With the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the country, the majority of Americans are under state orders to stay at home.
Our normal routines have been upended, gyms are closed, and we’re spending more time than ever inside—and it’s affecting not only our mental well-being
but our physical health as well.“The truth of the matter is people are sitting on their ass eating a lot of food gaining a lot of weight,” says JJ Smith, nutritionist, certified weight loss expert, and bestselling author of 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse.
“So they’re actually trying to get back on track, because they’re developing some bad eating habits during this pandemic.”
Smith’s assessment may sound harsh but it comes without judgment, as she admits that she’s also struggled to eat healthy during these unprecedented times.
“I got to get it together too, because I’ve been snacking a lot more. I have pretty good eating habits, pretty disciplined, but I am so far off track.
“I’m eating cereal and bologna and bacon and hot dogs. And that’s it,” she continues. “Everything I don’t eat [normally] was the only thing I was eating and it was just really crazy stuff.”
The stress and the lack of movement have been like a double whammy that compounds the constant snacking while we stay at home.
“I’m telling you the snacks are really problematic,” she says. “And it’s like, snacking out of boredom, and not being able to do things socially with family and friends, or just sitting in the house feeling the anxiety around the pandemic.”
Smith realized that she probably wasn’t the only one worried about staying slim and healthy during self-quarantine. And she decided to do something about it.
“I wondered if anybody else was struggling with their eating habits right now. And I reached out, and so many people were. So I created this ConFINEment Body Challenge with my followers.”
The Challenge is a free, monthlong program and 49-page e-book that teaches participants how they can detox at home, how to eat clean, and how to make sure they keep their bodies moving—even if it’s just around the house.
“It’s probably the most free information I ever gave,” Smith says. “People are already under enough anxiety and stress and it’s not about
making money at this time, it’s about coming together and trying to provide support and whatever expertise you have. That’s what I’ve provided my expertise on, on weight loss and health.”That expertise is clearly needed, with 80,000 people signed up to do the ConFINEment Body Challenge in its first week alone.
“It’s something to do every day for the next 30 days, so that we don’t lose all the progress we’ve been making over the years,” Smith says. “We are not going to fall off track during the quarantine time.”