If you have gained weight during the lockdown while working from home, then you are not alone! Every Eat better, not perfect client sets goals at the start of their program, and lately, we have noticed that many set their high-level goal something like this:
"I want to lose the home office kilos (and some additional ones)"
After taking a closer look, we can clearly see that this issue is caused by the COVID-19 lockdown and the change in environment and working dynamics it brought with it.
You might ask yourself "how did I get here?", which is a great question to ask and learn from, to ultimately answer "how do we get rid of the home office kilos?".
There are probably as many possible causes as the number of people in this situation, meaning that everyone's situation is unique (as always, especially with regards to nutrition).
We could however find some common reasons that probably influenced how you got here, and luckily, most of them have a workable solution:
1) Change of structure, habits, and routines
Cause: Not surprisingly, we were all affected by the sudden and drastic changes in our lives. We are all creatures of habits, and if we don't have our habits in place, things can get out of hand pretty quickly. This is the main driver for most other reasons listed below.
Solution: Identify the routines that make you healthier, and implement them slowly, so you won't have to use all your willpower to stick to them (it get's more tangible below).
2) You don't have access to a canteen with healthy food options, so you order (unhealthy?) food instead
Cause: We get it, suddenly you have to think about getting food instead of going to the canteen, and since you don't really have time to cook for yourself, you order food instead. Unfortunately, most quick options (since you are already starving!!) tend to be unhealthy.
Solution: If you can't cook yourself, plan ahead and look for healthy delivery options. If you don't have to go look for the best food delivery on the spot, chances are you will pick the better option, before starving.
3) You don't have social control over what you are eating
Cause: OK, you probably didn't have someone looking at what you were eating before the lockdown either, but you were most likely unconsciously choosing some healthier options due to your colleagues or friends being around. (Unless you have friends like mine that consciously push me into eating unhealthy foods) :-P
Solution: Find an accountability partner, perhaps a friend that also wants to eat healthier. Share your food pics with them and ask for their favorite recipes. Or get yourself a personal coach through one of our Eat better, not perfect programs ;).
4) No time for healthy cooking
Cause: Cooking healthier has always been a chore for you that takes too much time. And now, you definitely don't have time for that.
Solution: Well, find some recipes that actually take less time to make, taste great, and are better for you! You can find zillions of recipes online, Did you know that all Eat better, not perfect clients have access to a large recipe library during and after (like, forever) their program?
5) You have much less physical movement
Cause: If you are at home all the time, you miss out on mini-workouts like walking to and from the office, walking up the stairs, and therefore, your workouts are limited to walking to the fridge and back to your desk. Your gym has also been closed or was on the way to your office, so no chance that you get there any time soon...
Solution: Exercise does not have to mean lifting heavy weights (although it is pretty awesome for better health). Instead, look for smart ways to incorporate movement into your days. You can take the dog/kids out to the park, do a conference call while going for a walk, or just do a few squats and sit-ups in between meetings. The net effect of all these little things is going to be surprisingly impactful!
6) You are stressed out
Cause: Perhaps you are stressed because there is no longer a boundary between being at home and being at work? Or perhaps because you lack social contact (which is awesome to bust stress)? Or perhaps because your kids are running around, not understanding that you need to focus and have no time to play?
Solution: Anything stress-related is damaging your health in the long turn, stress is good, but it becomes bad pretty quickly if you don't find time to unwind. And unwinding is exactly the solution! How? Perhaps you can go on a short walk (and in the meantime get some exercise in), or you can do short moments of focused breathing in between meetings, or you can listen to some relaxing music while closing your eyes, or you can lie down and try to become aware of your body, or you can... Plenty of options here, just experiment and keep what you like, even if it is only for a few minutes a couple of times a day.
The conclusion is that whatever causes we have, there is always something we can work on to improve our situations. The challenge is mostly to discover these causes, and finding good solutions that fit our situations and personal preferences.
Want to learn more about how we support our clients with their challenges? Or do you also want to reach your optimal weight, lose excess fat, and/or simply have more energy? Then Discover our programs here.
Not sure if our programs are right for you? Book a free consultation with our customer care team here.
Kevin Clement, Founder Eat better, not perfect.
Questions or suggestions? Let us know at hello@eatbnp.com