KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — 2020 was a tough year and for most. Cooking more, eating more, not leaving the house, not exercising, stressed out beyond words. Any one of those things can cause weight gain and 2020 brought all of those things.
According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, almost half of U.S. adults gained weight during the pandemic. And now 2021 will be spent getting it off. Local nutrition and fitness consultant Betsy Johnson is helping hundreds of people in East Tennessee do just that.
"The biggest thing is don't save all your calories until later in the day and then overeat at night and then go to bed and that's what most Americans do," said Johnson.
Betsy says do like the French do and make your biggest meal lunch instead of dinner.
"Eat during the day, try to stabilize yourself during the day so you don't have these crash and burns and you crave carbs and sugar," said Johnson.
Next tip-stay away from fads, be realistic.
"It's really hard to always tell yourself you're not going to ever eat breakfast again or you're never going to have carbs again because it's a really hard way to sustain your life," said Johnson.
And lastly don't let exercise be an excuse to eat more.
"Exercise is great but it really truly is all about your eating," said Johnson.