Re-embrace healthy habits to address pandemic-related weight gain

As we begin emerging from the pandemic and putting on our hard pants, a lot of us are discovering an uncomfortable truth. We gained weight over the past year of Zoom meetings and virtual lockdowns. And while we might be in the process of ditching our masks, ditching the pounds is going to be more of a process.

If this is a challenge you’re facing, know that you aren’t alone. A recent Harris Poll for the American Psychological Association found that 42 percent of adults reported unwanted weight gain during the pandemic —- with younger people even more likely to have gained weight. Gen Z adults reported gaining an average of 28 pounds while millennials saw an average 42-pound gain.

Jeffrey Hooper, DO, with the MultiCare Center for Weight Loss and Wellness in Tacoma, thinks that might actually be an undercount. “People just stopped looking (at their scales),” he says. “They didn’t want to know.”

He recommends stepping on a scale at least once a week to get an idea of how you’re doing. “It helps you keep an eye on it.”

Once you see the — ahem — scale of the problem, how do you address it? Start by recognizing the habits that caused it, says dietitian Alix Leestma, RD, with the MultiCare Center for Weight Loss and Wellness in Tacoma.

At the top of the list is that we simply moved less during the pandemic. Gyms were closed and we were also more likely to depend on curbside delivery instead of walking the aisles of grocery stores regularly.

“Even avoiding the malls or getting together with friends to get out and just go do something reduced our activity,” she says.

Many of us also relied more on processed foods or takeout, rather than keeping our kitchens stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables.

“One thing that I’ve heard a lot is people felt almost required to eat out at these small businesses to keep them alive,” Leestma says.

And many of us turned to unhealthy snacking to deal with the stress and boredom of lockdown.

“I want people moving,” Dr. Hooper says. Find a way to return to the hobbies you enjoyed before the pandemic, even if it’s not something particularly active.

“If you’re tinkering in the garage, you’re not thinking about those peanuts sitting on the table,” he said. “It’s when you’re watching TV you’re thinking of those. Get out there and tinker again. Get out there in the garden, get out there and take a walk.”

Leestma agrees and suggests finding non-food ways to reward yourself for a tough day.

“Find yourself a book to read or give someone a phone call or buy a new pair of shoes,” she says.

Empty your pantry and refrigerator of the unhealthy snacks and foods you’ve been turning to. Donate whatever food you can to a food bank so you won’t feel they are wasted.

“We don’t need to do a whole 360,” she says. “Aim for trying to improve food choices. Aim for more water, aim for one fresh fruit or vegetable a day.”

She also recommends setting routines and boundaries. “After you’ve had dinner, clean up the kitchen and set the boundary that it’s closed.”

Snacks are fine — but be strategic, Dr. Hooper says. “Snack in a predetermined way. If you don’t set it up ahead of time, you’ll go for the candy.”

The weight didn’t come on overnight and it won’t come off overnight either, Dr. Hooper cautions. For sustainable weight loss, don’t expect to lose more than a pound or two per week, especially after the first month.

But small losses can be big gains for your health, he says. From decreasing your risk of diabetes to reducing wear and tear on your joints, even 10 to 15 pounds of weight loss can make you healthier.

Once you recognize the problem and start to address it, don’t worry if the weight isn’t coming off fast, Dr. Hooper says. “But if you aren’t losing or you’re gaining, it’s probably time to come in.”

The MultiCare Center for Weight Loss and Wellness can help you with proven strategies to help you lose the weight and regain your health.

“This is going to take some work and some changes, some thoughtfulness,” Leestma says. “But the benefits to your physical and emotional health and confidence make it all worthwhile.”

Learn more about the weight loss support available through MultiCare’s Center for Weight Loss and Wellness.