These days many of us live increasingly hectic and demanding lives, working all hours of the day – and sometimes even bringing work home with us to continue into the evenings. When we do finally reach the weekend, there is still no time for rest, as we have to catch up with anything we missed during the week and, of course, slot in quality time with our family and friends.
For those of us who also have families to take care of, life can be even more of a whirlwind. For one thing, work doesn’t stop once you clock off at 5 or 6. From evening meals to prepare and baths to run to tantrums to soothe, homework to help with, and packed lunches to prep for the morning, the roll call of duties never ends.
With so many things to do on a daily basis, it can understandably be difficult to prioritise our health and well-being. To keep us fuelled up for our hectic days, we too often turn to calorific energy boosters such as chocolate bars, crisps, and fast food, because that’s all we have time for – and they give us the calories we need to get on with our tasks.
However, just because we have a packed schedule, doesn’t mean we have to let our bodies suffer. There are a number of tips and techniques you can use to help you stay healthy and lose weight, no matter how busy you are.
Intrigued? Read on to find out more and discover how you can fit your diet and exercise around your fast-paced lifestyle.
Try Online Grocery Shopping
One of the best ways to maintain a healthy diet that helps you stay in good shape is to make sure you fill your fridge and cupboards with healthy foods. Taking away temptation will prevent any moments of weakness, and having an array of delicious and nourishing food options to choose from will inspire you to feed your body with all the right ingredients.
That’s where online grocery shopping comes in. Not only is picking out your weekly shop a convenient way to stock up – after all, you can do it anywhere and at any time, so long as you have a smartphone or a laptop handy – but it will also help you to make the right choices. As you fill your virtual basket, you can take your time, choose only the things on your list, and easily resist the siren song of crisps, cake, and chocolates. It’s a win-win situation.
Prep Your Meals And Snacks
Another helpful way to save yourself time and make sticking to a diet much easier is to prepare your meals and snacks in advance.
The way you do this is up to you, but there are a few helpful suggestions that could make this task simpler.
For instance, you can use your free time on the weekends to batch-cook some healthy and filling meals, then store them in the freezer to be defrosted as needed during the week. If this thought seems a little too daunting, try splitting the task in two. Batch-cook half your week’s meals on the weekends, and then prepare the other half of your meals midway through the week.
You can also pre-prepare your breakfasts and daily snacks the day before you need them, to save time – and prevent you from over-eating or choosing unhealthy options. Prep a delicious bowl of overnight oats, slice fruit into small portions, and throw in a handful of nuts and raisins for good measure.
Swap Your Meals For Super-Convenient Diet Shakes
Of course, if you have a super-packed schedule and you don’t feel like batch-cooking meals or worrying about preparing snacks, then you may want to consider an even more convenient option – the meal replacement diet.
Companies such as Shake That Weight provide an assortment of nutritious shakes that you can drink during the day to keep your energy levels high. Portable and time-saving, these shakes are also packed with all of the nutrients you need to stay healthy and have enough energy to go about your daily routine.
Even if you don’t want to embark on a purely shake diet, you can incorporate these shakes into your weekly meal plan whenever you find yourself too time-strapped to cook.
Don’t Skimp On Breakfast
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that’s certainly true if you have a particularly hectic schedule. To make sure your blood sugar levels remain stable and you have plenty of energy for the day ahead, be sure to take some time to eat a hearty and nourishing breakfast, ideally with a blend of fibre, protein, and carbs.
Whether it’s a thick and creamy meal replacement shake, a bowl of granola topped with fruit and yogurt, or flavourful scrambled eggs jazzed up with cheese, chopped spring onions and ham, there are plenty of delicious breakfast options to choose from.
Pick the breakfast that suits your dietary requirements – and your lifestyle – and make sure you never skip it. After all, you should start the day as you mean to go on, and a healthy but filling meal first thing in the morning is the ideal beginning.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
We all know how vital water is for our bodies, but somehow, many of us never quite seem to drink enough to stay well-hydrated.
If you’re guilty of neglecting your body’s fluid needs, it’s time to change! To help you lose weight and stay healthy, you need to start sipping that H20. Begin with a glass of water the moment you wake up and make sure you have a few bottles of water to take with you to work or on your daily rounds.
If you don’t like the bland taste of water, you can easily create some delicious flavours by adding sliced cucumber, lemon, strawberry, or mint to your bottle. You should also drink before each meal, to prevent over-eating – and because often we confuse our body’s thirst with hunger signals, so we eat when we may actually just be thirsty.
Introduce Bite-Size Workouts
A regular exercise routine can work wonders for weight loss, particularly when paired with a healthy diet plan.
However, if you’re too busy to head to the gym or go for a bike ride or a run on a regular basis, don’t despair. There are plenty of quick and easy workouts you can squeeze into your frantic schedule – from jumping rope on your lunch break to going for a brisk walk, or doing some simple crunches, squats, and lunges while you’re waiting for your tea to brew.
There are even a whole array of exercises you can do at your desk – from tricep dips using your office chair (provided it’s stable enough) to oblique twists, leg lifts, leg extensions, desk push-ups, and donkey kicks. Your co-workers may be a little surprised, to begin with, but once they get used to it they are sure to salute your commitment to your weight loss routine – and, who knows, some of them may even join you!
Weight Loss Tips That Work No Matter How Busy You Are
By incorporating these quick and convenient techniques into your weekly routine, not only will you be able to stick to your eating plan and lose weight, but you will also feel healthier and happier. Some of these tips can even help you free up some extra time to use for the activities you love the most, whether that’s spending quality time with friends or curling up on the sofa with a good book. What could be better?
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