“Quarantine 15”: the pounds gained as we’ve been stuck indoors throughout the pandemic. Whether you’ve seen it and thought nothing of it or have gained it and then some, as we kick off the new year you might be thinking of trying to make a “new you” — and getting rid of excess weight or being in better shape in general.
But to make a 180 degree self-improvement shift in the midst of a pandemic where many gained the “quarantine 15” and then went through holidays alone (not to mention the changes and losses of 2020)?
Completely unrealistic.
People have lost their jobs, loved ones and more — yet weight and fitness has been an ongoing concern for many. Give yourself some grace and approach getting healthy as something not just for “keeping appearances” but as something for you to feel good about for yourself. Maintaining physical fitness can actually help with coping mental health issues
People have fretted about the “quarantine 15” as early as May, so much so that many fitness influencers decided to capitalize on it. This led to a rapid, mass resurgence of get-fit-quick fitness programs, the most popular ones including Chloe Ting’s “two week shred challenge” and Blogilates’ “14-day Quarantine workout plan.” There were also as many social media trends and challenges as there were content creators to make them, most notably the push up challenge which morphed into other forms of “see 10, do 10” challenges.
But for some, maybe the question isn’t “what’s making you gain more weight,” but perhaps, “is your preoccupation with weight harming your well being?”
In a Google survey I sent out to students, a majority said that their weight fluctuate during the pandemic, but their overall gained weight had no effect on their overall health. The most weight that a surveyed student reportedly gained was 20 pounds. Some bemoaned losing muscle mass, while others stated they had gained between five to 10 pounds from increased snacking.
The general trend in responses was that despite being unmotivated because of mass gym closures, many have since gotten into a routine, albeit less rigorous than what they did pre-pandemic.
For a few of these students, that was effective until the holidays hit.
“At first my exercise habits were good I think because it was spring and the days were nice,” one junior said. “Now, especially with the holidays, I have found it harder to workout and keep a routine.”
If November and December are for feasting and being merry, January is when messages are blasted everywhere encouraging people to sign up for programs to lose their holiday weight.
The pressure to keep a certain weight compounded with the increasingly loud hysteria online and from friends around losing gains or becoming soft is already great without the present stress of surviving a pandemic. As we resolve to self-improve, perhaps we need to look more inward rather than to what we see in our mirrors and old photos.
Surviving so far in these turbulent times with the odds stacked so severely against us is enough reason to remove the explicit goal of weight loss from your plate. However, the goal of feeling stronger and being healthier simply to feel better is something far more attainable. These stressors are highly influential on the body, which can lead to weight gain over time. Since this pandemic has been going on for almost 10 months, many people have probably been seeing the side effects of their increased stress.
As this time of social distancing and a social justice reckoning forces many of us to look inward, being healthier to feel better and prepare us for the challenges ahead is more beneficial than counting calories and chasing a specific body type.
Good health is a journey that looks different for everyone at different stages in your life. How you fuel your mind is just as — if not more — important as how you fuel your body.
