Why are people gaining weight during corona?

[Anonymous]

I used to walk a lot during my day and that was my automatic exercise. That has stopped now and I have not switched to some other form of exercise.

I am cooking 3 meals a day with everyone at home and it is elaborate, delicious food. Eating has also become a source of comfort.

I have put on two pounds even though I don't drink or eat junk.

[Anonymous]

Three pages in and no one is mentioning the “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we may die” attitude that this plague produces?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting to read the reasons when you remove the "time" excuse. People will still use that, though. "I still have to work", but, then aren't you too busy to mindlessly overeat?

Do you have problems understanding other people's perspectives in real life, too? You may be the same weight, but be careful not to lose or damage your friendships with your "curiosity." It's a lot easier to lose a few pounds than to restore trust.

[Anonymous]

As PPs have said, my in-office eating was highly regulated. I had a routine (delicious salads for lunch) that was easy, healthy, and required very little thought. Now I am home, and DH and the kids are home, and I wind up eating whatever they’re eating for lunch or leftovers. It’s not horribly unhealthy, it’s just way more caloric than I’m used to.
I spent the spring (March/April) stress baking and stress eating with the kids.
I was drinking was more, also, which always leads to snacking for me. I realized what was up and I’m now pretty strict about my drinking, actually more strict than I was pre-pandemic.
I’m exercising just as much, albeit in different, non-gym ways.

I kind of expected this, though. I used to WFH 1-2 days/week and those days were always harder bc I am two steps from a kitchen, etc. now I’m WFH most days, and even when I’m going into the office (essential worker) it’s not often enough for me to get back into my “salads every day” groove. I need to, though.

[Anonymous]

Two things:
1) I eat better when I take my lunch to the office because I pack stuff I know is healthy and if I want to go get potato chips I have to make a run downstairs to the little store in the building. Plus, as has been noted above - stress eating!
2) I work out five days a week but I do better if I have a coach pushing me. So in the normal world, I'm rowing during the warm months with a coach and my teammates and during the winter I'm taking spin classes at the gym. Now I'm working out in the basement but I'm just not good at pushing myself hard.

[Anonymous]

I used to ride my bike to work and train two times a week for a team sport. I am no longer going to the office and team training (which requires a specialized facility) has been suspended. I have not actually gained weight, but (a) I have never really had weight issues--I have other issues; (b) I have been watching what I eat and forcing myself to find other means of exercise; and (c) I have been losing muscle mass, which means the number on the scale goes down as I get more out of shape

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting to read the reasons when you remove the "time" excuse. People will still use that, though. "I still have to work", but, then aren't you too busy to mindlessly overeat?

Do you have problems understanding other people's perspectives in real life, too? You may be the same weight, but be careful not to lose or damage your friendships with your "curiosity." It's a lot easier to lose a few pounds than to restore trust.

People have reasons (excuses) to explain (justify) everything. My friends know who I am and they obviously feel my goid qualities outweigh the bad. One if my good wualities is my honesty and I don't nake excuses. If I gain weight, I admit I consistently overate. It's simple.

[Anonymous]

Excuses lazybones

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people stress-eat. Some people cannot resist snacking all day when they are steps from the kitchen. Some people feel like they need gyms to work out/don’t have a home gym/can’t take the heat to go outside. Some people no longer have childcare available. Really OP, you can’t think of any reasons?

Good point. I guess school-age kids are the main thing. My husband and I don’t have kids yet, and I know my sister has her hands full chasing after her 4 year old so she hasn’t gained weight. I guess I’m less tempted by the fridge than by all the restaurant options by my work office. And I don’t stress eat, but I am more likely to eat unhealthy when I’m really busy, and these days without commuting or social engagements I am anything but busy.

Oh, you’re cute. Talking down to people about weight gain on a parenting board when you’re not even a parent and therefore have no effing clue what parents are going through.

Agree. Life pre-children vs with kids is entirely different. Add in depressed spouse and utter lack of free time. I’d probably be finishing extra coursework and logging miles as a single child free person. Instead I had chicken nuggets for dinner.

X1000 really, op?!

I’m a single parent of two elementary kids too young to leave at home alone. Pre-covid I walked 3 miles a day to work, plus hit the gym 3x a week. I spent nights walking circles around soccer fields while kids practiced.

Now - I spent my spring homeschooling while working remotely full time. Now, for the summer all their camps were cancelled - but I still needed to work full time.

