Everyone at Doctor's Best Weight Loss is hoping you are remaining healthy during this challenging time. We are definitely in the middle of unchartered waters, and everyone copes differently so we are wishing you physical and emotional wellness at this time. In today's blog, we would like to offer some strategies to use during this unprecedented and historical period. Of course, these may be useful for some but not useful for others since we all deal with stress in different ways.
Since the quarantine started, I (the in-house nutritionist) have still been conducting virtual nutrition appointments (click here to schedule yours--it's free!), and there seem to be three different themes of particular needs/concerns from our customers:
-Group one is afraid the quarantine life will cause them to lose all of the progress they have made in recent weeks, so they would like a structured plan to keep their progress moving.
-Group two is just now starting a weight loss and wellness journey since the closure of restaurants and the limitation of social gatherings (which usually include food) have taken place.
-Group three is interested in the convenience of having pre-packaged food (that is conducive for weight loss) sent to them to avoid exposure at grocery stores.
One very common concern from most customers I speak with is that comfort food is just that--comforting! Many people are baking more than ever, and with more time on their hands, they are whipping up large family meals and sitting down to sometimes carb- and calorie-ridden feasts. And you know what, that is good for the soul, so if you're one of those people who needs that for emotional wellness, you can strike a balance.
One strategy I'm using is baking for others--my four-year old has been begging me to bake with him--everything from cupcakes to homemade pizza. We have been doing a lot of that as an activity but then leaving a batch of treats on our neighbor's doorstep. It's a nice exercise in cooking together and doing something fun that someone else will enjoy as well.
Another strategy to possibly employ is to take this opportunity of downtime to give yourself a 30-day goal. Since our activities will be severely limited for the next month, working on yourself (whether it's losing weight, learning a new language, or picking up a new hobby) can help to pass the time and assist with mental well-being. I love working out at a gym but since those are closed, I am trying to get well-versed in at-home workouts that employ your own body weight as opposed to gym equipment and it's certainly broadening my scope of exercise possibilities.
Having some sort of a loose schedule is another strategy to help with being productive, passing the time, and reaching some goals. Having dedicated timeframes for healthy meal preparation, exercise, outdoor activity, and maybe learning something new can work wonders for getting through the next month.
If you're like some of the many customers I have been speaking to for the last two weeks during this new normal and would either like to preserve the progress you have made, start a new weight loss goal, or simply have weight loss-friendly foods sent to you, I highly recommend exploring one of our many meal plans found here. They give the ease of outlining exactly what to eat, as well as ready-made foods for your convenience, all while allowing you to get creative in the kitchen for your family dinner meal. The best part is, they cost less than $6 per day, and you can even enjoy our new "enjoy now, pay later" policy found here. Once again, we are wishing you the best during this time and please don't hesitate to contact us as we are still serving all customer in a safe and virtual manner.
