Disorganization can make it very difficult to stick with a weight-loss plan. The more organized your life is, the more apt you are to reach your weight-loss goals. For the busy lady who is overweight and desires to take off the extra pounds, no matter how good her intensions are, putting your diet and activity on sudden overhaul might not be the best first step.
Although losing weight requires motivation, determination and will power…as well as altering eating and exercise habits, the most important task to do is to get organized. In order to plan and prep healthy meals and also get to the gym, ladies we must have an organized schedule to fit it all in. For those who are chronically disorganized, establishing a more orderly lifestyle will definitely be the best first step toward changing habits in all of these areas. Ladies, I know we all are very busy with “life”, but be assured that by spending a small amount of time getting more organized before initiating your weight-loss journey, will be proven that weight comes off more easily. Here are some ways to create a calmer life to support your weight-loss efforts.
Treat your workouts like any other appointment: Pick a specific time each week and put your workout time and day on your on-going calendar.
Plan meals and grocery shopping for cooking once a week: Every week, look at your schedule for the following week and plan a day that you can just cook dinner for the week, preferably Sunday or Monday. Be proactive, not reactive. Don’t get caught offguard without your bag lunch because you got up late and didn’t have time to make your celery and tomato sandwich. If you have a tendency to hit the vending machine in the afternoon, stock your desk with healthy, high fiber snack bars.
Plan ahead so you can establish a reasonable bed time routine: Think about it, bags of chips, ½ gallons of ice cream, cookies, etc are, by far, the best after hour treats. How many times have you grabbed a snack while you watched that late night Netflix flick? Just think if you are in the bed at a reasonable time, there is no opportunity for the extra calories.
Organize your living environment: There is absolutely no doubt that living or working in a chaotic environment is extremely stressful. Every object needs to have a home. If you can’t find your keys, that can make you late for the morning gym, which in turn can make you late for work. When closets and drawers are in disarray, it is difficult to find your workout clothes and workout shoes.
Organize your kitchen with healthy ingredients and convenient cooking tools. If your kitchen is so “outta control” that your stress level soars when you think of organizing it, never fear…just tell yourself you are going to “eat an elephant”. How do you do that, you ask? ONE BITE AT A TIME! Start with the corner that challenges you most and clean for 15 minutes then take a break and do something that you desire. Go back and work 15 more minutes and repeat the cycle.
Busy ladies, once you spend a few weeks organizing your home and car you then will be able to make your calendar appointments at the gym and be on time. Explore and identify which areas of your life could have the biggest impact if they were a little more organized. Start eating your elephant at that place and take one bite at a time.