How to Lose Weight If You Don't Have Time to Lose Weight

"I'm just too busy to lose weight!" 

Have you ever thought this? Have you ever said it to a thin friend or coworker?

While it may be hard to lose weight when you're busy, it's still important. So I decided to directly address those people who don't have the time to manage their calorie intake (about 5-10 minutes a day) or exercise (about 20 minutes a day).

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Time (something you think you don't have.)

1. • 1
     Change one thing at a time. As you learn more, you'll lose more.

     All the information, and all the diets, can be overwhelming. But it's really quite simple: Eat less; move more.
   • 2
     
     

     Make fast food a rare treat.
     

     Here's a super-simple primer:

     Calories make you gain weight. Eat fewer calories to lose weight.

     Empty calories fill you up without making you more healthy. Eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables; fewer doughnuts, fries and sodas.
   • 3
     
     

     

     This is the size of a single serving.
     

     Cut your portion sizes.

     Order a small fry instead of a large fry; a small drink instead of a jumbo; a cheeseburger instead of a double-whoopo-burger.

     In many cases, size = calories, and calories are what you want to cut.

     
     

     A regular portion of food should be about the size of a deck of playing cards. WOW! How does that compare to the gigantic portions we're used to?

     In the last half-century, portion sizes have grown, and so have our bellies. When you eat smaller portions regularly, you WILL get used to it.
   • 4
     
     

     

     These plates have the same number of calories.
     

     Educate yourself little by little.

     First you eat fewer calories. Next you'll want to substitute healthy calories for empty calories. If you choose well, you can actually eat more food, and you'll feel fuller.

     If you're eating from a package, turn the package around and read the ingredient list.

     Note the number of calories PER SERVING and the number of servings in the package.

     
     

     Many products have several types of sugar in them.

     Sugar has many names and is hidden in many products. Look at a label; look for corn syrup, Maltodextrin, anything that ends in -ose. Notice that, often, a product has several types of sugar in it. (This hides the actual amount of sugar it contains!)

     
     

     Anything sweet has sugar in it. Sometimes things that aren't sweet have sugar too!
   • 5
     
     

     

     Move at least 20 minutes a day.
     

     Move.

     Yes, you've had a hard day at work, you're tired and the last thing you want to do is go to the gym. So find another way to move.

     Grab some barbells.

     You can exercise anywhere, despite what the ads say. Buy a set of barbells or a resistance band, and exercise in front of your television or computer.

     Play that video game; the one that makes you go "whee!"

     
     

     Do a "Houseworkout."

     So your spouse doesn't believe in vacuuming? More power to you! Grab that vacuum, and start pushing it around. You're doing two things at once: cleaning the house and building muscles.

     
     

     You've heard this before:

     Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Work on the 100th floor? Take the elevator to the 90th and walk the rest.

     Fit exercise in where you can. If an hour at the gym seems daunting, try a few 15 minute workouts throughout the day.
   • 6
     
     

     

     STOP the mindless eating!
     

     Break the munchy habit.

     If you're like most people, after a hard day at work you head for your computer or T.V with a big bowl of ice cream for some wind-down time. And when the ice cream is gone, you come into the kitchen, trolling for snacks. We associate T.V. with eating, we want to come back to it, again and again, and we don't want it to end. It's comforting. Unfortunately, it's also mindless. You probably didn't even taste the ice cream because you were focused on the television, and you might head to the freezer for a second bowl - or even the carton. (Might as well save time, right? Put it directly from the carton to your mouth, and you've got one less bowl to wash.)

     Stop it! That's right, say it. In fact, say it out loud, "STOP IT!" every time you have the urge to get another snack.

     After a while, if you're diligent, you'll stop wasting time wandering into the kitchen because it won't be a habit.
   • 7
     No eating at the sink or fridge, either.

     Practice mindful eating. When you eat, sit down at your kitchen or dining room table. Taste the flavor and the texture of the food. Chew it slowly. Make every meal count.

     Don't eat as you drive, either. If you're really busy, this is a big temptation, but a terrible thing to do! If you must eat on the run, bring healthy food from home and MAKE time to eat it.
   • 8
     
     

     Get those snacks out of your house!

     If they're not there, you can't eat them. This is especially hard to do if the rest of your family is used to a cornucopia of cookies, but it can be done. Be persistent. Instead of sweets, provide fresh fruit, dried fruit, carrot sticks and low-fat popcorn. Watch out for sweet, sticky foods masquerading as healthy foods, (such as granola bars) and limit them as you would limit any sweets.
   • 9
     Get enough sleep.

     Easier said than done, I know. But sleep and food both provide energy, and we often substitute food for the energy we lose by not getting enough sleep.
   • 10
     
     

     

     Your knees hold all your weight. Treat them well.
     

     Are you sure you don't have the time?

     Think about how much time it takes to:

     Manage diabetes every day.

     Moniter your blood pressure.

     Undergo kidney dialysis.

     Put on knee braces.

     Recover from knee surgery.

     Recover from a heart attack.

     Recover from a stroke.

     Sit in your doctor's waiting room to find out why you don't feel well.

     Stand in a pharmacy line waiting for medication for osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, or cancer, or...

     
     

     To put it simply, by taking care of your body, you are adding TIME to your life.

     Spend a little time now, learning how to care for it, or spend more time later, paying doctors to fix what's not working right.

Posted in: Answers