As a personal trainer and weight loss coach, I’ve been teaching people to develop better habits and help them achieve a healthy weight for almost 15 years.
My first success story was my own: I’ve grown from 25 pounds overweight, plagued by anxiety and insomnia, and a life of soda, chips, and desserts, to a healthy relationship with food, a regular exercise program, and yoga and meditation practice that calms my mind Ghost. Establishing these habits initially took a long time. But over the years I have perfected them and created countless abbreviations not only for myself but also for my customers.
Many people think that making your health a priority is time consuming. I thought so too! But the small changes we make can really have a big impact. Here are some of my diet, fitness, and mental health tricks to help you prioritize your health without disrupting your daily routine.
1. Cook for a crowd – even if you eat alone
As many of us learned during the pandemic, preparing homemade meals on a daily basis can quickly become exhausting. It’s unrealistic to assume that you can (or want to!) Prepare three nutritious meals a day. Because of this, I recommend cooking a few extra servings every time you take the time to prepare a meal to get the most bang for your buck.
If you are worried that you are tired of eating the same thing, don’t! There are many ways to reuse ingredients to prepare different meals. Combine fried vegetables with grilled chicken one evening and salmon the next; enjoy beans over a whole grain for dinner and the next morning in a breakfast burrito; or make a large amount of quinoa or brown rice and enjoy various protein and vegetable combinations throughout the week.
Taking an hour on Monday to cook dinner doesn’t seem so daunting when you get multiple meals out of it. This makes a healthy diet easier for you and saves you time in the long run.
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2. Plan your workouts for the week in advance
This tip seems simple, but it makes all the difference. With everything we have, it won’t happen if it’s not on the calendar!
Treat your workout like a meeting at work or a doctor’s appointment and give it its own place on your calendar. Yes, you should create an appointment in your phone’s Calendar app – and add it to your Outlook calendar too! This makes this time non-negotiable, and seeing it visually blocked will encourage you to hold on and not push yourself off the schedule with other commitments or tasks.
I also suggest planning what each workout will be, whether you are going for a walk, doing a weight training session, or taking a virtual training class. This saves you the time and mental stress of choosing a workout on the day of your workout. You can just lace up your sneakers and off you go!
3. Be frozen
Chopping up fruits and vegetables can become a chore, making it more likely that you’ll skip them for the easily accessible bag of chips.
Consumption of frozen fruits and vegetables has been linked to higher product intake, which is not surprising! Because frozen products are easier to buy, have a longer shelf life and reduce prep time, this helps to increase the total amount of products we eat.
I recommend using frozen fruit in smoothies, stirring them into oatmeal, or adding them to your water for a flavor boost. Frozen vegetables are always stored in my freezer. Spinach has no taste in smoothies or sauces. I always add 1 cup of frozen vegetables to my daily smoothie to pack in an extra serving of vegetables. For dinner, there’s nothing easier than heating frozen, pre-chopped vegetables in a pan and combining them with a lean protein or whole grain.
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4. Prepare a meal on Sundays and make a film
One of the biggest barriers to eating healthy is time. Buying, chopping, and cooking fresh produce can often take up time that we don’t have. The best solution to this problem is to pre-chop all of your vegetables so they can grab and go all week. But I understand that spending precious weekend time preparing meals doesn’t sound so attractive.
So why not combine it with activities you enjoy and turn it into a fun ritual? Pour yourself a glass of wine or a cup of your favorite tea, pick out a movie you’ve always wanted to see, or press the play button on your latest Netflix obsession and chop while you watch.
Not only do you have a relaxed “me” time to end the week, but you also prepare for a healthier week. Pre-chopped vegetables are super easy to throw together for making a salad, steaming, baking, enjoying with lean protein, or eating them raw!
5. Combine cardio and strength training into one
You only have 30 minutes: should you spend your time lifting weights or running? I used to struggle to choose between cardio and strength training. A lot of my clients want to burn calories and increase their heart rate, but they also want to strengthen their muscles and they have a limited amount of time. That’s why I recommend combining the two workouts into one.
By choosing activities that include both strength and cardio training, you will save time and get a well-rounded workout that delivers results.
For example, do a light weight speed walk to increase your heart rate, improve endurance, and exercise your arms as well (throw in some weighted squats and lunges too!). HIIT workouts that include bodyweight strength exercises like squats and planks are also a great way to get your heart rate up while toning and strengthening at the same time.
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6. Leave yourself love notes
Every week I create a new mantra for myself. This is written on a piece of paper and placed on my bathroom mirror. When I used to look at myself in the mirror, the chatter of negative self-talk was hard to stop. I would often say something critical or significant to myself like, “Why did you gain weight?” or “What’s wrong with you?” Can you understand Many of my weight loss clients struggle with their relationship with themselves and how they talk to themselves.
This cycle can be difficult to break, so I encourage people to practice positive self-talk by writing small notes on themselves. With no extra time or mental effort, you’ll notice the notes and get that much-needed boost of positivity and a quick change in mindset.
I still put the sticky notes in the foreground, even now after all these years. Write things like, “I’m in control of my food choices!” or “My body is strong!” or even “Peace” helps me to talk more kindly to myself and to accept my body where it is.
7. Exercise in the bathroom and kitchen
I love to incorporate exercise into other parts of my routine – not just reserve time for “training”. When I’m getting ready in the bathroom or by the stove cooking dinner, I squeeze a few exercises. Over the course of a day, these brief bursts of activity can really add up!
While waiting for the shower to warm up, do 10 incline pushups with your sink to work on your core and upper body strength. Perform a wall seat while brushing your teeth to train leg strength. Let yourself fall on a plank while you wait in the morning for your coffee to be brewed. While stirring a saucepan on the stove, do some calf raises. There are so many movements that you can incorporate into your everyday life that will give you more energy while also allowing you to use your time more efficiently.
