Weighing In: How can I fit healthy eating and physical activity into my busy life?

Next week I’m going to start a new job and I’ve already contacted my supervisor about work hours so I can schedule my workouts into my new routine before it even starts. I know that if I don’t have a plan in place, my workouts will fall to the wayside and once that happens it can take months for me to get back on track! If you really enjoy relaxing in the evenings than it’s safe to assume you’re going to find every reason in the book to go home instead of the gym so I suggest working out in the morning. From one non-morning person to another, I know it seems like a daunting task but try it for a few weeks and I think you’ll find that your mornings aren’t the same if they don’t begin with a workout.

Finding time to prepare healthy meals is much the same, you need to schedule it into your day – especially when you are really busy because it’s so much easier to stop somewhere on the way home. Trust me, I totally understand where you’re coming from. When things get really busy and overwhelming I, too, lose sight of the fact that grocery shopping and cooking healthy meals are not luxuries. These are vital tasks that have to be part of your schedule. There’s no point in working so hard that you can’t take care of yourself because ultimately you won’t be healthy enough to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

If you were having guests over for dinner, would you stop on your way home from work and pick-up fast food? No, you’d probably prepare a nice meal for your guests and you should treat yourself the same. You deserve a healthy, home-cooked meal. Have you tried preparing a week’s worth of meals on the weekends? This is a great way to have healthy meals on hand when you get home after a long day of school and work and don’t feel like cooking. I’m also a huge fan of my local grocery store salad bar - it’s quick, easy and healthy.

I think the key to sticking to a diet and exercise plan in your situation is to really sit down and plan ahead. If your schedule changes weekly than try to sit down at the beginning of each week and plan your workouts and food preparation times for the week. Your health is the most important thing and you need to take the time to maintain it.

For more information, check out this post I wrote last year on the subject.