Losing weight and keeping fit can be difficult at the best of times, moreso if you are stuck at home for an extended period of time. No one knows what is in store for us this coming year. Will the pandemic keep us in work from home mode or isolated for days, weeks or months?

When confined for any length of time it is hard to get motivated - it is difficult to get into the right mindset for losing weight.

This article will hopefully give you some inspiration and ideas to keep fit and healthy if homebound for any length of time.

Diet - Eating the Right Kinds of Foods

Naturally, while stuck at home it is hard to shop for food as you usually would. You may have to order your food online. Here are some tips for which kind of ingredients and foods are most beneficial.

• Protein - make sure you have enough protein rich foods. Foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, eggs and dairy are all great sources of protein.
• Vegetables - make sure you have plenty of vegetables in your diet too. Vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach and carrots are all low calorie and full of nutrients.
• Fruit - include some fruit in your diet too for essential vitamins and minerals. Fresh fruit is best but frozen or dried fruit can be a good alternative if fresh isn't available.
• Water - drink plenty of water! At least two litres per day is recommended to stay hydrated and help with weight loss.
• Carbohydrates - healthy carbs such as brown rice, sweet potatoes and quinoa are great for staying full with low calorie counts.
• Health fats - fat are important and essential for the body, but make sure you are consuming healthy fats. Good sources of healthy fat include nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil.

Supplements, Minerals and Vitamins

An often overlooked part of a diet and health regime are supplements. Arguably one of the most important vitamins to supplement with is vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for overall health and can be low in those who don't spend enough time outdoors. It is often called the sunshine vitamin and has been linked with helping people that suffer from depression.

Other vitamins and minerals that may be lacking depending on your diet include zinc, iron, magnesium and omega- fatty acids. Speak to a healthcare professional if you are unsure about which supplements would benefit you most.

Of the types of supplements to avoid are diet pills - most provide little more than the placebo effect while others can contain ingredients that could be quite dangerous.

One of the most common diet pills is called phentermine - an appetite suppressant that is only available from your doctor. There are phentermine over the counter alternatives that can help to control hunger that contain natural ingredients such as cactus extract, green tea or cayenne pepper. These work well but do your research first as there are more ineffective products than effective.

Exercising at Home

Now we come to the tricky part - exercise. This can be difficult when you are stuck at home, especially if you don't have any equipment or space to workout in.

One way to get around this is by using your body weight as resistance. There are a number of exercises that you can do without any extra equipment - squats, lunges, press-ups, sit-ups and bridges are all great exercises that target different parts of the body. You can find videos demonstrating these exercises on YouTube or online.

If you do have some basic pieces of equipment then there are plenty of workouts that you can do with them also. A set of dumbbells, a skipping rope and an exercise ball are all good pieces for a basic workout. Again, there are plenty of videos online demonstrating these too!

Fitness apps can also be good for both bodyweight and equipment based exercises. There are many different types available - some focus on home workouts or just general fitness while others target specific areas such as the legs or abs.

All in all staying fit when stuck at home is possible with motivation to try new things and make changes to your usual routine.

Don't Sit at Your Desk for Long Periods

One of the worst things a human can do is to sit down for long periods. This is especially true of those that work from home and spend much more time sitting at their desk than they should do.

Sitting for long periods will cause your metabolism to slow down leading to weight gain, high blood pressure and a higher risk of diabetes. Sitting also encourages the release of cortisol - the stress hormone which leads you to crave junk food! [source]

To avoid this try using a standing or treadmill desk if possible when working from home. Even just going out in the garden every hour can be enough to get some fresh air but still complete small tasks on your computer or phone without taking up too much time.

Summary

To recap, losing weight when stuck at home is possible. A good diet combined with regular exercise and supplements can all help to improve your overall health and fitness levels.

Don't sit for too long - stand or use a treadmill desk if you have one available. Try doing short bursts of activity throughout the day so that your metabolism doesn't slow down as much during periods where you are sitting most of the time.

Make sure you get enough sleep each night but don't nap in the middle of the day either! Consuming healthy fats is an important part of any diet regime while also staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water every day will keep energy levels high meaning less fatigue during workouts which means more calories burned off!

So there you have it - some tips on how to lose weight when stuck at home in 2022. Just remember to take things slowly and not to overdo it with the exercises or diet changes otherwise injury or burnout could occur. Good luck!