Can we all take a moment to acknowledge how crazy 2020 has been so far? This year has felt like a “wait, there is more” tagline from an infomercial. At this point, I wouldn’t be shocked if dinosaurs made a comeback. However, the predicted active hurricane season and the swarms of murder hornets would probably put them back into extinction. It has been that kind of year, and we are only 5 months into it. To add to this, I am a stress eater, and man, has this year been stressful! Over the last 3 months, I have gained what I have started referring to as “The Corona 10.”
What’s On The Menu?
The demise of my healthy eating started on March 13th. To be more specific, it was Friday the 13th. The governor announced schools would be closed for at least 6 weeks. I grabbed the snacks that would not be going into lunch boxes anytime soon and brainstormed a game plan. Three juice boxes and more cookies than a human should ever consume in a single sitting later, I optimistically made out a healthy menu for meals and snacks that didn’t include what I was currently eating.
With my shopping list in hand, I got into my car and drove to the store. As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed cars parked in the grass. The grocery store was overflowing with people shopping as if they were stocking bomb shelters. The shelves were empty, and the lines to check out were wrapping around the store. I immediately walked out of the store and called my husband to let him know we were having pizza for dinner. The next day I ordered $150 of groceries online, but a single bottle of Drano was all they brought out to my car. Grocery shopping felt like an exhausting scavenger hunt. I ended up buying whatever was available, which lead to eating whatever.
I did manage to make some healthy meals, but as the weeks went on chicken nuggets, fries, sandwiches, pizza, and ordering meals to go became more frequent. I started eating more and moving less. My kids were always eating because they were “starving,” and I was continually eating because I was stressed. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner slowly started blurring together. I even vented to friends about how much eating was going on at my house while eating.
Final Thoughts
Personally, I was starting to feel more like The Hungry Caterpillar every day. No matter how much I ate, I was still hungry. However, he emerged from isolation as a beautiful butterfly. I don’t foresee my emergence from isolation being spectacular, but I will be emerging with all the new memories. So many laughs were shared over popcorn. My kids and I baked and laughed as my youngest child took the recipe literally and tried to put an entire egg (shell and all) into the mixer that was on. The list goes on.
It truly has been a year for the books. If you found yourself a little heavier than you were before quarantine, join the club. You are not alone. Even intermittent fasting dieters went silent on social media. The Corona 10 is real, and don’t be too hard on yourself. You know why? Because you are awesome, and you’ve got this! Internet high five!
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