Reframing Your Perspective On Pandemic Weight Fluctuation
By Maddy Wingerath
It’s no mystery that Covid-19 has caused a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety, even for those who haven’t been infected, nor have experienced the loss of a loved one. Many of our healthy coping mechanisms have been stripped away from us, even at this point in the (ongoing!) pandemic. From hugs and high fives to sharing beautiful smiles, even walking to the subway to get to work-- these are all daily activities that contribute to our overall well being.
These small interactions help regulate our parasympathetic nervous system (our rest and digest response), which assists our minds and bodies in returning to a state of equilibrium. Without access to these, we often turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as: taking that third (or fourth, or fifth) slice of pizza, or staying up later and later because you don’t have to make that commute to the office anymore. If you’re reading this and thinking Yup that’s me!, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Most of us are leaning into these unhealthy patterns just to survive. Unfortunately, there is so much stigma around weight gain specifically. We are part of a toxic and pervasive fat-shaming culture. This shame is so easily internalized and can turn into self-hatred, leading to depression, anxiety, and further disordered eating patterns.
Please give yourself a break, and remember that so many things are still out of our control at the moment.
Acknowledging the gravity of outside factors and relieving yourself from all that pressure is a big piece of the puzzle.
Here are five tips that can help you shift your mindset.
1. Start with self-compassion.
Try this meditation for dissolving feelings of unworthiness or shame, from Tim Burkett’s Zen in the Age of Anxiety:
May I feel safe and protected
May I feel free of mental suffering and distress
May I feel healthy and strong
May I live in this world happily, peacefully, joyfully, and with ease
“Repeat the phrase until you feel a sense of warmth throughout your body. When you’re ready, think of a person who is close to you, for whom it takes no effort to feel warmth and kindness toward. Repeat the phrases for this person: ‘may she, he or they feel safe and protected….” (Burkett 2018)
2. Create SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant Time-oriented
Make it about health, not about weight. Maybe you want to increase your walking goal to 30 minutes per day. Maybe you want to sleep at least 8 hours a night 3-4 times a week. Maybe you want to reduce your sugary desserts from 5 to 2-3 times per week. Maybe you want to work with your trainer for an additional session each week. Whatever it is, make it SMART.
3. Track yourself.
A food log is a very useful tool. Use your Notes app, a bullet journal, an Apple watch, or Fitbit. Set those SMART goals, and check them off! “Frequent self-monitoring is associated with higher rates of weight loss… and with maintaining the weight loss over time.” (Laitner, M.H., et al., Eating Behaviors, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2016)
4. Celebrate the small stuff!
Maybe you went to bed an hour earlier last night and notice how much better you feel today. Maybe you finally made it to that yoga class you have been meaning to go to for a couple months. Maybe you held your plank for a minute with your trainer today! Whatever it is, celebrate it! Journal about it, take a picture, make a video of yourself dancing and verbalize what you are celebrating, make a voice memo, paint something. Embody it!
Documenting that success can allow you to look back and more easily remember how far you’ve come. It’s a great way to give yourself internal validation, which can combat the internalized shame you may be experiencing. Small changes lead to huge success!
5. Relish in the journey.
Let’s say you’re saving up your money for a house. During this time, do you hate yourself because you don’t have the money? No, you’re probably excited about your goal, because you know you’re putting in the work to get there!
Be excited about the journey you’re on; you are investing in your health and overall wellness. That’s awesome!
Your health isn’t always linear or quantifiable. But if you 1) practice self compassion, 2) stick to your SMART goals, 3) track yourself, 4) celebrate the small stuff, and 5) relish in the journey, it may become easier to recognize that you are already a beautiful and worthy person. Sure, you’re working on something in yourself, but this does not mean you have to beat yourself up about some idea of what you think you should be. “You are perfect just the way you are, AND you could probably use a little improvement.” (Burkett, 2018)
Burkett, Tim, and Wanda Isle. Zen in the Age of Anxiety: Wisdom for Navigating Our Modern Lives. Shambhala, 2018. “The Extra Weight of Covid-19.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/monitor/2021/07/extra-weight-covid. 