How to Cope with the Covid-19 19 Weight Gain
A multi-sport athlete’s take on dealing with mainstream weight loss inspo during Quarantine
My stomach has softened due to ten months of going without a gym, something I used to work into my schedule every day, sometimes even more than once.
Needless to say, I’m a little saddened by it.
I’ve also realized that as fit as I was during my wrestling season a year ago, it was stressful. Being the lightest girl on the team wasn’t easy, and for reference, I’m not even a lightweight wrestler. (120 lb and under) I’m a midweight.
Constantly, my body was being compared to the bodies of other wrestlers by a few insensitive members of the team. I was told that the other girls should try losing weight, which just made me sad. They are such talented girls, and I adore them dearly.
My coach was extremely understanding about how I’ve struggled with accepting my weight in the past, and he never made it about weight for me. He made it about putting in the effort to be the best wrestler I could be. If that meant staying above a certain weight, then that’s what I did.
At one point, he was going through descent plans with the other wrestlers (descent as in weight) and I asked him if I had one. He looked me straight in the eye and said, “You, miss, need to work on loving your body first.”
Before even thinking, I asked, “Fine, but can I have one next year?”
We all had a good laugh.
Surprisingly, I haven’t actually gained any weight this quarantine, but I’ve lost all of my muscle. I was going through old answers about a month ago where I used to be so fit. It just made me sad how strong I used to be, and how I haven’t been able to do much about my situation, nor have I been very motivated to work out.
My tummy is no longer flat, and learning to accept this has been hard.
I’ve also recently learned that most women are not meant to be naturally flat. We have a lining of protection around our organs, including our uterus, which prevents us from “slimming down.”
This ideation that your worth is based on your weight is toxic and completely unrealistic.
To those of you who have also gained weight this year, do you realize how incredible that is?
We are in the middle of a global pandemic, multiple states in the US have been on fire, hurricanes have ensued, we went through another dreadful election, and your body responded to all of this stress by gaining a few pounds. You coped through a little extra comfort food.
That is awesome.
You could have shut down completely, but you didn’t. You’ve gained a little extra weight! Forgive yourself for setting your standards so unachievably high and inevitably being disappointed in yourself.
We need to accept that this is a process that needs to be taken day by day. Don’t beat yourself up for coping the best that you know how during this stressful time.
Extra Resources:
Women can build positive body image by controlling what they view on social media
