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'Quarantine 15′? Binge-eating causing weight gain during COVID-19 pandemic

HOUSTON – You’ve heard of the Freshman 15, what about the 'Quarantine 15′?

Many people are finding comfort in binging on junk food during these stressful times. But how can you avoid gaining weight?

A registered dietitian from Advice for Eating, Catherine Kruppa, said staying on schedule and eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at your normal times is one of the most important things you can do and one of the biggest mistakes she’s seen people make during this pandemic is getting off of their sleep schedule.

Maintaining a regular routine is the key to avoiding weight gain. Plus, she said the most important thing is to stay hydrated.

“People complain to me about increasing their water because it makes him go to the restroom more. Except for the fact that you might use your toilet paper, this is a great time to do it because you’re at home and the bathroom is right around the corner,” Kruppa said.

Now is the time to adopt some healthy habits we might not always have time to do. For example, eating dinner as a family.

“It’s time to have family dinner. Right now they’re so, so important. Kids eat healthier, more fruits and vegetables, less fat, more appropriate volume and then kids who are part a family dinner just have less risky behaviors in general,” Kruppa said.

Just because the gym is closed doesn’t mean you can’t work out. Actually, now you can take advantage of all the programs you’ve been wanting to try and they’re free for a limited time during this pandemic: Peloton, Beachbody, Insanity, P90X and PiYo are some of the more popular workouts with free options to check out.


About the Author
Haley Hernandez headshot

KPRC 2 Health Reporter, mom, tourist

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