Do you find yourself in the kitchen taking more nibbles and bites since the pandemic began?

Maybe your kids keep leaving behind half-eaten bowls of goldfish and you’re finishing them off?

Or maybe your teenage daughter is creatively using her downtime to bake another cake? 

Whatever the reason, with all this downtime, it’s definitely easy to slip into unhealthy eating patterns. Unfortunately, all those extra nibbles and bites lead to what Mimi calls “pandemic pounds.”

Pandemic pounds aren’t solely a result of poor food choices, though. Most of us are getting less sleep and are more stressed right now which leads to unwanted weight gain, too. 

But the good news is that: You can get healthy in the middle of chaos.

Dr. Mimi was featured in the Chicago Parent magazine recently to talk about a pandemic plan moms can use to get fit—mentally and physically. We’ve included it below and make sure to checkout the full article at Chicago Parent. 

If you find yourself gaining weight during quarantine, use these eight helpful tips to get back on track in the middle of chaos. 

P: Plan.

Create a routine and plan a daily goal. Make it easy and achievable, such as drinking more water. Remember, small changes lead to huge changes over time, she says.

A: Accountability.

“We know what we should do, but we come up with 9,000 excuses not to do it,” she says. So find a buddy/friend to check in with at least weekly.

N: Nighttime.

She calls it the “danger-danger” time, the most likely time we lose our willpower and just want to dive into a pint of ice cream. Prepare by removing tempting foods.

D: Diet.

Focus on protein, healthy veggies and drinking lots of water. Consider tracking your food in an app or diary.

E: Exercise.

Any activity counts toward your daily total, so make it fun. Hula hoop or jump rope with the kids, do a short workout online, just keep moving.

M: Mindset.

Work on developing a positive attitude toward your life and yourself. A lot of women have very negative views about themselves, she says, but the more positive messages you give yourself, the better.

I: Inspirations.

Self-affirmations can be life changing, she says. Consider placing a sticky note on the mirror with positive statements like, “I can do this,” “I am worth it,” “I am beautiful just the way I am,” “I am a great mother.”

C: Cortisol.

Stress causes elevated cortisol levels, which can contribute to fat storage and make it harder to lose weight. Increase your sleep, try meditation, laugh, spend time outside, up your physical intimacy and do anything that fills your heart with joy.