By: Know It All Nutrition, LLC
Struggling with the “Quarantine 15”? Being at home with a supply of snacks within reach and changes to your normal routine (not to mention stress!) may have led to a few extra pounds…
Our friends from Know It All Nutrition are experts when it comes to this stuff and gave us a few questions to ask ourselves about weight gain and some tips to prevent it!
Start out by asking yourself a few simple questions that will help to give you a better idea of what might be preventing you from losing weight.
1. How do your clothes fit? This is the best gauge of what’s going on in your body even more so then the number on the scale. If your clothes are loose, that means you’re losing fat and if they are tight, you are gaining fat.
Take away: FOCUS on your body composition and not the number on the scale as many factors can affect that number such as water retention from high sodium intake.
2. Do you really know what you’re eating each day? Being accountable and mindful of your intake can help you see big changes in your weight. People who use food logging apps on a regular basis lose more weight than people who are not accountable for their food intake. If you are eating too many calories or too little calories each day and you don’t know it, this could be why you are not seeing changes in your weight.
Take away: Weighing, measuring and tracking your food intake if even for a short period of time can help you figure out the truth about what’s going into your mouth each day.
3. Are you eating too many carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are easily broken down and don’t hold you for long. Focus on eating protein first at meals. Protein takes longer to digest and keeps you feeling full and satisfied.
Take away: Eat 25-30% of your calories/day from lean protein sources such as beans, chicken breast, egg whites etc.
4. How much water are you drinking every day? Water can help you to lose weight and flush out the fat. Not only is hydrating but it fights fatigue, aids in digestion and prevents constipation. How much you need is very individual and depends on several factors such as your weight, activity and how much you sweat.
Take away: Start increasing your intake slowly and if you are thirsty, this is a sign you might already be dehydrated. Drink up!
5. Empty Calories? What are they? Foods that have no nutritional value that will slow or stop weight loss efforts. Some examples include: cake, cookies, pastries, icecream, chips, candy, soda, alcohol and coffee drinks etc.
Take away: Limit your empty calorie intake to 150-200 per day.
Know it All Nutrition is now offering telemedicine sessions for nutrition counseling which most insurances are now covering. Plus they’re offering a 10% discount for all “non insurance clients”! Give them a call at 856.626.0040 or visit their website at www.knowitallnutrition.com for personalized nutrition counseling for help with weight loss or healthy meal planning.
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