Being quarantined at home can have their pros and cons. One major con that we experienced is stress eating. Sometimes we do it when we’re bored and it feels good at that moment. But afterwards, we feel bad about it and we feel bad about ourselves. Hence, we put together some tips on how you can break this stress eating cycle.

Use what you have before shopping for more

Before you head out to stock up on groceries, use what you have at home. Also, when you’re hungry, whip up a meal with the things you have in your refrigerator, freeze or pantry.

Plan your snacks as you would for meals

Instead of randomly grabbing your snacks and snacking away, plan your snacks and plan them healthy. Buy baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes or cucumbers as healthy snacks that are healthy and will not have you increasing by inches.

Watch your sugar

The World Health Organisation recommends that an average adult should only consume 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day. However, when you consume extra sugar, it can head to depressing your immune system. Hence, it is recommended that you consume 4 teaspoons of added sugar a day.

Refrain from hoarding

During this quarantine, we tend to overbuy and that leads to stress eating to finish what we buy. Therefore leading to a situation where it is dangerous for your willpower and waistline. When you do your groceries, do not stock up on junk, because what you buy will go into your mouth. Hence, only buy what is necessary and healthy for you.

Cook your meals

As we stock up our pantry and refrigerator during this quarantine, limit yourself from buying pre-cooked and processed meals from the supermarket. Avoid meals that you have to just reheat in the oven. Try cooking your meals as they are much healthier. What better time to try new recipes especially when you have extra time at hands now.

Limit your portions

No matter what you eat, always limit your portions. Even if they are healthy snacks like nuts. Yes, nuts are great snacks but too much of it can also be harmful to the body.

Source: Sharp HealthCare

Seek help if you need it

Sometimes this can be hard to do by ourselves and a little help won’t hurt. There are many online nutritionists, dietitians and fitness coaches out there working virtually. Reach out to them, explain your concerns and let them help you. Be open with them on what your goals are and how you think you can achieve them and they would be more than happy to help you.

Follow your usual timings

Practice and follow the timings as you would on a normal working day. Wake up, have your breakfast, exercise and continue on with your day. Eat your meals at the same time as you would on a normal day too. Finding a sense of normality will help you keep your regular eating habits in check.

Drink your fluids

If you find yourself constantly hungry every hour, refrain yourself from eating meals or snacks but drink up on your water. Hydrating your body will stave off hunger pangs. Therefore, when you do eat, you will eat less.

Move about

Just because you are at home and are working from home, that does not mean you should not move around and be sedentary. Be active as you can in the house. Dance with your kids, walk around the house and do other activities that will have your body and mind busy because then you would not reach for snacks.

Use “real food” instead of processed food

For instance, if you feel like you want to eat potato chips, you can make them from scratch at home with the potatoes you already have in your rack. All you need to do is Google or search for a recipe video on YouTube.

Load up on fibre

When you consume fibre it not only gives you a healthy digestive system but it also prolongs your feeling of being full. Therefore, prevents you from overeating. Include vegetables, fruits, pulses, and whole grains in all your meals. The whole grains that are good for you are oats, brown pasta, rice, quinoa, whole-wheat bread and wraps.

Understand your feelings

As the stress is elevating during this pandemic, when you feel like grabbing something to munch on and eat, try and recognise what exactly is causing you to feel anxious and want to stuff yourself, instead of eating over it. Try keeping a food journal and document what you are feeling when you are eating. Use that journal to nice the patterns.

Manage what you buy

If you don’t buy chips and candy, the likeliness of you consuming them is zero. So, if you think you should be refraining from them, do not buy them and stock them at home.

Don’t eat in front of your television

When you are busy watching your favourite TV show on Netflix, you can get distracted and not realise how much you are eating. Be a conscious eater by knowing what you are eating and how much you are eating.

Don’t eat out of the bag

When you eat your straight out of its packaging, you tend to overeat or finish the whole bag. Try controlling your portions to limit how much you are eating. Use a small plate or bowl to divide your portions.

Only allow yourself one treat daily

Focus on nutritious food 90% of the time and treat yourself to your favourite treat or snack only once a day. Today you could have a cone of ice cream, tomorrow you could have a chocolate chip cookie and the following day a slice of cake.

Exercise

With more time at home and a less-busy schedule at hand, take this time and opportunity to plan your workouts the night before. When you exercise, you’ll start seeing results and therefore leading you to be self-conscious and happy about your progress. Hence, you would refrain from overeating.