Whether it is a demanding project at work, a big move, a busy family schedule or life changes in general, life tends to get very busy. During these busy times we tend to focus on meeting the deadlines and daily tasks while everything else gets put on the back burner. For many of us, that includes our weight and health goals. However, neglecting your health priorities in busy times can cause regret and difficulties when you try to return to them once the hectic period ends.
It’s important to be at your best, especially when you have a hectic schedule. A lack of priority on your health and diet can cause fatigue and prevent you from making progress towards your goals. Here are five practical tips to help you remain on track when life gets busy.
1. Make a Plan
If you want to have time for yourself when busy, you will need to create it. This requires planning. Planning helps you manage a busy schedule in a more organized way, as well as stick to the protocol and lose weight.
At the end or beginning of every week write down all the important things you have going on for the week ahead (these may include appointments, meetings, plans you have with friends or family, or personal or work deadlines). By doing this, you will be able to plan out how many meals you have to cook at home, what recipes and foods you will need for the week, when you may have to eat out, and when you will have to pack extra snacks due to your busy schedule or being on the road. This preparation is key for success.
While you don’t have to plan for everything you’ll eat, knowing what meals and snacks you will need for the week makes shopping, cooking, and eating healthy a lot easier.
Use your day off to make a rough meal plan for the entire week, so you will be prepared for when your hectic schedule begins. Studies have indicated that planning your meals ahead of time promotes healthy eating and that those who plan their meals beforehand are much more likely to stay on track with a diet.
Create a Shopping List
Once you have an idea of what your week will look like, make a list of foods you need to buy. Creating a list will make grocery shopping easier, faster and help you remember all the essential items. In fact, there’s a study suggesting the need for a list, where researchers found a link between shopping with a list and eating a healthier diet.
Shop Once a Week
In addition to stocking up your freezer and pantry, it’s also important to have fresh food in your fridge. When you are busy, plan at least a big grocery shopping trip every week so that you always have fresh veggies, lean proteins, and other protocol approved foods in your home.
Shop with a list to remember everything you need, and make sure to buy enough to last for the whole week. When you do this regularly, you will be able to know how much to buy until your next shopping trip.
2. Meal Prep
After you have stocked your fridge, freezer, and pantry, the next step is to create time for meal prep every week. For example, you can use your day off to cook food in large batches, cut and peel veggies to eat as snacks, roast vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli, and prepare proteins you plan to eat. Having prepped produce in your fridge makes meals throughout the course of the week less laborious.
Meal prepping can save you time, reduce stress around mealtimes, and keep you on track toward achieving a healthy weight. It is very common among people with a busy lifestyle, as it helps them spend less time and money on cooking. As an Ideal Protein dieter, preparing your meals in advance can help you lose more pounds, reduce boredom, and keep you on the path to achieving your Phase 1 weight goals.
Cooking your meals ahead of time will also help you eat the correct portion sizes and allow you to meet your daily nutrition goals. Lastly, it will prevent you from making unhealthy food choices when you are feeling stressed or lack the energy to cook. You also get to enjoy more delicious and nutritious meals over time since meal prepping requires deciding what to eat in advance.
Stock Up On Easy Foods
While whole foods may be less expensive, they are going to take more time to prepare. And time is something you cannot afford to lose when busy.
Going for pre-cut veggies, pre-marinated salmon filets, rotisserie chicken, veggie platters, and pre-spiralized veggie noodles can save you plenty of time during the week and help you make healthy food choices.
Prepare Your Own Freezer Meal
One great thing about freezer meals is that they have a long shelf life, so you can make them in advance without worrying about them getting spoiled. This can be particularly helpful if you are only making meals for yourself. You may not be able to finish everything you cook, and you don’t want your food to waste.
Buy a Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
Including at least one instant pot or slow cooker recipe in your meal plan can save you plenty of time during the week. You can make a large batch at a time, and little prep time is required.
Buy Storage Containers
While packing your own lunch may appear time-consuming, it can actually be easier than buying food outside if you do a little prep work beforehand. Purchase glass storage containers where you can keep salads and leftover foods – it is much better to microwave food in glass containers than in plastic containers.– it will save you more money and is more environment friendly than purchasing single-serve bags
3. Have an Organized List of Recipes
Having a collection of go to recipes will help create more space in your day. For instance, you may want to keep one list for breakfasts that can be made ahead, another for your sheet-pan meals, and another one for slow-cooker dinners.
Since you probably don’t have much time to spare, you need to ensure that you don’t include any recipes with a cooking time of more than 30 minutes in your meal plan(except it’s a slow-cooker recipe).
4. Have a Plan For Eating Out
There is nothing wrong with eating out on occasion – it is, in fact, a fun and an essential part of life. Eating at restaurants and going to social events doesn’t have to stop you from sticking to your healthy eating habits.
The important thing here is to make plans ahead of time. If you would be eating out at a restaurant, try to check their menu in advance and determine what items are allowed on the Ideal Protein diet protocol and how you would like it to be made, .e.g., salad with no cheese, burgers wrapped in lettuce, etc.
Also, be conscious of your food choices at parties because it’s easy to collect food as it’s passed around and not even remember what you have eaten. Pay attention to your hunger cues when in an event to know how much food you have consumed.
5. Set Reminders
It can take some time to get used to a new habit. So, we suggest creating alarms or reminders on your mobile phone to help you remain on track.
Whether you need to be reminded to eat or prep meals for the following day, you need to look for a way to assist yourself so that you don’t go back to your old, unhealthy eating habits.
Take Away
Life can get busy. What you need to pay attention to is sticking to your diet goals. Being able to stay on a diet and lose weight amidst a busy schedule also shows your perseverance. However, this requires solid planning and proper guidance.
Our coaches offer their vast experience, insight and support to help you overcome any obstacle and achieve your desired weight loss goals. Set up a complimentary consultation to learn more.
