Lockdown may have kept most of us safe from the coronavirus, but it hasn’t been easy separating from loved ones or our “normal” lives. We have all had to adapt. No more socializing with family and friends. Work from home if we still have a job, homeschool the kids, only go out for food/medicine/exercise.

It’s been hard. At our waists. More time at home has often meant more time raiding the fridge. We’ve fed our loneliness with comforting (and fattening) treats. We have also enjoyed a glass or three of something in the evenings. Sales of snack foods and alcohol in supermarkets are at record levels.

More people turned to exercise during the lockdown, with running, walking and cycling becoming popular. However, much of the extra exercise was done by people who were already in great shape, while many of the couch potatoes stayed in their capes.

Now that lockdown measures begin to relax, we can engage in more interactions with other people, while observing social distancing and wearing a mask in stores and elsewhere, of course. We are venturing out, visiting loved ones, taking vacations or even traveling abroad, going to restaurants and pubs, and enjoying fast food on the go again.

In May 2020, the daily mail reported that two-thirds of Britons had gained weight. In a recent study, King’s College London and Ipsos MORI surveyed 2,254 people, with almost half (48%) saying they had gained weight during lockdown and almost a third (29%) saying they had drunk more alcohol. Nearly half of those surveyed also reported feeling more anxious or depressed than usual. We are fatter and we are not happy about it.

So what do we do now?

We need to break the habit of rewarding ourselves with extra food (and drink). A couple extra chocolate chip cookies a day could add more than 1,000 calories to our weekly intake. Over a three-week period, that would increase our weight by one pound, with no other change in our eating habits.

Going outside for fresh air will help. Going for a walk or playing in the garden will not only distract us from food, but will also burn off some of those extra calories. And if we handle a more vigorous exercise the effects are more noticeable. Exercise can also reduce your appetite, so grab your walking boots!

Eating sensible portions will also reduce your caloric load. Aim for meals where at least half the plate is covered by fruits and/or vegetables; potatoes do not count, as they are classified as carbohydrates. For best results, cook from scratch. Limit or ideally stop snacking between meals. It is okay to feel hungry before the next meal and we will appreciate food more.

If you’re not sure where all your calories are coming from, keep a food journal.

Above all, don’t panic. We can lose the love handles of lockdown almost as easily as we gain them by eating sensibly and savoring, rather than devouring, our food.