You must have heard these questions from your friends, relatives, family members, or you may be the one among them. The whole world went through a pandemic, and all of us went through the lockdown days but the most disheartening part for the health-conscious people were the gyms closing down and a restricted movement in the surroundings as well. We are here to help you with tips to deal with lockdown weight-gain.
Have I gained weight?
Why am I hungry always?
Am I eating more than required?
Why am I hungry even after my meals?
So, after being packed at home for almost 5- 6 months, some were successful in maintaining a healthy weight and also followed small home workouts to keep themselves on track whereas few complained of feeling hungry most of the time even after their meals. Not moving out for work or college thus reduces the energy expenditure, and this reduced expenditure would ideally result in the requirement of fewer calories than before, but what is the reason behind this “lockdown weight gain?”, or “staying hungry even after the meals?”(Apart from the reduced physical activity).
“Mindful eating is eating with intention while paying attention – Kati Konersman”
WHY WE EAT WHAT WE EAT?
Our body needs fuel for functioning, which originates from food. The absence of a healthy balanced meal causes a sentiment of distress or shortcoming brought about by the absence of food, combined with the desire to eat. Craving is that rumbling feeling in your belly, and you realize it’s an ideal opportunity to grab something to eat
It’s a lack of energy that makes us hungry. And to function well and stay healthy our body has to be supplemented with a well balanced healthy meal. A power-packed meal will help you to avoid hunger-pangs, but still, many have faced some hunger issues.
Let’s dig into the three most common hunger: Stomach hunger, mouth hunger, and heart hunger.
- Stomach Hunger: Probably the most real one 😛 Stomach hunger is a physiological need for fuel. True hunger is a feeling below the heart and it’s a growl or a grumble in the belly. Stomach hunger serves a more important purpose, signaling our brain that it’s time to eat. It’s the time when the body has burned up all the food in the stomach, blood sugar and insulin level begins to drop, the stomach sends the signal to the brain. You are more likely to choose something healthy in this case and you’ll not crave something specific. A complete well-balanced meal is a solution to this.
- Mouth Hunger: Don’t get fooled by this :p We are surrounded by food, and when you crave the pleasure of food, it changes to Mouth hunger. It’s a feeling which you get just after smelling or seeing something. And, sometimes just after hearing about something delicious and tempting. This will go after some time and will not be as strong as stomach hunger. You’ll mostly crave some junk or unhealthy stuff but will not cause any discomfort as in the case of a real-hunger.
- Heart Hunger: Here the heart takes over everything and then there’s a trap. Emotional eating can make you lose control over yourself, what you eat, and how much your body requires. It is a hunger that has an emotional rather than a biological basis. It is the hunger that the emotional eaters experience when they are sad, lonely, tired, or bored.
Apart from stomach hunger(real -one among all), the other three can be responsible for weight gain if not controlled. These lockdown days might have led some people to a mental break down and thus leading to a heart hunger(in response to emotions). Whereas, some might have been experiencing mouth hunger, towards all those tempting dishes which were tried during the lockdown. Eating out of boredom is also something that people have experienced during these months.
Every problem has a solution, so let’s try out these simple steps to deal with this:
- Choose your food wisely and understand how everything you eat impacts your feelings of fullness.
- Include the essential macronutrients: carbs, fats, and protein in your meal. A meal rich in complex carbs, proteins, and healthy fats decreases the feeling of ac constant hunger.
- Get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can cause some serious issues like stress which can result in emotional eating. Try to get at least 7-8 hours of good sleep to stay energetic and stress- free throughout the day.
- Meditation can help you reduce emotional eating which is the root of heart hunger.
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