Spring is just around the corner, which means that the slow, winter days are coming to an end. As life gets a little crazier, with all the kids activities somehow multiplying by 10 overnight, staying on track with your weight loss goals may seem unimaginable.
However, there are ways you can still lose weight, even when it seems like life gets busier by the day.
Here are my top 3 tips.
Find the time to work out at least 3 days a week
I know you may be rolling your eyes at me, and murmuring how you already know this, but hear me out. If your favorite, afterwork, Pilates class is now put on hold because your child has soccer practice, you need to be flexible and change gears.
This can mean waking up earlier to join another class, or heading to the gym for a strength training session if there aren’t classes available during that time. It also may be more beneficial to use your lunch break to go for a 30-minute jog or knock out a HIIT workout. Whatever it may be, you need to be okay with being flexible.
The thing is, for your own health (and sanity), you need to schedule at least an hour and a half a week of physical activity. The best thing you can do for your family is to take care of yourself and well-being. You may not like shifting your schedule around, but it pays off in the end to find the time for physical activity.
If your days are so swamped that you can’t find a full 45 minutes or hour to work out, you can break up your workouts in increments. This can look like 20 minutes of HIIT during lunch, and then 30 minutes of yoga before bed.
Also, be VERY honest with yourself when it comes to time. Do you spend 2 hours a day watching TV? Are you constantly scrolling IG on your phone? If you answered yes to either one of these, I can almost guarantee you can find the time somewhere to work out.
Meal prep, snack prep, water prep
Yes, that’s a lot of prepping, but when you’re armed with healthy snack and meal options, it makes it so much easier to say no to McDonald's drive-thru. Here are some ways you can make meal prepping and shopping a little bit easier:
-Have your groceries delivered. Butcher Box delivers high-quality meat straight to your door, and even Public Goods offers pantry staples, all at a great price.
-If you don’t have a lot of time to chop vegetables yourself, you can buy the pre-chopped vegetables in the produce section. It may be a little more expensive, but it’ll save you a lot of time! Frozen and canned vegetables are viable options as well.
-Between shuttling kids to their activities and trying to make appointments on time, keeping a stash of healthy snack options with you will be a lifesaver during those “hangry” moments. We like Paleovalley Grass Fed Beef Sticks because they’re easily portable, and they help us meet our daily protein goals.
-Speaking of protein, prioritize protein at every meal. To lose weight, one of the best things you can do is gain and maintain muscle, which requires adequate protein to promote muscle growth. I really like throwing the tuna snack packs in my bag when I know I have a busy day ahead me; they’re relatively low in calories while still adding about 17g of protein per serving.
-And of course, stay hydrated. We tend to see a reduction in cravings when we’re properly hydrated, it keeps us from feeling lethargic, and promotes an efficient digestive system.
Get in as much non-exercise activity as possible
To lose weight, you need to move. And you need to move enough to burn more calories than you’re taking in from food and beverages.
Fortunately, there are really simple strategies to burn more calories throughout the day.
-Take the stairs
-Park your car far from the door
-Join your kids at the playground (it’s a win-win for you and the kids)
-Take a 5-minute walk every hour or so while at work
-Do squats or push-ups while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew or for the shower to warm-up
-If your kids participate in a sport, take a walk around the field during practice. You can even listen to your favorite podcast, like Mind Pump, while you’re strolling.
These are just some ideas, but basically, you just need to find moments here and there to take advantage of opportunities where you can move your body. Plus, it doesn’t take much additional effort. It may not be the number one factor when it comes to achieving substantial weight-loss, but over time, it can inch you closer to your goal weight.
