UNITED STATES—We can sit here and ignore the elephant in the room if we want, but the truth remains, many Americans put on a bit of weight as a result of the big quarantine that transpired from mid-March thru July. In some states it was even longer if you ask me. I know for one that I put on a bit of weight, even though I thought I was eating way healthier during the quarantine before it happened. Why?

Everything was closed and I was being forced to literally cook meals every single day at home, and as a result it allowed me to save plenty of money, but I found myself in this weird predicament where I thought I was not just eating healthier, but more active in terms of using the exercise equipment in my home.

I guess when you have an actual pandemic where people are NOT allowed to go anywhere or do anything it does stifle movements that you don’t consider as important, but they are quite important. For example, I’m someone who normally mall walks, so when you can’t walk the mall that is exercise that you are not getting or receiving. You start to think oh, I’m not eating as heavy as before, but if I’m snacking all day throughout the day that cannot be healthy in any fashion America.

Food is food; the more of it that you eat it raises the probability of you gaining weight, especially if you are NOT burning those calories along the way people. Which is the tale of the hour for most Americans, as we start to gain a bit of normalcy back to our lives, but for many you still cannot dine out like you want, you cannot hit the gym, there are places that are off limits so the notion of being as active as you wish you could be is a distant memory. Note: I said distant memory, things will get back to normal at some point, but until then we have to make adjustments.

For starters, we have to be aware of what we are placing into our bodies. Some of us indulge in the bad stuff a bit more than we care to. Even I am guilty of it, and for so many of us, it’s a direct result of the pandemic. It has created a tremendous level of stress, anxiety and pressure for so many of us; we are utilizing food as a way of dealing with our emotions. Eat because we’re hungry, not because we’re sad, frustrated or angry.

We have to make our health a stronger focal point. We say we want to be healthy, but if we are eating out every single day, if we’re eating fatty, sugary and carb driven foods that is not going to have a positive effect on the body, it’s going to do the exact opposite America. Cravings happen and it’s impossible to eliminate them completely, but you can curb them by indulging in something a bit healthier. Instead of grabbing that candy bar, grab some carrots, some broccoli or perhaps an apple or banana instead.

In addition, just because you have a craving does NOT mean you have to eat the entire things, eat just enough to satisfy that craving and save the rest for later. Exercise in spurts, you don’t have to push thru a 2-hour workout if the body is not up to it. Do 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes mid-afternoon and 30 minutes at night. It is better to be active than to not be active at all, as I say time and time again. The quarantine has impacted our lives in bigger ways than one can imagine. However, when it comes to our health, we cannot allow it to take a back seat people.

Written By Jason Jones