How to Maintain Your Weight During A Quarantine: Staying healthy is hard enough!

Now that we are all living the "quarantine life," staying in can almost always equate to weight gain but it doesn't have to! Follow these little tips and tricks I have personally tried that can really make a difference in your battle of the bulge!

1) Get rid of foods that are going to sabotage your weight as in the ones in bags ie: chips, pretzels, etc., fattening ice creams or desserts and frozen snacks like pizza rolls or hot pockets. These foods are what I call "sneaky snacks" and keep you munching and are high in calories and carbs and will inevitibly lead to weight gain. Leave those things for the kiddos and when tempted to reach for them, instead, choose a handful of strawberries, blueberries, or a juicy orange.

2) Go to the grocery store and purchase healthy food such as proteins (meats, hummus, beans, cheese, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, quinoa etc.).

3) I don't know about you but I REALLY need salty carbs! I can't help it. I love them, I crave them, and I have found a way to have them. Rice crackers! They are gluten free, low in calories and can satisfy your salty carb craving without making you gain weight. My little tip: dip them in berry flavor whipped cream cheese which is low in calories and can also satisfy your sweet tooth.

4) Schedule an extra workout. I always do my workouts in the afternoon but now I have been waking up earlier and taking a long walk downtown to get my coffee. I still do my afternoon workout (the gym in my complex is still open) but now I am taking extra walks, and now doing at at home ab workout in the morning as well.

5) Prepare meals at home instead of ordering takeout. Take out can be tempting and of course we want to support the restaurant industry but take out, can be a real pit fall to your weight maintenance goals. Choosing one day a week for takeout would be a good alternative.

6) When you go to reach for the snack, take a deep breath and ask yourself if perhaps it is thirst not hunger and quickly drink an entire glass of water!

7) Drink warm liquids! Warm liquids such as coffee or tea give a sense of fullness.

8) Don't fight sleep! Studies have shown that people who get more sleep burn more calories during the day.

*Please keep in mind that I am no expert, but I have lost 13 pounds in the last 2 months by using most of these little snack tips and eating a diet high in protein, adding tons of veggies and practicing "smart snacking".

Happy Quarantining and hang in there!