In my journey helping my clients change their habits to healthier ones, the concern I always hear is how difficult it is to balance the time this requires and the workday.
Among the arguments that I usually hear are the following: I do not breakfast due to lack of time, I only make two meals because I spend the day in meetings, it is faster to buy something outside, I arrive very tired or tired at home to exercise, I forget to drink water, among others. This can have a negative impact on both your health and your work.
What could be happening to you?
The lack of a healthy life can lie in two fundamental reasons: not having a clear goal, and not knowing how and where to start.
Clear goals as a starting point
In relation to not having a clear goal, you could be asking yourself the following questions: Am I looking to lose weight, or is it better to focus on losing fat percentage? How to increase my concentration? How to improve possible pre-existing health conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, others)? How to increase energy and in turn efficiency in my work? How to reach old age having a healthy and functional body without exhausting myself immediately? or simply how to improve my physical appearance. Having the goal defined is important, because it will allow you to draw up your action plan which will require three fundamental elements on your part: discipline, consistency and patience.
Plan and see the results
The key is in organization and planning. Plan your activities in an agenda with the day and time when you want to perform your daily activities including physical exercise.
I recommend that you include:
- Purchases of your food: You can use, for example, Saturday for this with a previous list of what you want to eat during the week.
- Planning your meals: You can use one or two days of the week to cook. Make sure to include in your meals several proteins so that you do not get bored for example chicken, turkey, beef, seafood etc. As for carbohydrates, you can include rice, quinoa, potatoes, vegetables among others. Make your breakfast, lunch or lunch and dinner schedule and include the amount of water you should drink.
- Time to exercise: Set aside time to exercise by doing a physical activity that you like, respect that time for yourself and enjoy it. Avoid choosing a time that you know you will not be able to fulfill it or that you could be tired, for example, if you are not an active person in the morning or as it is known in English “morning person”, the morning will not be your time!
For this, you can use apps on your phone that help you remember the agenda. Start by setting off the alarm on your phone to help create habit and discipline.
Go ahead and start today
Start your lifestyle change with small adjustments in your diet, learning to identify and change habits that do not contribute to maintaining a healthy life. Remember that healthy eating and physical activity will be the key to success.
The path to healthy living starts slowly; Be consistent and fall in love with the process. Surround yourself with people pursuing similar goals.
Finally, be disciplined; as my jujitsu Sensei always told me: “Discipline is doing the right thing, even if you don’t like it”! Invest time in your health now, and you’ll have a better work-life balance!
See you soon!
Triana Bodden
PT NSCA Certified
