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A bowl of sweet potato black bean chili, a heart healthy recipe prepared by Anna Jones, a local dietician and nutritionist, Friday Feb. 15, 2019. (Photo: Alicia Devine/Democrat)
If you are like so many clients and friends Ive talked with lately, and myself included, your pants may be fitting a little tighter than they were pre-quarantine.
You probably have seen the memes and heard jokes and talk of the quarantine 15. Although the jokes may seem harmless, many people are really stressing about their weight and feeling a lot of shame and guilt around the changes they are noticing in their bodies.
We live in a fatphobic, weight stigmatizing culture that paints weight gain as the worst possible scenario.
I dont know a single individual who has not been impacted by this pandemic, in a mix of both positive and negative ways. Many of us are working from home, learning new technology, and many are trying to parent and manage our kids stress and anxiety at the same time.
For some of us food was comfort and helped us cope over these months of being more isolated and our schedules and routines changing.
While all of this is true it wont change what many people will decide to do next go on a diet.
It probably doesnt come as a shock that these diets and quick fixes dont work for the majority of people in the long run. But did you know that not only do restrictive diets and plans not work to keep the weight off, but that going on a diet is an excellent predictor of weight gain. Here are a just two of the research studies that support this paradoxical result of weight gain from dieting.
The reasons for this weight regain are biological, not based on willpower or perceived human failure as many of us might believe. Our bodies respond with a myriad of biological responses including hormonal adaptations that drive hunger, decreased metabolism, and a stimulation of the brain to increase cravings to eat more.
I can almost hear the thoughts in your head, OK, great, I get it, diets dont work, but Ive got to do something!
If youwant to make strides to incorporate healthier habits and self-care back into your life to feel better and healthier, and realize dieting is not the answer, here are three suggestions for you to consider.
Instead of beating yourself up, take a few deep breaths and give yourself some grace and compassion for everything you and your body have been through over the past several months. Appreciate your amazing body and the fact that you have survived this pandemic and are still thriving, with yes a few more pounds on you and possibly a diminished selection of well fitting clothes to wear.
Self-criticism and being hard on ourselves actually hinders our progress instead of helping us. A significant amount of research supports the concept of self-compassion, that being kinder to ourselves when faced with adversity is the key to resilience and the ability to bounce back leading to a greater feeling of empowerment and inner strength.
One practice for noticing self-critical thoughts is to begin to write them down. Ask if you would say the same words to a friend or someone you loved. If not, how could you change those self-critical thoughts to more compassionate ones?
Two women stretch before a class at Momentum Fitness. Rectangles created with tape designate a space for individuals to workout in while practicing social distancing. (Photo: Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat)
Maybe you were someone who exercised pretty regularly before all this blew up and due to the virus and all its disruptions youhavent been able to get it in. Maybe you, like me, havent yet felt quite safe going to your gym or studio.
When we get in diet mode and reach a point where we feel like we have to do something, we typically approach movement and exercise with an all-or-nothing way of thinking that ultimately keeps us from moving our bodies in consistently joyful ways.
Every bit of movement is beneficial, and finding ways to do that regularly and consistently and finding enjoyment and pleasure in the way you move is the key.
Walking, doing yard work or other outdoor activities, yoga or dance sessions on YouTube, all are great ways to just move your body, which we know to be an important part of physical and mental health.
Although coping with emotions with food can be comforting and even helpful in the moment, becoming aware of how you respond to emotions and boredom and finding other ways to cope is important too.Emotional eating can become an automatic response and a cycle that can be challenging to break.
If you notice that you have been turning to food for comfort or just simply for something to dolately try to acknowledge that without judgment. Three questions to ask yourself when you get in auto-pilot mode and want to reach for food for comfort are:
1. Am I biologically hungry? If so, then you need food. Ignoring your hunger will ultimately only lead to stronger cravings. If no, move on to question #2.
2. What am I feeling sad, lonely, stressed, bored, afraid anxious, frustrated, exhausted? Recognizing what you are actually feeling can be tough, but well worth it.
3. What do I need? Once you acknowledge and recognize how you feel, the next step is to find other ways to cope that will truly fulfill what you need in that moment.
More than likely food has become an easy go-to, but there are many, many ways to cope that dont involve food.
Making sure your basic needs are being met is a great place to start, focusing on things like getting enough sleep, being heard and understood and expressing your feelings, being intellectually and creatively stimulated, moving regularly, eating in a balanced way most of the time, and being socially connected (even if it is virtually) are all things that are really helpful and can bring a sense of comfort and normality in our stressful world.
It is not necessary to go on a diet to feel better and be healthier, or whatever your goal might be. A different approach to consider is Intuitive Eating or the Non-Diet approach. This approach is one based in self-care, instead of an obsessive focus on changing the number on the scale or shrinking our bodies to fit a culturally acceptable ideal.
It is about re-learning to eat outside of the diet mentality, trusting your body and its internal cues like hunger, fullness and satisfaction, and moving away from external cues like food rules and restrictions. It is about coming from a place of abundance, instead of restriction and being flexible in our food choices. Ultimately it is about finding sustainable ways to care for yourself that create mindset shifts that last.
So next time someone mentions the quarantine 15, ignore it and move on.
Anna Jones(Photo: Anna Jones)
Anna Jones is a registered dietitian. Visit her website at annajonesrd.com.
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Rethink dieting and stop stressing over the 'quarantine 15' | Anna Jones - Tallahassee Democrat
