Losing weight is not easy, and a lot of things can get in your way. Those with a busy lifestyle, for example juggling work and having kids, will often find it hard to lose weight, as they simply don’t have the time to prep healthy meals or go to the gym. While being busy can make weight loss harder, it’s not necessarily impossible, so here are some weight loss tips for those with a hectic lifestyle.
Make time for yourself
If you are juggling lots of different priorities and feeling stressed, it’s important to make some time for yourself if possible, so you can focus on your weight loss journey. It’s worth remembering that suffering from stress can cause weight gain, so a calmer life could help with weight loss. Make a schedule and see where you can cut back, whether it’s taking on less overtime or working from home more often, so you can create a less stressful life for yourself.
Set yourself a healthy goal
As a busy mom, you may not be able to hit the gym that often, and your progress may not be as fast as others, so it’s important to set yourself a realistic, healthy goal. Doctors recommend losing 1-2lbs a week when you diet, which is the safest, most sustainable way to reach your goal. While you may think this sounds too slow, in a year you could potentially lose 50-100lbs, which is a huge difference. Think long term and don’t be too hard on yourself.
Try a meal replacement plan
A meal replacement plan can be good for those with a busy lifestyle. You choose a plan to follow, then simply replace your usual meals with shakes, bars or pouches. It’s important to read up on how to use diet shakes successfully before you begin, to ensure you get the most from the plan and proper nutrition throughout.
There are several reasons why meal replacements are great for busy people:
- Each meal replacement is calorie counted and portioned out, so there’s no need for weighing or measuring
- It’s easy to grab something on the go
- You don’t have to shop for ingredients or make meal plans
- If you go on a low-calorie diet using these plans, you are still getting the vitamins and nutrients you need
It’s worth remembering, there are different ways to use meal replacements nowadays. You can either replace all meals and do a very low calorie diet for a short period, have two meal replacements and an evening meal with the family, or even follow something like 5:2, so do two days on the diet, then five days of sensible eating each week.
Identify where you might be taking on excess calories
Noticed your weight creeping up slowly lately? While you might generally have a healthy diet, it’s easy to sneak calories into your day without even noticing. Cut these out, and you may find the weight comes off easier. Some common offenders include condiments, salad dressings, juice and sodas.
Busy people will often down coffee to get through the day, but this can also be a major source of calories, especially if you’re getting coffee on the go. An espresso or black Americano has small amounts of calories, but some coffees from major chains can have up to a 1,000 calories, especially the ones released around the holidays with flavored syrups and whipped cream. Simply switching to a different type of coffee could help with weight loss.
Exercise on the go
While some people like going to the gym and find it provides stress relief, if you are busy, you may not want to spend your spare time on a cross trainer. It’s perfectly possible to do a full exercise regime at home. If you currently don’t do any exercise, start off with something simple like walking. If you can get up to 10k steps a day, this will help with your weight loss, and if you have a young baby, they’ll love being pushed in a buggy on your route. Plenty of YouTubers offer workout routines, which you can do whenever you have a free hour and allows you to try lots of different things.
Being busy doesn’t have to stop you from following a weight loss plan. A lot of people lead busy lives, which is why there are more options for flexible diets and exercise that fits in with a packed schedule. All you need to do is choose the ones that are right for you.
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