You work hard. You take care of other people. You are always busy.
What about yourself?
Where's your ME time?
Sometimes it is not even about making or finding time.
It can be hard to even think about yourself when you are exhausted from everyday, life to-do's.
Are you still carrying along the same excuses that you have been telling yourself week after week, month after month, year after year.
Too busy to shop, too busy to cook, too busy to meal prep, too busy to eat.
Too busy to shop, too busy to cook, too busy to meal prep, too busy to eat.
I bet if you had more time, you would find a way to fill that time in with more stuff that would keep you "too busy".
When it comes to your health, nothing could be more important than making time to nourish your body throughout the day. From the moment you get up to when you lay down to sleep, you should not find yourself pushing your meals and snacks to the side just because you are too busy, too tired, too exhausted or too ______ (insert your typical reason to not make your nutrition/diet a priority).
Although there are times when a call runs over, a meeting gets postponed and something comes up and I find myself with no or little time to eat lunch or a planned snack, I don't like how this makes me feel. Not only have I not made time for myself but I can't do my work properly because I am hungry and I need nourishment and energy.
Meal time is a special time for me.
I like to step away from what I am doing (work) and think about nothing more than what is going inside my body. I like to yum when I eat.
Meal time is my reboot.
No matter what time of the day, I feel even better after I eat, than before because the food that I put into my body serves a greater purpose than just being calories, fat, carbs and protein.
I like to step away from what I am doing (work) and think about nothing more than what is going inside my body. I like to yum when I eat.
Meal time is my reboot.
No matter what time of the day, I feel even better after I eat, than before because the food that I put into my body serves a greater purpose than just being calories, fat, carbs and protein.
Meal time is so important to me that I plan it into my day. Just like a phone call with an athlete, my workout or the time needed to write a training plan or an article....there is time to eat.
Here are a few tips to make sure you are making time to nourish and fuel your body:
1. Set aside time in your day when you will eat. Allow as much time as possible so that you are not rushed. Try to make this time behind a table with minimal distractions, rather than behind a wheel or computer screen.
2. Plan ahead. If healthy options are not available, you can't eat healthy. And if you are starved, rushed or hangry, you are not going to plan, cook or eat what you know you should be eating. Planning and food prep may take time but in the big picture, it really does save you time. Waiting for food, driving somewhere to eat (or pick up food) or cooking/chopping one or two items at a time, is time consuming (and sometimes costly). Plan your meals and your snacks ahead of time and know that things will come up, so try to plan for those oh-no moments too.
3. Create an eating schedule that works for you. We all know that life changes and it is nearly impossible to eat at the same time every day. But if you find yourself getting biologically hungry at certain times of the day, do something about it - EAT. Figure out the best times in your day that work for you to eat your meal(s) and snacks. Don't be a clock watcher when it comes to eating. Odds are if you skip a snack or push back a meal, you will likely overeat later in the day.
4. Give yourself a little extra time in your day to plan for a better tomorrow. Any time you make a change, you need time to adjust to the change. It may seem like packing your lunch the night before work may seem tedious and time consuming but overtime, you will knock it out in less than 5 minutes. Create a good food environment to help you out and consider a few life hacks to make meal prep less overwhelming.
5. Inspire others. It's very common that people feel guilty or embarrassed when they have ME time. As if it is selfish to take care of yourself. I'm not sure why people feel this way because you can't be good at taking care of others (or doing your job well at work or at home) if you let your own health decline. Be a role model for others. If anything, impress yourself. Without being pushy or lecturing, use your actions to show others that making time for yourself is actually making yourself a better person.