We've all experienced a change in lifestyle over the last couple of weeks - some of us drastic, some not so much. Out of those who are suddenly stuck at home, I've observed what seems like polarizing results thereof when it comes to compliance with health, nutrition and fitness goals. Some of us, like me, find it far easier to stick to goals, and others seem to fall off the rails. (This is mostly off-forum observations, for the record.)

How have you been handling it?

Easier, there is NO off plan food in the house to tempt me. But, if I had any on hand, I'd probably be scarfing it down constantly.

Down 4 lbs since starting self-isolation 2.5 weeks ago.

I'll go first. Bevangel beat me.

Mine is a big huge "easier." I work a seasonal job, so I'm used to having to adjust my routine throughout the year, sometimes rather suddenly. My job is exhausting and while I'm working, I have to make sure I plan ahead, have good sleep habits, and have routines. Being off work means I have more time for all of that, plus a lot less anxiety and stress. I can even take time to (cringes) exercise. I'm a homebody. I love being here.

Not to be too much of an amateur psychologist, but I think being stuck at home forces a great big magnifying glass on your home life. Everything will be amplified. Was work/school an escape? Are you in a bad relationship? Do family members sabotage you, and is it maybe time to renegotiate some rules and boundaries?

Just throwing some ideas out there for people to think about. We all have different situations.

I have reached the "I made a paper airplane for my cat to play with" level of boredom, if you're wondering.

I'm retired; I have quite a well stocked pantry/freezer; I am by nature an introvert; there are no small people in the house, only DH and myself; the cat is a bit confused it seems, but on the whole seems to like having us here all the time; the weather has been fairly wet & not warm recently -- in other words, sticking around the house, and eating what I am supposed to hasn't been particularly hard.
DH is not LC, and he enjoys a beer at the pub of an evening, so he is finding it a bit harder. I do have pantry supplies for his favorites as well, and have no problem cooking for him, but he misses being able to go out. But, of course, he wasn't the one your question was aimed at :-)

That pretty much describes me too and I am not finding this hard at all. I take the dog out for walks and that's about it. All I need to buy at my food coop is fresh veggies and today I used their curbside service even though I have no car and walk there instead. It was very easy. I called the order in yesterday, they called me this morning and took my credit card info and I walked over and it was delivered to me outside the store. Quick, easy and virtually no human contact. My introverted self is having no problem with this even if it is bit weird.

I'm retired and had just stocked up my pantry/freezer & paper supplies before things closed up. I am by nature an introvert and there are no small people in my house either. I've only needed to go out once, for more meat, poultry, fish and frozen vegetables and can go another 3 weeks. I've been more consistent with IFing too. Better to conserve food in case there are more closures making it harder to restock.

I could have bought some junk food, but what helped me avoid it is that vLC is what keeps my health & immune system running at its best, and that is what we need to fight the virus if/when we catch it. It has worked well to keep me cold-free for ~15 years. No junk in the house = no junk in my body.

Now I have more time for distant socializing, here and elsewhere on the Internet, long chats via Skype and volunteer group meetings on GoToMeeting, Webex, which we've been doing for a few years already to save travel costs. With limited bandwidth we just use audio, not video chat - just the way I like it!

Harder. Have teens that need to eat breakfast.....when they were in school, my first meal was inthe noon to two win dow M-F. Kids made their breakfast and took lunch to school. I feel luke Um living our Saturday and Sunday schedule every day now. Asking the kids to go keto.....

I find it the same with the exception of having to plan more for food shopping. I've always been one who shops every couple of days and prepares meals based on what is fresh and available. Now I need to think more long term on a weekly basis. I'm fortunate at this time to have good shopping options. As for isolation, I've always been able to entertain myself when I'm not working, and I'm doing some work from home as well.

My primary motivation in remaining steadfast with low carb is knowing that if I were to do anything less healthy, I'd be right back in poor health with all the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome and burdened with the associated medications as well. That's more than enough incentive to stay the course.

Harder. Jerk-face hoarders have been making it difficult to get meat and food overall. Our pantry is well stocked with soups, beans, rice, and noodles. We do have some canned fish and some canned green beans, but the veggies will go faster. But I find myself eating less meat and veggies and more filler to save the protein and veggies for my 4 growing children. So I'm higher carb than I like right now.

