6 Tips From a Nutrition Coach for Staying Healthy During Quarantine
Written by admin in Nutrition,
20 min read With isolation being fully enforced, businesses closed down, and grocery stores not always stocked, healthy food has taken a backseat for may of us during the coronavirus quarantine. We spoke with Vanessa Cohn, Macrostax Customer Success Manager and nutrition coach, to get a few pointers for how we can all stay on top of our nutrition even during these challenging times.
View this post on Instagram
TWL x Macrostax: 6 Tips for Nutrition Success
1.) What’s the biggest change athletes should make to reflect a significantly toned down fitness program? (Reduce their carbs? Reduce overall calories?)
Working out at home means limited access to certain equipment, but it doesn’t necessarily mean less intensity! There are still some creative ways you can get moving and keep your heart rate up to stay fit.
If your overall daily activity (including what you were doing the rest of the day outside of your intentional workouts) is significantly less than what you are used to, you may want to consider adjusting your overall caloric intake. Start with a small deficit first and keep track of your weight, measurements, and photos, looking at your weekly trend instead of the day-to-day.
View this post on Instagram
Based on how you do, you can make small adjustments from there. Macrostax also makes this easy by allowing you to adjust your activity level settings, which will automatically create a new set of custom macros for you in the app.
2.) How can people adjust their nutrition while quarantined at home?
Luckily, if you were making many of your meals from home, not much has to change! Meal prepping is still a good practice to follow while quarantined, because it provides structure to your week. If you have limited access to food or previously relied on other sources, you could try meal delivery services, take-out from local restaurants, or online grocery ordering!
3.) Why should people continue tracking macros while quarantined?
Nutrition is something you always have control over! In fact, if you are able to go to your grocery store, nutrition might be something that is easier for some people to dial in during this time since we’re not going out as often, making it slightly easier to stick to your macros.
Eating a balanced diet instead of junk food, and sticking to structured meal times instead of mindless snacking, will go a long way in helping us feel like we are still on the right track. The current situation is definitely stressful and unusual for all of us, but trying to maintain some semblance of routine will be the best for our health, both physically and mentally.
4.) Is strength loss/weight gain inevitable?
Not necessarily! If you are on a weight loss plan, there are definitely some adjustments you can make in your diet to ensure you stay on track, like reducing some of your calories. When you go back to your normal routine post-quarantine, bigger weights will probably feel a little heavier than usual, but that’s to be expected! It’s only a few weeks of stay-at-home, so your strength will return within a couple of weeks after getting back into the swing of things.
If you’ve made the effort to keep up with daily activity and a balanced diet, you shouldn’t be too far off track.
5.) How can a tool like Macrostax help right now?
If you aren’t yet familiar with Macrostax, we tell you what, when, and how much to eat to reach your goals. We’re a one-stop-shop web app that gives you a custom macro plan, access to a nutrition coach seven days a week, and macro-friendly recipes tailored to you.
Macrostax has always been the go-to app for the CrossFit community looking to keep track of their macros. And nothing has changed during this time. Our app still helps keep you accountable with your nutrition, regardless of if you’re on a fat loss, maintenance, or muscle gain plan.
We preach what we offer, as well. Our nutrition coaches are feeling the same pain that many others are feeling right now during quarantine, and are offering free consults as well as daily tips in the app for overall health, nutrition, and fitness.
You can check us out online and message in our chat feature if you have any questions!
6.) Any tips for how people can hit their numbers even if they’re having a hard time finding the food they need (since some grocery stores aren’t fully stocked)?
Since we are limiting our trips to the grocery store, fresh produce and perishable food items can be harder to come by. When you are able to buy these items, we recommend prepping them as soon as you can into freezer-friendly meals that will allow them to keep for as long as you need.
If you are having trouble finding lean proteins like egg whites, chicken breast, or turkey breast, we recommend looking for tuna packets, beef jerky, deli meat, protein bars, and protein powders.
Potatoes, rice, quinoa, dried oats, granola, pasta, and canned goods like beans are great options to keep in your pantry because of their long shelf life. Just remember to take only what you need for you and your family!
Try out some of our favorite make-ahead recipes from our app:
- Instant Pot Turkey Chili
- Turkey Lasagna
- Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon and Eggs
- PB&J Overnight Oats
- 3 Minute Mug Omelet
