Movement restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic locked people inside their homes. It transferred work from offices to homes without warning. The daily commute, walks, and driving were eradicated from the working person’s five days a week routine.
We all transitioned to working at the most comfortable spot we find at home, the one with a table big enough to plop our laptop and papers down. It’s both a fortunate and unfortunate chance that the table is located near where the fridge is—the kitchen.
Is the fridge’s proximity the only one to blame?
We had to find a space with adequate table size and chairs. The pandemic didn’t come out with a warning that told us we’d be stuck at home while also working. There are lucky ones who already have a space dedicated for work, but for some, they had to use the first near to suitable space they find inside their home.
Gone are the days when several productivity spaces—or coffee shops open for our productivity activities. We used to sit there and drink a single cup of coffee for hours—all while getting work done and not consuming food mindlessly.
Of course, the pandemic also forced fitness centers to close their doors to patrons. Outdoor physical activities also became inaccessible due to restrictions in mobility.
Another thing to point at when it comes to the weight gain phenomenon brought about by the coronavirus pandemic is the stress. Imagine going from being able to do anything outside without minding distance and wearing face masks to a time when you can’t even go on a grocery run without having virus contagion in the back of your mind.
It’s also unsettling to hear news about economies plunging due to unemployment rates skyrocketing and beating previous numbers, the most stable businesses we know closing down due to prolonged times without income, and getting daily updates from the media about over a million people dying of COVID-19 complications.
What’s emotional eating?
When we feel overcome by negative emotions such as loneliness, sadness, boredom, fear, anger, and stress—we tend to use eating as a way to suppress or soothe those emotions. The change brought by the virus—not to mention how sudden it was, is a major event that affected us emotionally. The effects resulted in spillover to how we take care of our physical health.
As people, we blame the weight gain on our inability to control our eating habits and be consistent in exercising regularly. But the real culprits are also in the biochemical aspects of our bodies. To give you a quick look, biochemistry is how the human body uses proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins when doing its job. It also includes how environmental toxins, allergies, and infections interfere with proper biochemical function.
What’s biochemistry’s role?
We’re saying that biochemistry has a lot to do with your weight gain and how you lose weight—whether through kinase profiling and other methods. The human body requires raw materials to burn fats and subsequently lose weight. The raw materials required to metabolize fats and sugar are the following:
- Amino acid
- L-carnitine
- B-complex vitamins (B1, B2, B3, and B5)
- Alpha-lipoic acid
- Coenzyme Q10
- Iron
- Magnesium
If we don’t have the above nutrients in our body, it can be difficult to lose weight and maintain our blood sugar at normal levels. Individuals with weight issues are also prone to depression and fatigue—which can lead to sugar cravings.
Sugar can sabotage weight loss programs. Why? Sugar causes a direct release of serotonin or “happy hormones.” Consumption can lead to quick mood elevation. But sugar intake also pushes the body to produce insulin, a hormone that drives sugar out of the bloodstream and into our cells to convert it to usable energy.
The conversion comes out with low blood sugars that can lead to fatigue, irritability, depression, and more cravings for sugar. Another round of consumption can lead to a vicious cycle of uncontrolled intake, leading to the additional sugar being converted and deposited into our bodies as fat.
How can we drop what we gained?
We can start by regulating not only sugar intake but the general intake of different foods. Regular exercise, no matter how overused the term is when it comes to losing weight, is another foolproof way of shedding fats.
Our bodies are made for activity, and maintenance of consistent physical activity can help it stay healthy. However, relying entirely on healthy eating and exercise won’t work a hundred percent, but getting a precise view of a person’s biochemical composition through proper diet and other methods can help customize weight loss plans to cater to what their body requires.