Do you agree with this statement? “I have difficulty following healthy lifestyle while juggling work and a social life. It’s so much on my plate and sometimes I become unmotivated in achieving my weight loss goals.”
If so, join the 99.9999% of women who also agree.
Many of us that set weight loss goals will follow through for a couple of weeks, go through hardships, see no progress, and fail to continue.
Prioritizing weight management in this day and age can be hard with commitments at work and home. We simply live in a very fast paced society with many convenient but unhealthy options.
We have to realize that our health is equally important to all other aspects of our lives. After all, without your health, you won’t be able to manage all of your responsibilities. While we certainly cannot expect society to change to accommodate us, we can try to change what is in our power. Here are five tips that you can use to achieve better weight loss on a busy schedule:
1. Keep a realistic schedule
The problem is that many of us want to lose weight as fast as possible with as little effort as possible. Of course – that’d be amazing!
We often begin scheduling all of our events around a weight loss plan but when this fails, seek no alternative. The best alternative is to instead incorporate meal planning and physical activity as a part of your schedule instead of just making everything else revolve around it. Similar to how you have a schedule for work and other activities, schedule in exercise, meals, and food prep. With thoughtful scheduling, you are more likely to achieve success in your weight loss journey. Don’t be afraid to double book a little. Multi-tasking can help fit your weight loss plan into your lifestyle when you are really busy. Here are some ideas of what you can include in your schedule:
- Resistance exercise while watching Netflix
- Taking the dog for a longer walk
- Meal prepping while catching up with an old friend
- Planning meals for the week with a family member
- Grocery shopping while out at the mall
- A game of soccer at the park with your kids
2. Be SMARTer with your goals
You can’t manage what you don’t measure but it’s important to set SMART goals as you move along in your weight loss journey.
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding, and Timely.
It is important that your SMART goals are behaviour specific and not outcome specific.
For example “I will meal-prep on Sundays at least 2 times before the end of this month” is way SMARTer than setting goals like, “I will lose 5lbs by the end of the month”.
Setting outcome specific goals can lead to disappointment and decreased weight loss success. However, setting behaviour specific goals at worst can lead to more awareness, and at best, can lead to improved confidence and weight loss success.
A suggestion: set goals that you’re 90% sure that you can achieve. It is a good idea to start small when setting goals. For example, choose to increase your step count by 500-1,000 steps rather than 5,000 steps a day.
3. Keep things exciting
It is best to see weight loss as a positive aspect in your life instead of dreading the feeling of eating just another “boring” meal or working out just to burn calories. Exciting activities are FAR more motivating.
To better embrace your plan try to make meal time enjoyable by trying healthier versions of the foods that you already enjoy. Sometimes it is as simple as choosing the lower fat options for cuts of meat or dairy, or trying to use novel appliances like air fryers or instapots to maximize the convenience without compromising on health. If time permits, you can also try a new recipe for foods that you might be getting a bit bored of. Give a new cuisine a try, buy a new ingredient, or put on your favourite playlist while you cook.
For exercise, choose activities that you enjoy. You don’t always have to use the traditional means of getting cardio and resistance. Look for activities that you think are enjoyable and that happen to also promote cardiovascular fitness and strength. For some people that might be hiking or swimming, for others that might be rock climbing. We personally love archery tag, axe throwing and water polo!
4. Setbacks are a part of the process
Any weight loss journey will have setbacks – don’t take it as a personal failure. Acknowledge the small setbacks and instead of shaming yourself consider reflecting on the behaviour itself. Analyze the before, during, and after of the event. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself:
- How was today any different than the days that I didn’t do this behaviour?
- How did I feel before, during, and after this behaviour?
- What might I do better next time to prevent or better manage this behaviour?
Ate way more cheese than anticipated at that social event? It’s okay but don’t dwell too long on it as it can negatively impact your motivation.
5. Take time to get rest
Burnout is real: preventing it can be difficult if work-life balance is totally unbalanced.
Rest and sleep are underrated when it comes to weight loss. When we don’t rest enough, our stress hormones increase, leading to hunger pangs and decreasing energy levels. By prioritizing time to destress, we are indirectly managing appetite and improving energy levels. So take a moment to meditate, read a book, do some yoga, or watch your favourite movie or go to bed early. Your body will thank you later.
Bottom line
Weight loss has a big mental component – if you are having difficulty balancing your life responsibility, it can seriously reduce the chances of meeting your health goals. Take the time to review where you can rebalance, and where you can’t, then plan your weight loss around those areas.
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