You have NO CLUE about the stress people are dealing with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think my cortisol levels are through the roof and my hormones are wacky from not sleeping from stress. I used to work out at a gym with a trainer and do weights. I actually think I exercise just as much time-wise, but it’s not weight bearing or as vigorous, and I think that made a big difference. Also, I got COVID in March (no test, but unmistakeable symptoms), so fully quarantined for weeks and when I emerged, could no longer run. I literally didn’t have the lung capacity. Not wheezing, just...impossible to take a deep enough breath to fill my lungs. So hard to explain. Before March, I ran 40 miles a week. As of August, I can run 2 miles max and then have to walk, and I’m thrilled I can do that. I was worried I’d never run at all again. Let’s see, what else? Oh, we finally could sit down for family meals nightly, which was great, except that meant I was eating a big dinner every night, when that was probably my smallest meal before if we weren’t all together. And there you have it. I gained about eight pounds since this all started. But I honestly don’t give a crap as long as I stay healthy. Perspective is everything. Plus, no one is making me wear pants with buttons.

I think my stress hormones are also totally out of wack. My cycles are all over the place, and I can’t get a good nights sleep no matter what I do — exercise, pray/meditate, don’t drink, it just doesn’t matter. I would never admit this irl but I’ve turned to adderall to help me function at work on low sleep. It gives you insomnia and anxiety so it doesn’t help with the sleep problem, I hate it so much but I don’t know what else to do. I have a unicorn high paying mommy track job that we absolutely cannot afford for me to lose.

At least for me, stress is an appetite suppressant, so between that and the adderall I’ve actually lost weight. I would rather have the extra 10 lbs and be happier

[Anonymous]

Lol at childless OP being absolutely baffled why parents are stress eating during covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting to read the reasons when you remove the "time" excuse. People will still use that, though. "I still have to work", but, then aren't you too busy to mindlessly overeat?

Do you have problems understanding other people's perspectives in real life, too? You may be the same weight, but be careful not to lose or damage your friendships with your "curiosity." It's a lot easier to lose a few pounds than to restore trust.

People have reasons (excuses) to explain (justify) everything. My friends know who I am and they obviously feel my goid qualities outweigh the bad. One if my good wualities is my honesty and I don't nake excuses. If I gain weight, I admit I consistently overate. It's simple.

It’s simple, you’re a shitty person. I’m a mom who hasn’t gained and works out hard, BTW.

[Anonymous]

We do more active things as a family, like ride bikes Play tennis or go for long walks, but not as frequently because the weather stunk. Husband buys a lot of desserts. I go to the gym but need to go way more often. Kids and I haven’t gained but haven’t lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think my cortisol levels are through the roof and my hormones are wacky from not sleeping from stress. I used to work out at a gym with a trainer and do weights. I actually think I exercise just as much time-wise, but it’s not weight bearing or as vigorous, and I think that made a big difference. Also, I got COVID in March (no test, but unmistakeable symptoms), so fully quarantined for weeks and when I emerged, could no longer run. I literally didn’t have the lung capacity. Not wheezing, just...impossible to take a deep enough breath to fill my lungs. So hard to explain. Before March, I ran 40 miles a week. As of August, I can run 2 miles max and then have to walk, and I’m thrilled I can do that. I was worried I’d never run at all again. Let’s see, what else? Oh, we finally could sit down for family meals nightly, which was great, except that meant I was eating a big dinner every night, when that was probably my smallest meal before if we weren’t all together. And there you have it. I gained about eight pounds since this all started. But I honestly don’t give a crap as long as I stay healthy. Perspective is everything. Plus, no one is making me wear pants with buttons.

I think my stress hormones are also totally out of wack. My cycles are all over the place, and I can’t get a good nights sleep no matter what I do — exercise, pray/meditate, don’t drink, it just doesn’t matter. I would never admit this irl but I’ve turned to adderall to help me function at work on low sleep. It gives you insomnia and anxiety so it doesn’t help with the sleep problem, I hate it so much but I don’t know what else to do. I have a unicorn high paying mommy track job that we absolutely cannot afford for me to lose.

At least for me, stress is an appetite suppressant, so between that and the adderall I’ve actually lost weight. I would rather have the extra 10 lbs and be happier

oh, I'm so sorry, this sounds miserable. This is not a good long-term solution. You need to figure out some changes. I do too. Hang in there.

[Anonymous]

Because it is a big disruption in established routines.