The key is to cut your caloric intake with healthy, low-calorie foods versus going without.Īccording to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025, a healthy eating plan: A healthy diet shouldn’t necessarily feel like dieting. After all, you are what you eat! When it comes to healthy eating, don’t get “diet” and “dieting” confused. Cutting the Caloriesĭiet goes hand-in-hand with exercise. A study from the NUTRIM School of Nutrition shows that the number of calories burned can vary significantly between people who are moving about all day, compared to people who are just sitting or lying down. Movement burns calories and the more calories you burn, the more likely you are to shed some of those unwanted pounds. “Exercise can be just walking around the house or yard. Beyond maintaining a healthy weight, the overall health benefits are abundant.Īccording to the CDC, “If you’re not sure about becoming active or boosting your level of physical activity because you’re afraid of getting hurt, the good news is that moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, is generally safe for most people.”ĭr. The science is clear – exercise is essential to healthy aging. Norton started her career as a dietician for the United States Army, then went on to teach nutrition at Old Dominion University. in nutritional sciences from the University of Maryland. “My advice is pretty old-fashioned and one my generation learned from our mothers: Eat a variety of foods in moderation and get some exercise,” said Dr. Her mantra sounds familiar – it all comes down to diet and exercise. Losing weight doesn’t happen overnight any more than gaining it did. Virginia Norton, a Goodwin Living at Home member and retired nutritionist, there are no quick fixes. Warmer days allow for getting outdoors safely, while grocery stores and farmers markets are beginning to stock fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables.Īccording to Dr. Knowing that extra weight can be a health hazard, the spring is a wonderful time to get back into a healthy routine. Ironically, weight gain that leads to obesity can put people at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19 and can also have lasting negative health implications. Ten percent said they gained more than 50 pounds. However, of the 42% of people in the APA survey who say they gained weight, the amount they reported gaining averaged 29 pounds. While weight tends to fluctuate slightly, a 20-pound weight gain is not the yearly norm. Assuming that trend continued for a year, that seemingly small number would grow to nearly 20 pounds of extra weight. This might explain the results of a new study just released this week in JAMA that found people gained about 1.5 pounds per month during the research period of February 1 to June 1, 2020. In a recent survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), involving over 3,000 American adults, a staggering 61% of the respondents said they experienced “undesired weight changes” during the pandemic, with 42% of them saying they gained more weight than they intended. Combine home comfort cooking and snacking with hours of sedentary Netflix or Zoom screen time, and it’s no surprise that many of us have gained weight during the lockdowns this past year. For many, it seemed the only thing moving was the number on the scales as it inched up. COVID-19 - MaThe Quarantine Quandary: Addressing Weight GainĪs the world came to a standstill due to COVID-19, so, too, did our bodies during quarantine.

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