How to "Avoid the Quarantine 15" lbs. Part One- The Basics

COVID-19 quarantine came out of nowhere and hit us hard. We didn't have time to mentally prepare for this. Out of our normal routine it is easy to settle in, and if you're non-essential, act as though every day is Saturday.  The worst day of the week EVER to be on a "diet" or to be too concerned with our health. 

If you've fallen into this slump it is absolutely not too late to switch it up! My plan during this heartbreaking event is to stay as healthy (mentally and physically) as possible and, to the best of my ability, not waste this time. This is still YOUR life. God willing, we will all be back into our normal lives at some point. What will your story be? Use this time to focus on bettering yourself. I promise... the happier you are with YOURSELF the happier your whole home will be. 

1. MOVE

Transitioning from moving constantly during a busy day to barely moving around in your house will cause you to pack on the pounds very quickly if you don’t watch it! You may not realize it, but your typical lifestyle does burn calories without you even having to take a trip to the gym.

Play with your kids, walk the dogs, work in the yard, start a spring-cleaning project, heck even learn a funny dance on TikTok! No, during quarantine it is not just for kids! Ha-ha! Figure it out and reenact all the "trending" challenges! Even if you don't master the moves, the attempts and laughing will burn ALL the calories. 

The point is to get up and get moving every day. Plan to be active somehow. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate cardio session, but you do have to MOVE!

2. STOP SNACKING

If you're on your third snack of the day yet you have not had ONE actual meal; stop it. Time is pretty much irrelevant right now so it's easy to get lost in the days and times. Chips sound good... then whoops ate the whole bag. You know why the whole bag went down so fast? Your body is starving! Feed it a wholesome nutritious meal. Then if you want those chips later it'll  be easy to eat the recommend serving size. If it's still not, then go ahead and do this little hack. Put a small amount into a bowl or bag. Close up your snack and fully put it away. You will be less inclined to dig out the whole package again. 

3. RELAX

Breathe in and breathe out. This too shall pass. Keep your body healthy. Keep your loved ones close and focus on the good and not the bad. As we all most likely already know, stress raises cortisol which can cause you to store unwanted fat typically in your midsection.  Even if you can get your mind off the problem with a temporary distraction, it doesn’t actually fix how stressed our body may still be. You must focus on changing your mindset. There are things in life that are out of our control. We see that now more than ever. But there are PLENTY of things we can control. 

Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference. 

-Reinhold Niebuhr

There is such a sense of power and control you feel when you know you are doing all that you can to be the best version of you. 

Part Two will be more into the fitness side of things. This is a basic guide that must be mastered first! 😘