The pandemic shutdown was difficult in many different ways, including when it comes to weight gain. The May 2020 issue of the journal Obesity Research & Clinical Practice shares a study that found that 22% of people gained weight while being at home during the pandemic.
Those who participated in the study reported gaining 5-10 pounds during the couple of months that they were spending more time at home. With summer upon us and the country opening back up, people are looking for quick ways to shed those pandemic pounds.
"It is not surprising that people gained weight during the closures and being at home more," explains Dr. Bob Posner, a medical doctor who founded the Serotonin-Plus Weight Loss Program. "Not only was there a lot of additional eating out of stress and boredom, but people were probably not exercising as they normally would have either. But the good news is that they can take immediate action to turn it around and shed the pounds."
Here are tips for losing weight and feeling confident with your beach body this summer:
- Stop feeling hopeless. Many people feel that they simply lack discipline, making it to where they cannot lose weight. For most people, that is simply not the case. There is more to weight loss than discipline, and the more you learn about the science behind it, the more successful you are likely to be.
- Get serious. If you really want to lose the weight you gained, you need to make it a priority and do what it takes to make it happen.
- Find help. When you try lose weight on your own, you may feel lost or unsuccessful. When you are part of a weight loss program, such as the one run by Dr. Posner, you will get the weight loss education and support that you need to be more successful.
- Exercise regularly. Being physically active is a key component in being healthy and losing weight long term. Exercise helps you burn calories and improves your quality of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting and staying at a healthy weight requires both regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan. Explore different ways to be physical active to find the one you like.
- Choose foods wisely. It's important to know the right foods to eat to help your body lose weight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a healthy eating plan includes placing an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and nuts. The agency also recommends staying within your daily caloric needs.
- Get mindful. Being mindful makes you more aware of what is going on and what you are doing. According to a research study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, they found that participants who used mindfulness interventions had significant weight loss.
- Learn more. Many people are not aware of the science behind weight loss. Serotonin, for example, is a neurochemical that occurs in the brain and intestines. It plays an important role in energy and vitality. While it is produced through healthy eating and exercise, you can also get it through a serotonin supplement.
"You can absolutely get those 5-10 pandemic pounds off and feel confident at the beach this summer," adds Posner. "I help people all year long with reaching their weight loss goals, and especially when they know bathing suit season is here. The program has been designed to help ensure success."
Dr. Posner's supervised weight loss program focuses on carbohydrate cravings being the reason people have weight problems, combined with anxiety and stress-related eating. They are all systems of physiological irregularity in the brain known as serotonin imbalance. He created the Serotonin-Plus Weight Loss Program based on this science, providing patients with a Food and Drug Administration-approved appetite suppressant, called phentermine, to help curb the hunger pangs.
To learn more about him and the program, visit the site at: https://spdiet.com or https://doctorbobposner.com/.
