found that eating whilst you’re distracted encourages more eating. This unfortunately would have been the case when most people were working from home, as they had easy access to unlimited foods, finding themselves constantly snacking. Similarly, this would have been the case for those who had lost their jobs during this time. People generally overeat due to boredom or as a way to cope with stress. In the same way, inactivity levels would have increased, as people are being encouraged to stay at home, with the local gyms even temporarily closing.

If this is you and you are currently feeling demotivated due to your current state, don’t be. It is not impossible to get back into a routine and to start a healthier lifestyle. Today, I will be sharing with you some tips and tricks to help you manage your quarantine weight gain and to help you shred unwanted fat. Just a reminder, that you are not alone. We are all in this together.

Tips to get moving & have a healthy lifestyle:

• Create a daily routine- Better health is a result of extra planning. Setting your alarm, a little earlier allows extra time to workout/meal plan and plan the rest of your day ahead.
• Create a daily routine- Better health is a result of extra planning. Setting your alarm, a little earlier allows extra time to workout/meal plan and plan the rest of your day ahead.
• Change your eating habits- Increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Fruit and veg are low in calories and fat, and high in fibre. These are the 3 essential ingredients that help with weight loss. Foods that are high in fibre help keep you full for longer, which is helpful when trying to consume fewer calories within a day. Reading food labels can also help encourage healthier eating habits. Knowing the amount of calories that are in certain foods allow you to work out how a particular food fits into your daily calorie intake.
• Don’t starve yourself- Starving yourself doesn’t work. Your body relies on fuel to keep strong and fit. Starving yourself will only allow your body to be low on energy, which may cause you to crave foods high in sugar. When you stop eating as much, your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism significantly slows down, which causes your body to preserve body fats.

Remember: Do not ban certain foods you love, as this will only make you crave them. It is all about the balance. There’s nothing wrong with the occasional treat, as long as this is within your calorie intake.

• Drink plenty of water- Water can be helpful for weight loss and can help to make up space in the stomach, reducing a person’s hunger. Dehydration often leads to headaches, hunger, constipation, and a whole bunch of other issues. Aim to consume a minimum of 2 Litres per day.
• Morning walks- Taking daily walks around your neighbourhood around the same time every day helps in keeping yourself accountable. Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes a day or for ultimate results, 10,000 steps a day.

HIIT sessions - If you want to lose your quarantine weight gain fast, then incorporating High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the most effective way to do so. HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise with low intensity recovery periods. This is the most time-efficient way to workout. HIIT also allows you to burn more calories throughout the day after you are done exercising.

How it works: Perform all 5 of the following rounds as fast as possible, with 1-minute breaks between each round.

What you will need:

• Fitness Kettlebell 5KG or
• Fitness Kettlebell 8KG
• Exercise & Yoga Mat

Time Taken: Roughly 30-40 minutes

HIIT PROGRAM

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Round 4:

Round 5:

Don’t forget to stretch once you finish! This is important for muscle recovery and repair.

Examples of stretches

For ultimate results, incorporate this HIIT SESSION 3 times a week with a steady walk on the other 2 days.

Good luck :)