Weight Loss For Busy People

Busy people do not have time to concentrate on weight loss. It is a serious and understandable problem. Work schedules have not gotten lighter in the last decade. In fact people are working more. This leads to more eating on the run, drive thru dinners, and a lot of vending machine snacking.

The biggest problem with eating on the run is that the food choices are processed and put in a wrapper so its shelf life lasts for years. Their nutritional content wins the weight gain award. Fast food restaurants offer cheap food fast, which is handy when the work day is long, however, the offerings are high in calories and leave you hungry shortly thereafter.

Busy people also do not have the time to exercise adequately, so they are not only burdened by the fast food dilemma, they are accumulating unburned calories. It is a double edged sword that puts any kind of healthy decision making on the back burner.

Many work sites are now instituting wellness programs because healthy workers are more productive and cost less to the employer. Besides being a profit motive for companies, it can be a useful perk to employees who are given access to fitness rooms, on-site physician check ups, and even healthier food choices in the company cafeteria.

Whether or not your work place has a wellness program, your own interest in weight loss will empower you to look carefully at ways you can incorporate better habits that allow you to flourish in your career. The confidence you can gain by succeeding at a weight maintenance plan will carry over into other areas of your life, as well.

Busy people often do not want to think about their weight issue. This is to be expected. It is not a fun topic and procrastination is a natural reaction. That is why starting slowly is the first step. Allowing yourself time to ease into a weight loss plan will not overwhelm you.

The next step is to prioritize the areas of weakness, for example:
Eating out
Eating at work
Not cooking at home
Not anticipating schedule changes that temp you to skip meals

Choosing one or two of the less severe offenses and working on improving them are slow, baby step changes that can be made without being disruptive to daily activities.

Overeating unhealthy foods is the quickest way to put on the pounds. Busy people do not realize how much they actually eat. Another easy to implement practice is to eat only 80% of a meal or snack. Without having to measure food portions, just a simple visual approximation is all it takes. Especially with beverages, this can make quite a difference without feeling deprived.

Planning ahead for last minute events takes a little more work, but the payoff is great such as keeping a supply of healthy snacks in the car when a meeting location has changed or a child needs to be dropped off at band practice.

Taking short walk breaks is a simple activity to implement. Exercise can be spread out through the day. Two hours at the gym is not necessary to receive the benefits of exercise. Walking provides a good mental break and a way to curb cravings.

These suggestions do not have to be complicated. A few small changes create success so more successes can follow.

Lisa Ann Homic, M.Ed. D.C. owns Homic Advanced Chiropractic in Auburn, NY. In addition to providing chiropractic care she is a wellness coach and launched the Numbers Dont Lie Diet Program. More information can be found at http://www.CreatePurpose.com