HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - As the mask mandate has been lifted, we can all literally breathe a breath of fresh air. And for many, get out and get moving again.
"I call it the 'COVID-19,' like 19 pounds - sorta like people gaining the 'Freshman 40,'" said Dr. Ryan Light with Greenbrier Family Medicine in Chesapeake.
Light says lately he's seen a lot of patients anxious for tips on how to lose the pandemic pounds.
"We have created a lot of bad habits during pandemic," said Light.
That has included food delivery, a fridge that's too easily acceptable and less exercise as the gyms have been shuttered. Light's first tip: Get your steps in.
"If you are at home, maybe every 30 minutes to an hour, take a break walk around the house or down the street," he said. "Start slow, get your body moving. Loosen the joints because we have aged a bit over the past year."
Light says you can try a short-term diet to shed the fat quick, like keto or intermittent fasting.
"They are both good diets to lose weight," says Light. "Intermittent fasting is a good way to lose weight; you don't have to calorie count every day, only on the days you are fasting," said Light.
For a longer term diet fix, Light says it's important to count your calories and consider more low-carb options or more protein-based foods. He says you can also use an app to help you, and he also advises to drink plenty of water.
"When you look at weight loss, it is slow and steady wins the race. Everyone will tell you the turtle always wins," said Light.