“Why have I gained so much while during the lockdown?”
I am 34 year old female. I have gained 26 pounds since being on lockdown. I am not eating much differently than before.
9 Answers
Stress can cause this as well as lack of exercise which includes outdoor activities that one would find pleasure in.
Oh, you are not alone, myself included, but quickly changed that. We find comfort in snacking to feed the area of the brain that deals with fight or flight. So, when we are stressed or dealing with anxiety, you can find as like a baby sucking on a pacifier...we tend to get our bodies raising in cortisol. Try and spiritual and physical cleanse.
I am going to assume you are referring to the pandemic in your reference to being on “lockdown.” You mentioned not much has changed with your eating habits, though I wonder whether other things have changed in your daily routine that may be impacting your health including your weight. Perhaps you are moving much less than you used to; even if you didn’t have a regular exercise regimen before, just by the fact that you mention the term “lockdown” gives us a clue as to how your mind may be perceiving your circumstances and that in and of itself will impact you. The emotional toll the pandemic has had on individuals such as yourself cannot be ignored. I operate from what’s called a bio-psycho-social model which means that we cannot separate the medical from the emotional from the psychological aspects of the person. You are one person, and when one part of you is affected, the rest of you is affected as well.
There is something you are doing differently and just not realizing it. This is the difficult part. Get a walking tracker to make sure you are staying as active as you were and make sure you are drinking water.
Hi,
Thanks for your question. It is possible that you have gained extra weight during the lockdown even though you are not eating much differently from before due to being less active. Usually, people walk around the school or workplace during their normal day and all these steps add up to help with weight loss from keeping the body moving. I would recommend that you continue to try to stay active by going for a 30 minute walk daily or engaging in another type of activity that involves movement, such as sports, dance, yoga, pilates, biking, hiking, swimming, running, etc.
I hope this is helpful!
Best,
Jenna Torres, PsyD
Thanks for your question. It is possible that you have gained extra weight during the lockdown even though you are not eating much differently from before due to being less active. Usually, people walk around the school or workplace during their normal day and all these steps add up to help with weight loss from keeping the body moving. I would recommend that you continue to try to stay active by going for a 30 minute walk daily or engaging in another type of activity that involves movement, such as sports, dance, yoga, pilates, biking, hiking, swimming, running, etc.
I hope this is helpful!
Best,
Jenna Torres, PsyD
Most of the population has gained during the lockdown, and the average weight gain is around 20 pounds. Hence the weight gain has been referred to as the COVID 20. Stress and the limitations have led the body to gain more and store more from carbohydrates. It is a survival mechanism the body has. It is important to progressively decrease carbs as we age and why I recommend a low carb version of eating according to our blood type or KETO.
That is a very good question and I am sure discouraging. Are you less active? The difference in leaving your house in a routine to not could make a significant difference on activity level and calorie burn. Also, do you feel like you are more stressed out due to the lockdown? We tend to hold onto weight when we are feeling stress, which could also be a reason.
Sara Cole, MS, LPC, CAC III, NCC, CFRC
Sara Cole, MS, LPC, CAC III, NCC, CFRC
Lockdown has been making everyone also stay indoors, reducing exercise we normally get in going places. Maybe increase exercise, although you may not be eating differently.
It is what we often like to call the quarentine 15, we are not as active, we are not at work or school, we are confined to a smaller space, we have access to more opportunities to eat. I would reach out to a mental health professional to gain effective coping strategies and engage in activity and challenge yourself to engage in more healthy foods and less carbs and sweets, more fresh veggies and low sodium diet, and increase your daily intake of water.
