I know things have been really quiet over here, but as usual, I’m sharing a lot of stuff on a pretty regular basis over on the Facebook page. Today I’m sharing something that I originally wrote over there, because I think it deserves as wide an audience as possible.
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Here’s the first line of a story in the Democrat and Chronicle (the daily newspaper in Rochester, NY) this morning about how to stay “healthy and mindful during the coronavirus confinement,” from the point of view of a “health coach”:
“How can a family stay mindful and healthy during this time of stress — and also not come out 15 pounds heavier?”
It goes on to recommend eating as many “whole, unprocessed and no added-sugar foods” as possible, plan all your meals ahead, avoid sugary drinks, and get a good night’s sleep.
Take this article, ball it up, and throw it immediately into the sun.
We are living in a time of unprecedented stress. You don’t have to “perfectly plan” your every meal “so you aren’t scrambling and heating up a frozen pizza and French fries for dinner.” Eat a frozen pizza, if that’s what you have. Eat French fries, if that’s what you feel like eating.
Lecturing people about how to do an apocalypse the “right” way is nonsense. Scare tactics like mentioning weight gain are cheap and ridiculous. And typical.
Do what you need to feel okay right now.
If you can’t sleep, if you want to sleep all day, if you want to guzzle a gallon of root beer, do that. If you want to walk five miles every afternoon or binge 14 seasons of Supernatural, do that. If you feel like making a four-course meal one day and then eating a bag of jelly beans the next, do that.
Will you gain weight while we’re all quarantining and socially isolating? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way: You are worthy. No matter the number on the scale or if your pants are tight for a little while.
There is no “right” way to get through this. (Except you should definitely be washing your hands and staying home!)
(Of course we have a gif for that!)
The photo above featuring a plus-size model is by Michael Poley of Poley Creative for AllGo, publisher of free stock photos featuring plus-size people.
