It’s no secret that I started on my health journey about five years ago and I will be the first to admit that staying on track with a new way of eating, and overall living, isn’t always easy. That’s why this week on the blog, I’ve shared my top secrets to staying on track with a healthy lifestyle when you’re busy, as I think this is when most of us become unstuck. Life gets in the way and our health takes a backseat. Although these tips do help, I think the number one secret for me is self-compassion. By self-compassion, I mean not being too hard on yourself if you fall off the wagon or have a ‘bad’ day or week. Admit to yourself that no one is perfect, move on and focus on the choices you make going forward as they are the important ones, not the ones you made in the past.
It’s always easy to commit to a healthy lifestyle change, but then things can unravel as soon as you have a busy or bad week, and it’s only natural for this to happen. Today I wanted to share some secrets that have helped me keep on track with a healthy lifestyle as a busy working mum. Just remember – nobody is perfect, but it’s perfectly normal to fall off the wagon now and again.
1) Keep your fridge and pantry well-stocked.
It seems so simple, but you are more likely to eat healthy when you only have good food around! By keeping some simple, but healthy snacks on hand, you will be more likely to make better choices. Celery or carrot and hummus, bliss balls or homemade veggie chips make great snacks to keep around to quickly grab and eat on the go when you’re busy
2) Get Online
For some reason, I find it always takes longer than I expect when heading to the shops ‘quickly’. Most large supermarkets now offer an online service for you to order and pick-up your groceries or have them delivered. This is such a time saver, than having to wrangle a toddler while doing your food shopping. You also end up with less in your basket, as you don’t end up going passed all those items you really don’t need – saving you money too!
3) Do Some Planning.
It may seem annoying to some, but planning out your meals for the week ot only helps with your food shopping but will also keep you on track with your healthy lifestyle. If you know Wednesday’s are a busy day you can plan to have leftovers from the night before, plan a really simple meal, or use your slow cooker that morning so you have something ready when you finally do make it home. Stationery shops have some great meal planners – or you can find one in my eBook too!
4) Stay Hydrated.
Keeping water on you throughout the day can help curb cravings and keep you full. Sometimes we think we’re hungry when really we are a little dehydrated and water will help that feeling go away. Make sure you keep a water bottle on hand throughout the day when you’re busy and ensure you are drinking enough to keep cravings at bay.
By,
Amy Innes founder of Healthy belly happy mind
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