Busy lifestyles and hectic schedules are among the topmost excuses for people for not working out. As we rush from one meeting to the other, struggle to meet deadlines, and try to prove ourselves in the competitive professional world, we often end up neglect our health and fitness. But, it doesn’t have to be this way – a full-time job shouldn’t be a roadblock to weight loss.
How to Lose Weight When You Have a Busy Lifestyle – 3 Simple Tips to Start Your Weight Loss Journey
We know how difficult it is for most working people, particularly those in the corporate sector, to squeeze hour-long workouts in their daily routine. Therefore, we have some simple and practical tips to help you shed those extra pounds that you may have gained due to a sedentary lifestyle:
- Change Your All-Or-Nothing Mindset
Are you one of those people who think they have to spend at least an hour at the gym every day and eat a low-calorie diet to lose weight? Do you believe that losing weight is impossible otherwise? If yes, then your mindset is the first thing you need to change before changing anything else.
Keep in mind that it is ideal to do it all. However, if you’re unable to work out every day and eat a healthy diet all the time, this doesn’t mean you should simply give up everything. Just because you couldn’t go to the gym today doesn’t mean you can order a double cheeseburger for dinner. You should do the opposite – eat an even healthier meal or a smaller portion to balance things out.
The first step to developing a healthy lifestyle is to understand that it’s a combination of small things. If you miss out on one thing, try to balance it with the others instead of letting it all go and have a bad day where you let your discipline go just because you deviated from the set diet.
- Make Conscious (Healthier) Food Choices
Eating more fiber and protein, reducing carbs and fat intake, giving up on empty calories – we all know the basics of healthy eating. Despite that, we often end up making the wrong food choices. Sometimes it happens due to our lack of knowledge, whereas sometimes they are the result of our neglect.
Just because it says ‘high-fiber and zero sugar’ on the packet of your favorite cereal doesn’t mean it is healthy. More often than not, packaged and processed foods are packed with hidden calories and unhealthy; some even have harmful ingredients, and many people continue to consume them without realizing it. Develop the habit of checking the labels carefully to make sure the item you’re buying is healthy.
Another helpful tip for avoiding some extra calories and unhealthy ingredients is to practice simple and small food swaps. Skip (or gradually reduce) sugar in your tea or coffee, switch soda with water, order a burger without cheese, or eat more salad if you’ve to dine out with friends or clients. These dietary changes may seem very small and may not make any considerable difference on their own. However, they can help reduce your caloric intake significantly over a month or a year.
- Have Healthy Snacks and Emergency Foods at Both Office and Home
One of the major reasons why many working people find it hard to stick to a healthy diet is that they don’t have healthy options available at all times. Eating a packet of chips or cookies is the easiest way to curb those mid-morning hunger pangs at the office, and those frozen packaged foods seem to be a life-saver when you come home after a long and tiring day at work.
The best way to overcome these pitfalls is to stock up on healthy food supplies and meal prep. Make some healthy foods, like soups and stir-frys, and freeze them for those days when you’re too tired to even complete your half-cooked meals. Lastly, make sure to have some healthy, non-perishable items in your office desk, like seeds and nuts or organic peanut butter. You can also carry a fresh fruit or boiled egg with you every day as a mid-morning snack. There are a lot of weight loss tips and tricks, and these three are the easiest to practice for busy people. You’ll see a huge difference over time when you follow these tips. They will also help you get started with your weight loss journey, and you can always build-up on these and continue to bring more changes in your life once you’re used to these.