Pre-pandemic health goals.
Getting back to health goals following COVID-19 pandemic
When I look back, I realized that we were eating takeout more and buying foods that last longer to minimize grocery shopping trips.
Fresh veggies and fruit don’t last that long, so prepackaged food became more of a staple, said Elizabeth Mason-Squires of Middleton, Annapolis County.
“Suddenly, all of the opportunities for steps and movement were gone. Instead replaced with sitting down at the computer for work and homeschool,” she said.
Mason-Squires says she didn’t see it at first, but when she noticed she couldn’t fit into her clothes, she discovered she’d gained 40 pounds during the COVID-19 threemonth isolation period.
“Right now, I am very embarrassed. I had lost weight previously and was feeling and looking healthy and somehow, I managed to throw it away in mere months. With restrictions easing, my anxiety is through the roof as I don’t want anyone to see me like this,” she said.
Mason-Squires’ story is certainly not unique.
As Rachel Cornish of Shapin up with Rachel, based in Summerside, P.E.I. says, our world has been turned upside down and any sign of normal has gone out the window. Going to the gym and eating healthily for most of us, stopped. We started making yummy treats at home, binge watching TV and lived in sweatpants. Now is the time to stop feeling guilty and give ourselves some grace, she said.
Suzi Fevens, a nutrition and weight-loss coach, trauma-informed yoga instructor and stress resiliency coach in Waterville, Kings County, says what we’ve been going through these past few months is trauma, and everyone reacts differently.
“Remember, while some people may think this has been more of an inconvenience than anything, others will have found it to be extremely challenging, causing depression, anxiety, etc.,” said Fevens.
We look at these situations like fight or flight or freeze, but in this case, Fevens says it’s more like bake or break.
“Some people baked bread and ate more comfort foods while watching Netflix, and others used this time as an opportunity to break from ‘regular’ life and focused more on their health, nutrition and fitness. Neither response is right or wrong — how we cope is individual and is not something to feel guilty about,” said Fevens.
Feeling guilt, shame and anger towards our food choices and/or bodies do absolutely nothing except cause demotivation, which is actually counterproductive because it makes you continue to overeat, explains Felicia Newell of FN Health, located in St. John’s, N.L.
We need to change our mindset to reach our health goals, said Newell.
To get back to our health goals and feeling better about ourselves, Cornish says to start today and move forward. The past has already happened and we can’t change it.
“It’s important to stay in the moment and ask ourselves every day, ‘What can I do for my health today?’ It’s the little things we do for our health on a daily basis, that add up to make the biggest difference and have a positive impact on our health tomorrow,” explains Tara Antle, a nutritionist with Healthy Balance Holistic Health Group in St. John’s, N.L.
Start small and don’t try to change everything at once, advises Cornish. Lofty goals lead to feeling overwhelmed, becoming discouraged and giving up, she said.
“If you’re starting from nothing, aim for 15 minutes three times per week, and go from there. The goal might be different for someone else who is in a different situation, but either way, make it realistic and achievable” said Newell.
Slowly keep adding exercise into your daily routine, said Cornish, and Fevens said you can’t go wrong with walking.
“Especially now that it's relatively safe for us to be out in our neighbourhoods enjoying the fresh air, adding a daily walk to your routine is the perfect way to get moving in a low impact and lower intensity way, gets us that dose of vitamin D from the sun and fresh air in our lungs,” said Fevens.
There are also virtual classes you can take from the comfort of your own home, found on Facebook or Youtube, but nothing beats good old walking, said Fevens.
Whatever you decide to do, Newell says it is important to choose something you enjoy and can stick to.
“Consistency trumps a lot of things. If you try a workout that your friend had success with, but you hate it, don’t feel down on yourself. It takes trial and error to figure out what works best for you and what will help you be consistent,” said Newell.
Newell says to treat your chosen activity like a scheduled meeting, putting it in your calendar and setting a reminder.
When it comes to food, weight loss should not be a primary concern, said Fevens, as we are still living during a pandemic and it is definitely not the time to go on an extreme diet which will compromise your immune system.
“Major changes in a short period of time, generally sets us up for failure as it’s difficult to sustain when life happens,” adds Antle. “Shifting our mindset from restricting, cutting out or eliminating foods, towards learning how to nourish our body by increasing healthy foods will have a positive impact on our mental well-being and overall health and wellness.”
For example, Cornish suggests adding a serving of veggies with each meal or snack which will keep your body feeling full longer.
Ensure you’re getting a high-quality protein with each meal or snack, such as Greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, milk, fresh chicken breasts, seafood, homemade smoothies, eggs, beans, peas, etc. Limit the amount of empty calorie processed foods, going for real food instead of fake, said Antle.
Balanced meals with different types of nutrients will not only keep you full and satisfied at that meal, but these nutrients slow down digestion which helps keep you full for a long period of time, prevents blood sugar spikes and crashes, and also helps prevent cravings between meals, said Newell.
It is also important to drink more water. Your body typically needs half your body weight in ounces everyday. To make water more enjoyable, Cornish suggests adding some fresh or frozen fruit to flavour it without the extra sugar. Add your favorite tea, allow it to steep in the cold water for about five minutes and enjoy, she said.
Overall, it’s important to be easy on yourself and let go of the guilt. If something isn’t working, change it, said Newell. And, remember, it's OK if you have an off day. Life happens to every single one of us. The tip is to get up, dust yourself off and start again, said Cornish.
As for Mason-Squires, she and her husband, who had also gained weight during this time, decided enough was enough. They are returning to better eating habits, buying fresh, whole foods, and moving more.
“It is a long, slow road back to our healthier selves but already I have seen improvement in our moods so that is a great motivator,” she said.