So here we are again, the week has begun. Some may find that weekdays are easy and others may find them harder than weekend. It depends on your work schedule and work environment but typically when you are in your home, you have full control and when you are at work, some of that control gets taken from you. If you prepare yourself for your week, in advance, things are easier but there are still those temptations, right!? It is important to learn how to stay on track and eat healthy whether it is a weekend or weekday, regardless of your environment. Remember there are tools that can be utilized to keep you on track and at the end of the day, YOU are the one in control of your choices.
A small amount of knowledge and taking time to plan will go a long way, when it comes to eating healthy during the crazy workweek. We have fast food on nearly every other street corner and when you are in a hurry and starving, sometimes it is easy to drive through than to drive on. If you forget your meals, you may find that you don’t have an option to go out and grab something. This is why preparation is so important. Taking a little bit of time each evening to plan for your day ahead will keep you out of the drive through line and in line with your progress.
The first thing that we need to do is understand that we are the ones in control of our lives, our choices and what it is we want to accomplish. Having a positive outlook and knowing where you are headed gives us direction and goal. Having this known vision is going to help you reach your goals. If you envision what it is you want, be sure that your decisions are inline with this vision and you cannot go wrong. When you think of your goals, do you see opportunities or obstacles? When you think about reaching your fitness goals, do you find yourself feeling deprived and seeing all the things you cannot have rather than the opportunities that lie ahead? Understand that you are creating a healthy lifestyle for yourself and not forcing yourself to follow a “diet”. Your journey should be enjoyable and your outlook is what shapes your journey!
So the question becomes, how do we eat healthier during the week when you’re always on the run or you only have 20-minute breaks and you have limited access to healthy foods? Start by preparing your foods, in bulk, on Sunday. Make your lean proteins and complex carbs in advance so all you have to do is portion them out the night before and pack your bags. You can even take it a step further and pre portion your meals all on Sunday but for refrigerator space, the night before tends to workout just as well. Now, all you need to do is have some fresh fruit and sliced vegetables on hand and you are good to go. It may take some time to prepare but once you invest those few quality hours of your time on Sunday, everything is so much easier. A little planning and preparation will go a long way when it comes to eating healthy.
If you don’t think you have time to prepare your meals on the weekend, sit back and evaluate how you’re spending your time. Can you really not find a few hours to invest into your cooking? If the answer is NO, you should re-evaluate your goals and how bad you want them…
Don’t let the snack attacks ruin your health either. Many people eat out of boredom or because others are eating and sometimes they eat because of depression. When you wish to snack, pick healthy snack options like fresh fruit and vegetables or some of the quality protein bars available, such as our favorite Quest Bars.
Make sure that you read food labels and understand what is in the products you purchase. Many labels can be misleading saying they are non-fat, low fat, low calorie, high fiber, etc. Take a look at the label and, just as important, the serving size. Sometimes the serving size listed is the size of a pea! That’s how they get by with saying its low fat or no fat.
If you want to start out the year right and each week out with a bang, start by taking the time to prepare your meals, in advance. A small amount of time invested in the kitchen will help you along your journey towards your ultimate fitness goals!
