Once you’ve embarked on the weight management journey, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of commitments you find yourself having to make. With your busy schedule, how can you find time to invest fully in nutrition, fitness and self-care?
While it’s true that the journey with weight and health can seem overwhelming at times, there are a number of ways that you can lay the foundation for success. You’re not a “failure” if you’re struggling to make progress – it’s all about the strategy!
Organizing Your Health Plan
Although diving headfirst into your goals can be admirable, you’re much more likely to find and maintain success with a solid plan to kick-start your progress and build upon. Here a few beginning strategies to get you started:
Nutrition
- Create a list of the healthy foods you enjoy eating, them add them to your grocery staples. For those not-so-healthy options, research alternative ingredients that can pack-in some extra nutrition. For more on mastering the grocery checklist, CLICK HERE.
- Plan your meals with a simple calendar you can stick to. Grab some bento boxes, pack your favorite snacks and prepare larger meals with a schedule in place. This will help you save time on the days you’re feeling rushed and overwhelmed.
- Prepare for social gatherings by managing your appetite before an event. A healthy snack beforehand can curb your appetite and ward off cravings. You can also offer healthier options and share those with others.
Fitness
- Plan your workouts for when you have the most time and energy. For example – if your day gets busier and begins to exhaust you during the evenings, perhaps a morning workout is best for you.
- Customize your fitness routine to match your current ability and performance. Once you progress through exercise, resolve to challenge yourself and take it a step further.
- Capitalize on your interests to keep you motivated during exercise. If you love being outdoors in nature, your workout routine may include hiking, biking and kayaking.
Self-care
- Take rest days to give your body time to recuperate from exercise. This will help you re-energize and protect yourself against injury.
- Find accountability partners to join your support system. Be it a friend, family member, co-worker or a fitness professional, it’s important to share your challenges and successes with others.
- Make time to relax and relieve yourself from stress. This can take the form of a vacation, massage, your favorite hobbies or an event you’ve been wanting to go to.
Finally, always remember to write your plan down! Seeing your goals on paper or another visible place serves as a daily reminder to keep moving forward on your weight management journey.
