5 “S” habits that lead to weight gain during this pandemic

Have you checked your weight recently? It’s funny because by standing right in front of the mirror, I think I no longer need to do that ha-ha. The truth is, I had to pull some clothes out of my closet because they no longer fit. Well, I guess I’m not alone, and that’s what I’m concerned about.

A lot of people are now starting to worry because their weight continues to increase. And I think we must admit that it’s because of our actions since the beginning of this COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.  Take note of these 5 S habits that contribute to your continuous weight gain:

Scrolling online for too long 

Nowadays, people tend to take a greater interest in social media than in physical activity. They often scroll and navigate online almost 24/7, which is just as bad as staring too much on TV. This habit doesn’t just hold them back from physical movements but makes them more inclined in a sedentary lifestyle while nibbling more.

Shopping too much food 

A lot of promotional treats are offered left and right from various food shops and restaurants.  But don’t make lame excuses for wanting to just take advantage of these price discounts. Admit that you really want to try them and add plenty of these food treats into your cart as much as you can! Ouch!

Sleeping irregularly

These days, most people have difficulty sleeping or have simply developed poor sleeping habits.  This is still because of the effect of the pandemic on them.  Either they’re so worried and having trouble falling asleep, or they’ve just changed their sleeping patterns.  While some people are prone to sleep too much, most people now spend more sleepless nights than before. Sleep deprivation results in overeating.  You crave more when you’re awake. That’s because when you lack sleep, you also lack hormones to tell your brain that you are already full, and you indulge in too much eating.

Stress eating

Pandemic eating, quarantine eating, lockdown eating, whatever they want to call it, it all boils down into panic or stress eating.

Yes, some people might already be used to stress eating even before the lockdown began last year. It is their way of coping with the pressures they experience at work or at school.  But in this case, it’s different.  They are those who do not know how to deal with the daily anxieties being brought by this Covid-19 virus scare.

Skipping workouts

It is the bad habit which most of us are guilty of: neglecting workouts.  Let’s face it, we tend to procrastinate about a lot of things in this quarantine which it includes the burning of fat and calories we take. Either we feel so heavy and tired to do so or probably don’t feel like doing it. No matter what your reason may be, and whether you eat a lot or not, we need to have a regular time for workout.

Whether we are guilty of these habits or not, we must be careful on any signs of being overweight that could lead to another health issue–obesity.  We must monitor and calculate the vitamins and minerals we have taken and the calories our body can afford.  I found various health and fitness calculators online at calculators.org/ to help us in health and weight management.  You can compute for your body fats, body mass index and even the calories you need to burn.  The site provides weight and exercise calculators which are very useful because we are still in quarantine and cannot go to a health clinic. The weight loss calculator at https://www.calculators.org/health/weight-loss.php can help you lose the weight you want by putting your desired goal.