If you are reading this article, it is very likely that you also went off your diet during this quarantine period, right? And why did I use "also"? Because you were not the only one to abandon your eating routine during this time we went through.
In fact, the quarantine is not over, right? And many people will continue working from home for long periods. There are still those who have taken home office as their new routine and realized that it is possible to carry on with their professional life without leaving home, isn’t it?
Well... in this way, we cannot keep pushing our return to the good old habits we had before, right? After all, four months of 2020 have already passed in this new routine, and the year is flying by while the extra pounds keep accumulating.
The first point I want to draw your attention to is that this "abandonment of the diet" during this period we are living is totally linked to your emotions. Feelings of anxiety and anguish lead to what we call "Emotional Hunger," which is that craving for sweets and unhealthy foods that stabilize us emotionally, you understand?
What happens is that as the quarantine extended and deadlines were exceeded, along with it came the lack of control over this emotional hunger, and it became a routine in your life, which is wrong, and we already know that. The important thing is that you have already become aware of this and are here reading this article, so do not judge yourself for the poor eating behavior you had during this period, just observe it and learn from it, okay?
Now that you are aware that the path was wrong, control your emotions, take a deep breath whenever the desire comes to take you off focus, meditate, and be firm in your purpose, after all, our health is our greatest asset, right? And COVID-19 came to show us this even more clearly.
Done! Now you are already aware of the need to return to that amazing eating routine you had, and you are in control of your emotions. It’s time to finally talk about the diet itself.
There are two profiles of people: those who like and do better with a prescribed diet with all the foods and possible substitutions and who strictly follow whatever is advised. And those who cannot follow a meal plan as prescribed by the nutritionist and end up straying quite a bit from what is proposed.
My advice is... for those who like and prefer the prescribed diet to follow, seek a nutritionist so that they can prescribe your new meal plan soon; it is not advisable for you to return to the old plan because your routine is different now and it may not work well, okay?
For those who do not do well with very established eating routines, the best recommendation is to start eliminating what you know does not do you good in excess, such as sugars, processed foods, etc. And gradually include more light, fiber-rich, and healthy foods in your diet. Together, seek a nutrition professional who follows a more flexible approach and ask them to help you understand foods and how to choose the best ones for your eating routine.
There is no magic formula, there is no best diet, there is only the one you can follow. So do not compare yourself to your friends, seek what will be better for you. The important thing is to get out of where you are and evolve towards a tomorrow better than today.
Big hug from your friend Personal Trainer,
Victor Mattos
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