Dealing with post quarantine nutrition struggles?

In this time of quarantine life, social distancing and trying to find our “new” normal, one thing I’ve struggled with most is nutrition.  I know I’m not alone in this because of how many of my clients, friends and others ask and talk about it with me. Truthfully, I blame much of it on my quarantine baking frenzy over the last handful of months!!! And I know plenty of you probably went through the same thing. Those baking aisles at my local grocery stores were just decimated. Anyone else bake (and eating said baking) more than they care to admit in 2020?? We were/are all bored, stressed, or so overwhelmed with everything still going on, that we look for comfort and once that becomes an ingrained habit, it can be quite hard to break as we get back out into the world.

I personally do it to relieve stress that’s built up. I’ve always enjoyed baking, but now I’m also doing it as a way to keep my daughter busy and entertained and with just the two of us at home right now, you’d be surprised with how much more we are consuming throughout our day. When it comes to meal prep, being at home should make it easier, no? For me… that’s a hard NO. Ha ha, I actually find that with so much time to do meal prep (mostly because I make my daughter help me), I feel like I can do it whenever and then it ends up not getting done. Anyone else?

If this is you, here are a few things to focus on right now:

1. The portions of your meals. If they are getting larger than normal, try using a smaller plate at meal time. If it’s more of a portion struggle while snacking, don’t eat directly out of a bag! Grab 1 serving and put into a separate dish. After that’s done, try having some water and wait… if you still truly want it, have another serving! But at least it’s focusing on your mindfulness.
2. Quality of what you are consuming. Do you find yourself always hungry even though you eat regularly? It could be the quality of the food. Try focuses on more nutrient dense whole foods and ensure you are including proteins, carbs and healthy fats.
3. How often are you eating? If you find you forget to eat all day and then for dinner just can’t stop yourself, try setting an alarm reminder on your phone! If you have been eating too much out if boredom, try having a glass of water before reaching for the snacks or do something to keep your hands busy. If you do want a snack, try meal prepping more often and have plenty of vegetables and fruit cut up and ready for you.

 If you find your eating habits a little crazy, try a food journal for a week and review it. Log what you are eating, how much of it, how it makes you feel, etc. It’s important to be 100% honest with yourself about whether you are at so that you know what you need to focus on. Your nutrition can truly make or break how you feel about yourself, your workouts, energy levels and productivity at home and work. 

To get myself back on track, I completed a 3 day “no starvation” cleanse that did wonders for my mind and my body! I was starting to snack far too often and my portions were getting larger and larger. I never do cleanses to see physical results, it’s really a way to remove the sugar (and alcohol at this rate!!!) out of my body and to slow or stop the unhealthy cravings. I now feel so focused, much more energetic and I don’t want to crap I was eating before. Surprising hey? But on top of that I ended up loosing an inch of bloat in my stomach and 2 lbs. Like I said, not the goal I had… but a happy side effect nonetheless! I started focusing on meal prepping healthy whole options with plenty of seasoning and am very heavily focused on plant based proteins. The last few days I’ve been feeling much better and if I’m going to eat a little too more than I maybe should, You better believe it’s going to be Zucchini noodles, Energy Bites or pre-prepped veggies and fruit. 

I find there are 3 types of eaters… someone who practices a structured portioned nutrition program (they want to be told how much to eat, what to eat, and when); others are more into an intuitive eating approach (focusing on mindfulness and being able to determine what’s best for you based off of the veggies most idea); and others perhaps bounce between the two, but mostly want to eat whatever.

Where do you feel you are amongst those options? Do you struggle with anything specific? Did you know that I have a few amazing nutrition programs available to get you back on track and feeling like yourself again?! For information, reach out by filling out my form in my Fitness & Nutrition Page. https://afithaven.com/lets-workout-together/

As always, I’m here to help should you ever need it. Remember, moderation is key and
EAT THE RAINBOW ❤