I’m guessing all the extra time has been nice. You know like not having to spend 2 hours in traffic or being able to play with the kids before dark. But before you know it, you’ve been watching 10 hours of Netflix with endless snacks in your lap. Then, the fog over your eyes start to move in, along with boredom, slight depression, and overall, lack of motivation. Which of course makes it even easier to binge on even more TV and eat and eat and eat. What happened to that super amped New Year’s goal of yours? This was the year you were going to bring your blood sugar down or lose the extra 20 pounds. Is it even possible now? Yes.. Yes.. Yes.. Get off the couch and time to put these 3 tips into motion.
Here are 3 strategies for a healthy quarantine!
Create a Routine
Having a routine creates a sense of control, confidence, and productivity. During a time of choas and the unknown, this is EXACTLY what we need. Not to mention that waking up at the same time, eating around the same time, and sleeping around the same time helps stabilize blood sugar levels and balance hormones. In return, this regulates appetite and mood.
A routine is the foundation of a personalized nutrition or lifestyle program. Now, it’s more important than ever because we may not have a job or school to align our day.
When I’m working with a client, I ask them to focus on chunks of their day. The morning routine is the the most important part. It sets the tone for the entire day. Here’s an example.
- 8am-10am Wakeup: This may include blood sugar checks, meds, breakfast, shower
- 10am-1pm Get Active: Use this time to devote to exercise/work, to-do list, school work.
- 1pm Relax: This may include lunch and then watching the mid-day news.
The trick with the schedule is that you don’t want to over-schedule or then comes the inevitable, “I win, I fail” attitude with nothing in between. You want this to be structured yet flexible enough to roll with anything that comes your way. And I’d suggest focusing on just the your morning routine. Anything beyond this is a bonus!
I know, I know it may sound like a schedule is for kids or babies. But hey, this is how we get our kids to build confidence and become better human beings. As adults, we are no different. We need that structure to avoid the mindless distractions so we can accomplish more!
Eat Meals, Not Snacks!
Reality check. We don’t need to snack to survive. In fact, we barely need to eat. Our bodies are amazing. When we aren’t eating, our bodies start a reversal process of using fat for energy and recycling damaged cells and dna.
Snacking was invented in the last 100 years. With massive amounts of plastic wrapped crunchy things boasting claims of enhanced weight loss and mental performance. I can’t tell how far from the truth this is. A constant influx of food energy into the body can keep insulin levels higher and ultimately turn you into brain fogged, storing machine.
So yeah, let’s focus on balanced meals instead of all the snacky poos between. If you’re wondering how that would look. Let’s take the standard plate method (my no-counting eating method) for example 1/4 carbohydrate (starchy or sweet foods), 1/4 protein, and 1/2 non-starchy veggies with some natural fat on top. You can always go more aggressive with the low carb plate but you can still get massive results using the standard plate.
Do Work
If you’re wondering.. of my gosh, how am I going to “workout” without a gym. What? I bet there’s workouts all around your house. Last week, I painted my ceiling… talk about awkward positions and muscles you never thought you had.
Think about it, what projects have you been delaying because you’re just oh sooo busy. Is it reorganizing the garage? Cleaning the bathtub (you know really cleaning it)? Clearing out the weeds in the backyard? These are the best workouts. I like to call them productive exercise. You know like the type of exercise our ancestors used to do before they invented the ab rocker.
This aligns perfectly with setting a schedule. What better to add to your schedule than some productive exercise.
“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
-John C. Maxwell
All this extra free time during lockdown may feel like a curse but I promise you can turn it into anything you want. Need a little extra motivation, support, and accountability? I can help with that. Book a call!
