Emotional eating is real. And health clubs across Illinois are closed due to COVID-19. But according to two northern Illinois health experts, there are ways to avoid "Quarantine 15."
"Quarantine 15" is the idea that someone may gain about 15 pounds. This is much like the concept of a freshman college student gaining weight during their first year of school. Except this is not due to college but the Illinois stay-at-home order.
Sarah Moses is a personal trainer and the owner of Sarah’s Personal Fitness in DeKalb.
She said people should not let their emotions cause them to overeat during this time.
“Instead of getting up and walking to the refrigerator a great idea would be to go outside and just walk around the block instead. Gives you a really fresh perspective, can change your mood, you know lift your spirits.”
Moses said there are many websites that provide tips for working out at home including the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Council on Exercise.
She also said the American College of Sports Medicine is great resource.
“They have a whole section on staying physically active during the pandemic,” she said. “So, there’s a lot of different ideas there. Ideas for kids, ideas for people with disabilities."
She said virtual training is another option but people should make sure the trainer is certified or has a degree in some type of exercise science or physiology.
Moses is using this virtual option as a way to train her clients, since health clubs and studios are closed.
Ricardo Sanchez is a nutritionist. He owns Legacy Nutrition and Fitnessin Aurora. He said people should limit their portions sizes since they are stuck at home.
“And then if you feel hungry later on, maybe eat a little bit more. But try to cut down the servings into at least half or a third,” he said.
He said he knows it’s not realistic for someone to always track their food intake but it’s worth trying -- at least for a little while.
“It’s a lot like driving. You know, when we first start driving, we have our foot on the pedal and we’re constantly looking at the gas meter, looking at how close we are with the curb, we’re constantly monitoring a lot,” he said.
He said it becomes easier as you do it and after some time, it becomes a habit.
He recommended using apps like MyFitnessPal or Noom.
As far as what foods to eat, Sanchez says people should stay away from eating too many bad carbohydrates. One snack he said to avoid is popcorn.
“It’s still carbs. You know, so it still has a lot of salt,” he said.
Sanchez explained that popcorn could spike insulin levels after it is eaten. He said it’s like a precursor to a bad habit.
Sanchez also suggested that people should not go overboard on fruit.
Sanchez warned that it isn’t a good idea to avoid the scale.
“A lot of people are like, 'I don’t want to know, I don’t want to know.' But in order to see where you are going, you have to see where you are at,” he explained.
He said one of the most important things to remember is that everyone should be kind to themselves.