For a lot of couples, lockdowns and ensuing work-from-home arrangements mean being holed up in the house or an apartment with just each other. The limited opportunities for in-person social interactions, be it with family, friends or coworkers, have been a major contributing factor for increased emotional eating during COVID-19. When a couple has no one but each other to turn to, processing and handling conflicts becomes harder. In such situations, turning to your comfort foods – which also often happen to be foods that you’ve placed in the bad or unhealthy category in your mind – can provide instant gratification. Hence, the binge eating during the lockdown. Limited workout options and a constant sense of burnout also mean binge eating and less exercise. If you feel guilty about not being able to work out, your stress levels shoot up and impact your body’s metabolism. That’s why so many people find themselves unable to manage weight gain during the COVID-19 pandemic. The same is true of depriving yourself of foods you enjoy to stop binging during the lockdown. But it proves counterproductive in preventing overeating during lockdown because as and when you do have access to food, your mind will trick you into eating a lot more than you should. The simple way out is to enjoy everything in moderation, improve your relationship with food, make whatever little time you can to work out at home, and look for activities to bond with your partner.
