Losing Weight When Busy Life Gets In The Way
Busy Bee? No Problem! Discover The Secrets To Slimming Down Successfully
So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things.
Morrie Schwartz ‧ American professor of sociology and an author
Everyone can agree that nothing puts a damper on fitness and weight loss goals quite like a busy schedule. But being busy doesn’t mean you have to give up on your health objectives. The scale doesn’t care how many hours you have in your day - only how wisely you spend them.
But remember, even with a busy schedule, kids and family, you can achieve your weight loss goals! It's just a matter of putting a plan in place. Here are 7 weight loss tips for go-getters who need some solid advice on how to achieve their weight loss goals.
#1. Declutter Your Kitchen
Clutter isn't good for your mental state and can increase your stress levels. The same goes for your kitchen, where mountains of unhealthy food can easily derail your weight loss programme.
Tidying your fridge and pantry isn't just good housekeeping. It will also help you eat better and save time, no matter how crazy and busy your schedule.
#2. Plan Your Meals
As well as planning your training schedule for the week, plan your diet. Plan an easy-to-prepare, healthy and travel-friendly lunch to take to work. Cooking your own meals will help you keep track of your calories.
If you don't have time to prepare a meal in the morning, you can always pack leftovers from the previous evening's meal or just a wholemeal sandwich with vegetables. Packing your lunch every day will reduce the urge to order takeaway food.
#3. Track Your Calories
While regular exercise helps, your diet plays a big part in burning fat and shedding pounds. It's important to make sure you're eating the right amount and not going overboard.
Keeping a food diary and listing what you need is one way to count your calories, but it may not be the most accurate way. There are several apps you can download to help you count your calories and stick to your diet.
Not only will this help you achieve your weight loss and fitness goals, but it will also help you understand portion sizes and the nutritional value of the ingredients in your diet. Use measuring cups to determine a healthy serving size and don't underestimate your portion size.
#4. Don't Skip Meals. Just Don't...
This may seem counterintuitive after the advice to eat less overall, but busy people in particular may need to spread out their calories more throughout the day. That's because going more than four or five hours without eating can slow your metabolism, affect hormones and insulin levels, and contribute to unhealthy food choices when you do sit down to eat.
It seems that many overweight people don't necessarily overeat, but their eating patterns have become so erratic. They have a cup of coffee in the morning and then they don't eat properly until late afternoon. The key is to avoid that and stick to a consistent schedule, whether it's three meals a day and a couple of snacks or five mini-meals.
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#5. Schedule Your Workout Time
How does an overly booked individual “perceive” that they do, in fact, have the time for regular exercise? By scheduling it like an important appointment.
If you are an incredibly busy individual, you are probably already glued to your handwritten day planner, Google Calendar or a similar one. Why not also use those tools for pencilling in your workouts? Experts praise regular exercise, and there’s no better way to keep to a regular exercise plan than to block it off on your calendar.
#6. Integrate Full-body Exercises
The key here is to integrate exercises into your workout that give you a full-body blast and mix muscle work with cardio. Think jumping jacks, mountain climbers, burpees, plank exercises and similar. Also, the smart choice is to add dumbbells or kettlebells to your workouts to help create resistance and help burn more calories.
These exercise staples make great additions to a 20 to 30-minute circuit workout, perfect for a busy person and/or on-the-go parents who don’t have the luxury of taking a long jog through the park every day.
Full-body blasting workout: The key here is to integrate exercises into your workout that give you a full-body blast and mix muscle work with cardio.
#7. Don't Be Afraid To Change
Don't be afraid to change course if something isn't working. Finding the right mix of habits and behaviours that work for you will almost certainly require trial and error. So, be prepared to change if you feel something is a dead end.
The Bottom Line
Healthy weight loss can take time, especially if you're overweight because of a job that keeps you sedentary most of the day or a schedule that lends itself to fast food and unhealthy snacks.
Don't give up just yet. You don't need to add extra minutes to your day to eat less or move more - the two pillars of weight loss. Re-evaluate the time you have and use the smart strategies above to make shedding pounds easier, no matter how busy you are. We wish you good luck!
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FAQ
You can still lose weight even if you don't have a lot of time to exercise. Here are a few tips:
- Focus on your diet. Make sure you're eating healthy, nutritious foods that will help you feel full.
- Eat smaller meals more often. This will help you keep your metabolism revved up and prevent you from getting too hungry.
- Drink plenty of water. Water can help you feel full and boost your metabolism.
- Find ways to be more active throughout the day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away from your destination, or get up and move around every 20-30 minutes.
- Make small changes that you can stick to. Don't try to overhaul your entire life overnight. Just start by making small changes, such as eating one less sugary snack per day.
There are many easy exercises you can do at home, such as:
- Jumping jacks
- Squats
- Push-ups
- Crunches
- Lunges
- Plank
- Yoga
- Pilates
These exercises don't require any equipment and can be done in just a few minutes. You can also find many workout videos online that you can follow along with.
Staying motivated can be tough, especially when you're busy. Here are a few tips:
- Set realistic goals. Don't try to lose too much weight too quickly. Aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week.
- Find a support system. Having friends or family members who are also trying to lose weight can help you stay motivated.
- Reward yourself for your accomplishments. When you reach a goal, give yourself a small reward. This will help you stay on track.
- Don't give up. Everyone has setbacks. Don't let one bad day derail your progress. Just pick yourself up and keep going.
Here are a few diet tips for people who are short on time:
- Plan your meals ahead of time. This will help you avoid impulse decisions and make healthier choices.
- Cook in bulk. This way, you can have healthy meals ready to go when you're busy.
- Keep healthy snacks on hand. This will help you avoid unhealthy choices when you're hungry.
- Drink plenty of water. Water can help you feel full and boost your metabolism.
- Make small changes to your diet. Don't try to overhaul your entire diet overnight. Just start by making small changes, such as eating one less sugary snack per day.
Here are a few common weight loss mistakes to avoid:
- Crash dieting. Crash dieting is not sustainable and can lead to weight gain in the long run.
- Skipping meals. Skipping meals can slow down your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight.
- Eating too much processed food. Processed food is high in calories and low in nutrients. It can also lead to weight gain.
- Not drinking enough water. Water is essential for weight loss. It can help you feel full and boost your metabolism.
- Giving up too easily. Losing weight takes time and effort. Don't give up if you don't see results immediately. Just keep going and you will eventually reach your goals.
There are many long-term benefits of losing weight, including:
- Reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
- Improved sleep quality.
- Increased energy levels.
- Improved self-esteem.
- Increased mobility.
- Longer life expectancy.
If you're ready to lose weight, there are many resources available to help you. Talk to your doctor, a registered dietitian, or a certified personal trainer. They can help you create a plan that is right for you.
