Day-to-day living now looks very different for every Australian, so it comes as no surprise that our eating patterns are a little out of whack too. It is important to acknowledge that it’s okay for environmental stressors to affect our eating habits. Similarly, it should be emphasised that foods do not carry moral value. While some foods may have more nutritional value, food is neither ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Whatever foods you are eating to survive these times, congratulate yourself on doing your best, and try not to assign guilt or shame to your diet, it serves no purpose.
In saying that, what we choose to eat during these trying times can be beneficial for our health and stress levels. Keeping some sense of routine and normalcy simply by maintaining the healthy diet you were following before lockdown is just one way of doing this.
Here are some of Be Fit Food’s top healthy habits to try while in lockdown, or to get yourself back out of lockdown and into a healthy routine again. And remember that isolation does not need to hijack the hard work, effort and time you have already dedicated to your health and weight loss journey!
Make a Schedule: time-block your day from breakfast through to dinner, allocating time for work tasks, exercise, meals and other responsibilities. Not only will you feel more motivated but allocating time to working on your health and weight loss goals will help to keep you accountable.
Prepare Healthy Snacks: carrot sticks and hummus, apple slices and peanut butter, protein balls and energy bars are all nutritious options to have in the pantry for when you want something small to tide you over to dinner. You can also get creative with the ingredients you put in, and for anyone with small children – this is a great way to get them involved too.
Regular Physical Activity: if you had a consistent workout or exercise plan pre COVID, try your best to stick to your routine or use this opportunity to try something new! Whether it’s a YouTube HIIT workout, home yoga or circuit training, the endorphins released during exercise will help to manage your stress levels.
If you are recently out of lockdown and trying to find motivation to get started again, the same idea applies of sticking to a routine or reviewing what you would like to do and trying something different.
Get Your 8 Hours of Sleep: studies suggest an association between sleep deprivation, weight gain and obesity, so all the more reason to hop into bed for an early night! You’ll also notice you have more energy, greater concentration and lower stress levels. Try to consider your pre COVID sleep habits and timings to assess how different they are to now, to identify where you can make some improvements to increase the overall quantity of sleep.
Practice Mindfulness: daily meditation can reduce stress, improve attention and help us be more mindful of our food choices. Whether it’s an app (we recommend Headspace or Calm), reading a book or walking outside in nature, take the time to be fully present in an activity you enjoy. This is equally important for people in lockdown to help balance feelings of restlessness, and important for people returning to ‘regular’ life to preserve energy and find a new balance.
If you are a previous or current Be Fit Food customer, we will continue to support in whichever way we can by providing suggestions to help you feel more in-control and empowered with your health and diet.
If you are looking for a kickstart to break some bad lockdown habits, you have the option of a Be Fit Food rapid weight loss program. Be Fit Food is Australia’s only wholefood alternative to very-low-calorie diet shake programs, where you get to enjoy real food and still get results. Plus, the programs have been created by a Doctor and Dietitian to be safe and effective…and when you start to compare shakes vs. Be Fit Food, you’ll learn there are more benefits to real food than on the scale.
Our most popular programs for rapid weight loss are the Be Rapid 7 Day Program or Metabolism Reset 14 Day Program. With each of these programs, you get your meals and snacks plus a recommended extras guide to help keep you accountable and on track. Both programs are designed to help you lose excess kilos, with many of our customers noticing higher energy levels, improved sleep, and better digestive health.
As with all our programs, our Dietitians provide free consultations to help. Feel free to book a complimentary phone call with one of our Dietitians, which is available whether you are a current Be Fit Food customer. The team are happy to chat all things health and wellbeing and help point you in the right direction to help you reach your health and weight goals.
References
- Harber VJ, Sutton JR. Endorphins and Exercise. Sports Medicine. 2012;34(1):154-171.
- Patel SR, Hu FB. Short Sleep Duration and Weight Gain: A Systematic Review. Obesity. 2012;16(3):643-653.
- Davis DM, Hayes JA. What Are The Benefits of Mindfulness? A Practice Review of Psychotherapy-Related Research. Psychotherapy. 2011;48(2):198-208.
