There is no denying that this past year has been a challenging one. And as a result, a lot of people are dealing with weight gain or unhealthy eating habits that have crept up during this period of intense stress and routine disruption. Now that we are almost a year into this pandemic, I want to remind you that nothing is permanent. Any unwanted weight gain or unhealthy eating habits can be changed.  

So, if this sounds familiar, I invite you to take a deep breath, try to relax your body, and realize that you got this. You can do hard things (as proven by surviving this past year). You can get rid of covid weight gain and change unhealthy eating habits if you want to. Let me show you how…. 

Step 1: Figure Out the Problem 

Ask yourself, “what has been the biggest contributing factor to my weight gain over this past year?” You know the answer. And the beauty of this approach is that you don’t need to change everything in your life. You just need to focus on the one or two areas that are most out of alignment with your goals and desires. 

Maybe you are drinking too much alcohol, overeating at night, or stress/emotional eating throughout the day. Take some time to really think about it and identify the specific areas you need to work on. 

Step 2: Find a Solution 

Now that you know the problem, you can create a solution. If you drink too much alcohol, maybe swap the booze for some club soda and bitters during the week. If you overeat at night, consider creating a different nighttime routine. If you are doing a lot of stress/emotional eating, then it might be time to get some support (see step three). 

The key here is to focus on only one, maybe two, areas at a time. I want you to change the direction of your life for good, not just a short period of time. In order to do that, it is easier to work on one area at a time. So, figure out your main area that needs to be worked on and focus solely on improving that area. 

You don’t need to change everything. For instance, if a lack of exercise is your challenge, you don’t necessarily need to eat less. You just need to identify the root issue (refer back to step one) and develop a strategy around it (step 2). This often involves step three: getting support!

Step 3: Get Support

Change is hard. Life is hard. This pandemic is incredibly hard. You don’t need to do this alone and you aren’t meant to do this alone. If you find that you tried to make a change and can’t, then get support. If you find yourself dealing with emotional/stress eating, too much drinking, not enough exercise, or out of control eating at night, support can help you combat these behaviors.

Reach out to a therapist, dietitian, personal trainer, or health coach.  You can feel better and get healthier with the right tools and resources!