I Let Myself Go During The Pandemic, and I Regret it
Gaining 40 pounds in 1 year has exhausted my body
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From Will Smith and his “dad bod”, to Jazz Jennings opening up about her increasing weight, and Valerie Bertinelli clapping back at trolls commenting on her shape on Instagram — weight gain has been one of the many problems we’ve been dealing with as a result of the pandemic.
And this has not been the case just for celebrities.
According to an article published in March 2021 by the American Psychological Association (APA), almost 42% of Americans reported they gained weight almost 1 year after the first lockdowns started happening.
This is not surprising given the stressful nature and uncertainty brought about by our current health crises.
Brittany LeMonda, PhD, senior neuropsychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York explained that:
‘In times of stress, we often engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms, for example, overeating’,….. ‘Many people are ’emotional eaters’ and eat comfort food in the context of negative emotions.’
And this has certainly been the case for many of the people around me throughout this year. To be honest, the fact that everyone was gaining weight just like I was seemed comforting. It made me feel less guilty about my own changing body.
Yet almost a year and a half later, having been so cavalier about it, and not taking measures to curve my changing body has taken its toll on my health.
I’ve struggled with my weight since I was young
I was put on my first diet when I was 13. My family took me to an endocrinologist while I was on vacation in the Dominican Republic spending time with my loved ones.
Both my cousin, who was also overweight and a year older than me, and I were put on a diet where we were told what to eat every day. I can’t remember how much weight I lost then, but it was memorable for sure.
From then on, my yoyoing weight was front and center in my mind, either because of my feeling self-conscious or because of the comments hurled at me by my loved ones.
It wasn’t until I was 26 that I discovered that I suffered from generalized anxiety and that overeating was one of the ways I dealt with my emotions.
Learning more about my anxiety at this age made it easier for me to tackle my excess weight, and at 27 I went down from 166 pounds to 130 pounds in just three months. I felt healthier, more energetic, and proud.
My weight started creeping back up in the middle of the pandemic
Three years later, and a few months after the first major lockdowns, I started noticing my weight going up. It was September 2020, and though I’m sure I had already gained some weight since March 2020, it was only then that I noticed some of my clothes didn’t fit.
I had moved to Egypt in November 2019 and signed up for the gym almost immediately. On the morning of March 15, 2020, I went to my gym early as usual. I noticed the doors were closed, and I called one of the ladies at the gym. She told me the government had dictated all gyms be closed because of COVID. It would only be a couple of weeks, she said.
Three months later, the gym had finally opened, but we were required to wear masks during our workouts. This was very discouraging, and all the motivation I still had left after not going to the gym for three months was suddenly drained from me. I didn’t go back.
Needless to say, overeating went hand in hand with not going to the gym. Whether it was eating late, snacking, drinking sugary drinks, not cooking at home as often, my eating habits changed drastically. It was a worsening combination of bad habits that only added to my gain weight. I was also struggling with finding teaching opportunities online, and being stuck inside almost every day due to the fear of Covid made it even more stressful.
Our bodies don’t lie
Though my tightfitting clothes were the first sign, a plethora of other physical symptoms started showing. By early 2021, I noticed that my knees were popping when I climbed up the stairs of my building. My back was hurting more and more, and I felt a tremendous lack of energy. My sleep suffered too. I was also having more bouts of negative moods, and crying was a regular occurrence. On top of that, my bad eating habits and my lack of exercise contributed to worsening stomach pains.
Now it’s September 2021, and despite my numerous efforts to go back to the gym, keep track of my eating, and eliminate some of the more unhealthy foods, I still struggle to get back on the bandwagon of exercising and healthy eating.
If only I had tackled my changing habits from the beginning, I wouldn’t be at the point where I am 40 pounds heavier than last year, and I don’t have enough energy to do most of the things I want in the day.
We need to make better decisions about our health
Obesity has been an issue in the United States for several decades now, and the sedentary lifestyle due to technological developments and changing lifestyles have contributed to this. Add a pandemic on top of that, and we are heading towards a health crisis.
According to the Mayo Clinic,
Obesity increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and other health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.
Yet for some reason, the discourse about weight gain has not been as front and center during the pandemic as have masks and vaccines.
I applaud our society for being more accepting of the fact that we all come in different shapes and sizes. Despite this, and though I am not an expert in medicine or weight, I have seen the effects of weight on my own body, and I think we should emphasize having a healthy lifestyle in conjunction with the idea of body positivity. Especially during this pandemic.
It will be difficult for us to get back on track and build better habits, but in the end, if we really care about living better lives, managing our weight is one of the key components that will make it possible.
Have you been struggling with your weight during this pandemic? What are you doing today to be healthier?
Comment below!
