Most people’s lives are jam-packed with commitments. Between work, family, friends and whatever other social functions you may have, the notion that there just “aren’t enough hours in a day” may sound all too familiar to you. As a result of this sort of overloaded schedule, little time may be spared to allow you to focus on yourself, and one possible casualty can be investing enough time into weight loss goals. But fear not. Our Laurel physical therapists are here to show you that it is indeed possible to eat healthy and lose weight, even if you don’t think you have the time.

When it comes to healthy eating, there is no silver bullet that will solve all your problems. It takes careful planning and a dedication to stick with your plan if you truly want to see results. But this can be accomplished with any amount of free time, no matter how little that might be. All it means is that you’ll need to change the way you look at your schedule and approach weight loss. Here are smart strategies to help you keep a healthier diet and lose weight in a hectic world:

Smart weight loss strategies from our Laurel physical therapists

• Play your meals out in advance: this is one of the best examples of investing a small amount of time in advance to save lots of time later; weekends may be just as busy as the rest of the week, but try to slot some time on Saturday or Sunday each week to make a list of all of your meals and stock up on all the ingredients you’ll need for them so you don’t have to worry about it later on
• Keep healthy breakfast foods at work: another easy time saver is to bring in fresh fruits, oatmeal, yogurt, granola and other breakfast foods into work so you have healthy options within reach every day
• Make healthy foods visible: try this on your desk at work as well as at home on the kitchen counter; foods that we see regularly are more likely to get eaten than those that are hidden from sight
• Give healthy frozen meals a try: although most packaged foods get a bad reputation, there are actually quite a few frozen individual and family meals that are healthy options that will save you time come dinner; be sure to check the ingredient list before making any purchases
• Don’t skip meals: this may seem like it would save you time, but it can actually slow down your metabolism and make you more likely to overeat with less healthy options later on

As you can see, there are a number of changes you can make in your weekly schedule to improve your diet that don’t take up a whole lot of time. Start small with these strategies, and then work your way up from there. Also keep in mind that simply improving your diet is not enough to lose weight, and regular exercise is also extremely important. Read our next blog for an alternative approach to exercise that’s ideal for busy schedules. And for any aches or pains you may be dealing with, call us at 301-776-9443 to schedule an appointment at any of our three clinics in Laurel, Hyattsville or Glenn Dale/Bowie, MD today.