The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly brought havoc to many countries and personal lives, including our work, daily routine, habits --- and weight. Since people are stuck in their homes, it’s understandable that many would treat it as a vacation and binge-watch on Netflix while eating to their heart’s content.

Gain weight during COVID-19 is anticipated as the stress levels run high due to the uncertainties and shifts brought by the global pandemic. If you feel out of control in your life right now and are consuming food left and right, then maybe it’s time to get back in shape and find ways to improve yourself during this unprecedented time.

Here are 10 tips to lose weight and stay healthy while being isolated in the comfort of your home during COVID-19:

1. Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself

Feel free to take an emotional break and indulge yourself with food that can make you feel okay. The more you try to resist your food cravings, the more you might feel out of control and end up overeating.

Like any other day, the most important thing to remember is moderation in everything we do --- and that includes our food consumption. You can enjoy your favorite cookies every week or have a glass of wine each night, but just remember to stay in control of your actions.

2. Stay Hydrated

Since you cannot really go out as much as you want anymore --- thanks to the lockdown caused by the pandemic, you may not feel as thirsty as before. But still, drinking a sufficient amount of water every day can help burn calories and suppress your appetite before taking your meal, preventing you from eating too much.

Drinking water is also an effective way of cutting back on sugar and calories. Therefore, it’s crucial to drink water to stay fit and healthy during this time. You can do certain routines to help you avoid skipping the right water intake in a day, like filling three bottles of water in the morning and finishing it off before the day ends, for example.

3. Perform Workouts You Can Do at Home

Even though going to the gym and running outside may not be a safe option anymore, it doesn’t mean you have to stop being physically active. There are many ways to move your body even though you’re stuck at home. For one, you can easily go online and search for free workout videos on Youtube. These are very helpful, and you will surely never run out of videos to choose from.

Home workouts such as Zumba, yoga, and even climbing up and down the stairs are practical remedies to get your body moving. You may perform such activities for at least an hour. Moderate exercises deliver your body endorphins, which reduce stress and improves mood.

4. Prepare a Low-calorie Diet

Keeping a low-calorie diet helps you control your weight, as engaging in heavy physical workout sessions may not be feasible. A balanced meal can help you feel full and energized for the day. An example of this is a diet that contains more protein and veggies and fewer carbohydrates and fat.

A Low Cholesterol diet will not only help you lose weight but also keep your heart in check. Moreover, it also helps increase your immunity and keep you healthy, which is essential as the world continues to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

5. Schedule Your Meal

Scheduling your meal helps you to remain focused on your food and water intake, and alarms you if you’re getting out of control. Make a definite plan on what you’re going to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For example, you can have a fruit smoothie or scrambled eggs for breakfast. When you’re working from home and in a Zoom meeting, you can schedule a healthy snack to keep you energized.

6. Use Portion Control Techniques

Moderation has always been an important factor in losing weight, regardless of a global pandemic. It’s hard to halt yourself from consuming your favorite meals completely. There are ways to help you keep a balanced meal, such as using portion control techniques.

One of the most popular techniques is measuring and transferring food to smaller bowls or plates and eating slowly. Through such methods, you can feel full without even noticing that you’re consuming less than what you usually eat.

7. Always Have Healthy Snacks in Your Home

Sometimes food can give us comfort when we feel sad or concerned about the recent events happening around the world. If you only have unhealthy snacks at home, you will most likely pick them up and binge on them since it’s the only thing you can find. Hence, it’s important to buy healthy snacks so that you won’t over-indulge yourself and stick to your low-calorie diet when you suddenly want to eat between meals.

8. Create a Workout and Diet Journal

It helps keep track of your activities and diet to stay vigilant on your food consumption and overall health. Being stuck at your home can be boring, so you might get easily tempted to be unhealthy and eat junk foods. A workout and diet journal can give you much awareness of the things you need to change and accomplish.

9. Get Some Adequate Sleep

Lack of sleep can lead to gain weight since it raises your cortisol levels, which produces stress hormones. It also modifies your endocannabinoid levels that influence the appetite and the brain’s reward system. Rest as much as you can to reduce stress and avoid binging on food. It will also improve your spirits and boost your immunity.

10. Always be Mindful When Eating

Mindful eating refers to the attention that we give as we buy, prepare, serve, and consume our food. By bringing all your senses to the meal production, you can appreciate and become more aware of your practices. Daily meditation can also help lessen stress, enhance alertness, and encourage us to become more mindful of our food selections.

You don’t have to completely lose control of your weight as you continue to be isolated in your home during the quarantine. In fact, now is the best time to take charge of your health and diet. After all, wouldn’t it be best that when everything goes back to normal, you are healthier and more vibrant than ever before?

Need ideas for a virtual date? Read ”10 Fun Virtual Date Ideas to Try During COVID-19” to learn more.