When it comes to dieting, many of us find that a major barrier to success is not having enough time to prepare the right meals and snacks for our dietary needs. It is often much more convenient to throw one thing in the pot for the family or to resort to fast food as a last resort than to prepare a healthy and nutritious meal that we should be eating.
However, there are things you can do to reduce the temptation to skip meals and keep you on track with your dietary needs. The first is a process known as once-a-week cooking. With this method, you can cook enough meals in one day to last you a week. This means you have a diet meal ready for every night of the week. If your whole family is dieting or eating healthier with you, it works in this situation too. Dieting and incorporating healthier eating habits into your whole family's meals is a great way to set an example for your children, keep them motivated and eliminate temptation.
When you cook once a week, you freeze foods that won't be used right away and thaw them in the morning when you eat them, when you get home from work or decide it's time for dinner. This is a process that works well no matter how many football games, dance practices, and band recitals you have on your calendar for the week. You can diet and still make a great meal for your family every night of the week.
You should also make sure your fridge is well stocked with clean and chopped fruits, vegetables and salad ingredients so these meals can easily be considered quick lunches or snacks. Having these foods readily available will help you resist the temptation to snack on higher-calorie prepackaged foods while helping you have a ready supply of fresh fruits and vegetables to help you get your 5 servings a day.
You should also have some conveniently packaged yogurt on hand as a good quick and easy dairy product. Custard Cups are another decent snack for those who need something quick and easy to have on hand. Preparation and planning are essential to successfully meeting your weight loss goals. By prepping as much as possible in advance, you'll never miss the convenience of prepackaged, high-calorie meals and snacks that many of us survive on when we're not dieting.
Another time saver is incorporating fitness opportunities into your day. Instead of one long workout every day, try to find ways to incorporate a little fitness activity into the most mundane parts of your day (taking the stairs for lunch, parking on the top level of the garage and walking down and then up while you return), park further away from the supermarket door and find out if your shopping center has a clearly marked walking path. You will be amazed at the hidden opportunities many of us have to exercise during our busy days. The trick is often in discovering the activities rather than the time.
When all is said and done, dieting may not be as time-consuming as you might think. There are all kinds of prepackaged diet plans out there, but if you think this is the best option for you, this is it. Whether you're going with Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers frozen meals, Jenny Craig, or the Slim Fast program, there are a variety of ways to incorporate diet and fitness into even the busiest of schedules. Be sure to consider the above tips and advice when planning your diet routines.
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