Depends on the scope of the word "compliance". If we're just talking about food, then the variety has definitely taken a hit since I'm used to buying lunch in town most days while I'm working. But now that I'm working from home, everything that I'm eating comes from home. It's no better or worse really on that it's all still on plan, but there's less variety and more preparation time required on my part.

If compliance extends to other things such as exercise, then it's undoubedtly become harder. I'd come to rely a lot on my daily walk to work and back, which of course is no longer happening at all, so my exercise has taken a big hit. Sleep is hard to say at this stage, possibly slightly easier in that I'm definitely going to bed earlier in the evenings now. I'm presuming that this is most likely due to the fact that I'm now working from home which means way more time spent at the computer.

I have settled on favorite meals which cook quickly, give me leftovers, and we eat up before it's wasted. It's versatile enough that an ingredient not available doesn't interrupt what I'm doing.

And I'm not tempted while I'm out I'm rarely out!

Much harder for me. Hubby and I were used to eating our main meal out each day so I did not keep much food here and rarely ever cooked. We are retired and that was our daily outing. We ate mid to late afternoon and I would usually not eat any more that day.

Staying home and cooking for us has blown my eating way out of proportion. I have gained 10 pounds this month! Instead of eating my usual restaurant meal I find myself eating more, sometimes second portions, and more carbs. Hubby does not eat low carb and I find myself eating more his way than mine. I have got to regain control of my eating! I have also had a bit more wine instead of my one occasional glass with my lunch.


This has been like a vacation and the weather has been horrible....rainy, stormy and cool. It is only now starting to warm up a little and encouraging me to get outside for a walk. No excuses....I have just gone off track.

Easier for me. I eat a stricter ketogenic ratio diet because it helps versus social anxiety, paranoia, and other schizo/bipolar symptoms I have. I'm anxious about tipping over into my anxious state, that keeps me on the straight and narrow.

It helps that the stores here seem to be winning the war when it comes to keeping things reasonably well stocked. I see a mix on other people's journals, with some places recovering on that front and others still struggling.

I'm still working--and find the structure of the working day helps me with compliance. Also helps me to comply with not grocery shopping too often guidelines--I usually eat at home, but knowing I could mostly eat at work if I had to keeps me from panicking and stopping into the grocery store more than I really need to.

I’m also retired, an introvert, I live alone. Mostly carnivore these days so I’m finding it way easier to comply. I’m pretty much just staying at home. Florida declares a state lockdown effective today - no going out except for essentials. I did go out yesterday to renew my dog’s arthritis medication, and some chicken salad that a cool St. Augustine restaurant (Chicken Salad Chick) was making a special delivery run to our area for.

Since I live alone I don’t have many carby things around, and the ones I do have (Mac and cheese, mini-muffins) are mainly for when the grandkids come over though, sadly, they are not coming over now for their usual visits and sleepovers. But I’m not tempted by that food.

I do still have some of my “treat” foods around (mixed nuts, dark chocolate) but haven’t been too tempted by it. Had a bit of nuts a couple times in the last few weeks.

Confession though. It was my birthday the other day (March 30) and my DiL and grandkids dropped off a big basket of chocolates from my favorite local chocolatier!! Mostly their milk chocolates which I confess are still my faves. So for two days I ate chocolate!

But I’ve put what’s left into the freezer now and I’m back on the straight and narrow. Quite easy to comply when I don’t want to go out anywhere in public.

I got my usual big Costco TP and paper towel stash early in March, before the madness started, so should have paper goods to last until June at least. I have a lot of meat in the freezer, I have eggs, cheese, heavy cream, butter. I have lots of cans of tuna, sardines, smoked oysters, Spam. I have bone broth protein powder. I have decaf coffee beans, Crio Bru. I just bought a SodaStream because I love my fizzy water but don’t want to go to stores to buy any. So far I’m doing well.

And I was steadily losing weight too! Though the last few days it’s been going up and up and up - probably residual from my birthday binge.

My resolve is also made firmer by the crisis. Because the latest news about the people getting hit the hardest is all about metabolic dysfunction indicators (high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac issues, stressed immune systems) that go along with the SAD.

Southern states, whose populations tend to have more population with these challenges, are losing people at younger ages than we've seen before.