'My clothes no longer fit': Vacationers heading to fitness resorts to shed their pandemic weight

Had it not been for the 'baking elf' spending the pandemic making sweet treats, Frances Hohl might not have packed on 25 extra pounds.

The talented pastry chef – also known as Hohl’s 19-year-old daughter, Casmere, who was studying remotely – helped soothe her mother's pandemic anxiety by baking nightly delights: strawberry shortcakes, chocolate chip cookies, French macarons, and lemon meringue pies. She even crafted a wedding cake once, despite there being no wedding in sight.

Hohl couldn’t resist her daughter’s baked goods, nor did she want to. 'Wedding cake is my favorite,' says Hohl, 56, a writer from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

And that’s how, nearly a year into the lockdown, Hohl found herself at Movara, a fitness resort in Ivins, Utah, hiking through the rugged canyons, the thick sand making each step feel like wading. Her calves burned, her shoulders ached, and blisters formed between her toes. Yet, in the afternoons, she pushed through strength and cardio classes, along with massages and body treatments, all to lose the weight she had gained.

'I just felt so out of sync with my body,' says Hohl.

Many others shared the same sentiment after a year of takeout meals, endless Netflix watching, and working from home, all while grappling with intense stress, anxiety, and depression. A March research letter in JAMA Network Open revealed that Americans gained over half a pound every ten days during the lockdown.

The desire to shed pandemic weight isn't limited to the United States alone.

Slimmeria, a weight loss, detox, and fitness retreat in the United Kingdom, has been fully booked since May. 'I believe the pandemic has made people take their health more seriously and start focusing on self-care,' says Slimmeria owner, Galia Grainger.

Caroline Sylger Jones, founder of the retreat guide and review site Queen of Retreats, is witnessing the same trend.

'Most of our UK and European retreats that have been able to operate have been fully booked this summer, though everyone mentions last-minute bookings,' she says. 'People are definitely aiming to shed their lockdown weight and get fitter.'

As the world reopens, weight loss and fitness resorts are benefiting from this growing demand.

Ready to shed the 'Covid 19' pounds?

Hilton Head Health in South Carolina has experienced a 30% surge in new inquiries since mid-February, with a waiting list of six to eight weeks. Due to high demand, The Ranch in Malibu, California, recently introduced The Ranch 9.0, a nine-day program that extends its signature week-long retreat. Meanwhile, We Care in Desert Hot Springs, California, is so booked up that they’re considering expanding to the East Coast.

Movara in Utah has been fully booked for 18 consecutive weeks.

'And there's no sign of it slowing down,' says Elaine Hartrick, general manager of Movara. 'Guests arrive every week mentioning how they've gained the 'Covid 19', 'Covid 25', or 'Covid 30'. People realized that obesity is a major risk factor for severe Covid complications, and they were motivated to change their habits to avoid becoming another statistic. It really served as a wake-up call for so many.'

Caren Kabot, founder of Solo Escapes, a wellness and spa travel company, says people are also seeking time to rest and reset after a year of isolation.

'They're asking, 'Where do I start? What should I do?' I always tell them to plan at least one week to focus on restoring balance in their lives, while also shedding a few extra pounds.'

'It was incredibly soothing,'

Tiffany Benjamin, 41, took it a step further by booking a month-long stay at Fit Farm in Castalian Springs, Tennessee.

'We did e-learning with three kids and stayed indoors for over a year. I ate, drank, and gained around 60 pounds,' says Benjamin, who runs a foundation for a company in Indianapolis. 'I wasn’t feeling well, my clothes didn’t fit, and I hadn’t picked up anything heavier than a box of donuts. I thought, it would be amazing to go somewhere where I don’t have to pick up anyone’s socks and can just follow a schedule.'

Each morning, she woke up at 6 a.m. for a pre-breakfast workout, joined by eight to ten other guests. The rest of the day involved five to six hours of exercise sessions and workshops, covering topics from nutrition to the 5 Love Languages. The schedule also included three nutritious meals, two snacks, and a variety of activities. Picture an adult summer camp, but with cooking classes, interval training, and unsweetened bug juice.

The sense of community was just as essential as the physical fitness. At these resorts, guests share meals and participate in group workouts together.

'Everyone was united by the same goal, regardless of their starting point in terms of health or weight,' says Benjamin. 'We were there to be kind to ourselves and to each other. I watched the sunrise, petted a horse, went hiking – it was incredibly peaceful, and I didn’t have to make any decisions.'

Pandemic-related stress takes its toll.

Stress and anxiety are two major factors that contribute to weight gain in general, and especially during the lockdown, says Katie Rickel, a licensed clinical psychologist and CEO of Structure House in Durham, North Carolina.

'Stress, habits, and boredom – that's what defined the pandemic,' says Rickel, noting that Structure House is fully booked three months in advance. 'The reasons people turned to food were magnified. Covid also made people realize how fragile our health is and helped them reprioritize just how much control we have over our health behaviors.'

Jacob Norry, 25, spent five weeks at Structure House in November. A graduate student in marine biology in Fort Lauderdale, Norry had struggled with binge eating for years. After breaking his ankle last August, his weight ballooned to 280 pounds, and he sank into a deep depression.

'Covid didn’t make it any easier,' he says. 'I live alone, and not having visitors was brutal.'

A family friend recommended Structure House, which specializes in treating compulsive overeating, and Norry decided to give it a try. He lost 20 pounds, most of which he has successfully kept off.

'They truly helped me rebuild my relationship with food,' he says. 'When I first arrived at Structure House, my goal was to reach 175 pounds. Now, my goal is simply to be healthy.'

'We were looking for something different.'

Laura and Danielle Prioleau came to Movara to improve their health. The mother-daughter pair from Twentynine Palms, California, spent nine weeks at the resort.

'Before the pandemic, I had lost nearly 60 pounds and was doing really well,' says Danielle, in her twenties, who is currently pursuing her graduate studies in marriage and family therapy.

'But during the pandemic, I gained weight and wasn’t getting out much. I wanted to support my mom, so we decided to make this a joint effort. We both wanted a real lifestyle change and were tired of the endless dieting cycle. Nothing seemed to stick. We knew we needed something different.'

Danielle was able to work remotely, while her mother, Laura, a comptroller for a non-profit, took a break from her job to join Movara. 'At home, with three kids back from college, I was just cooking and playing board games,' says Laura Prioleau.

Laura has lost almost 35 pounds, while Danielle has dropped about 30 pounds.

For many who can afford these types of retreats, they believe the investment is worth it – though there’s no guarantee the weight will stay off.

Although most resorts offer some form of post-retreat program to help ease the transition back to reality, let’s face it: It’s much easier to eat healthily when someone else is cooking for you, leading hikes, and eliminating temptations. The real challenge starts when the fairy tale ends and the realities of everyday life return.

But some people succeed. Hohl lost nine pounds during her month at Movara, and her body fat percentage dropped from 43.7% to 39.6%.

When she got back to Colorado, she continued with the Movara Home program and shed another 11 pounds. (It also helped that the 'baking elf' found a full-time job, which reduced her time in the kitchen.)

Hohl plans to return to Movara next February for another reset. 'I’ve received so many comments from family members who last saw me before I left,' says Hohl. 'They could tell I was not only happier but visibly smaller.'