Let’s be honest, you guys. When it comes to eating healthy and staying active, the struggle is real. Especially for those of us who have busy schedules. To help you understand where I’m coming from, a typical day for me (M-F) looks like this:
6:15 AM: Alarm goes off….
6:35 AM: I actually get out of bed (after hitting snooze at least 3 times)
6:40 AM: Spend time in prayer/reading the bible (unless I hit snooze 3 more times, which to be honest, has happened more than I want to admit)
7:00 AM: Get in the shower & get ready for work
7:45 AM: Leave for work
8:30 AM (on a good day): Arrive at work
5:00 PM: Leave work
6:00 PM: Get home from work and start dinner
6:30 PM: Eat dinner
7:00 PM: Clean up dinner
7:15 PM: Feel like going to bed, but push through for at least 2 more hours – which could be anything: cleaning, spending time with my hubby, house projects, watching a movie, reading or going out for coffee with a friend.
10:00 PM: Go to bed & do it all over again
As you can see, my schedule leaves little time for eating healthy or exercising often. But, honestly, I’m tired of excuses and tired of not having time! So, here are three things I’m beginning to do in order to live a healthy life without getting all stressed out about it.
Meal Planning AND Preparing
My hubby and I have the whole “meal planning” thing down to a science (because otherwise we’d spend all day in the grocery store wondering what we need). Every Saturday morning, I get up and have my morning coffee while making a list of meals for the following week. Then, I take that list and break it down into individual grocery items that need to be purchased for those meals. Our basic system is simple: I make the list and he does the shopping. This works pretty well for us because the only type of shopping I enjoy is online (plus, let’s be real, I spend money more easily than he does)!
This system has mostly worked out great for us so far, but the struggle comes when we get home from work at 6:00 PM every day and neither one of us truly has a desire to cook. Spending more than 20 or 30 minutes on a meal is just not realistic! So, in an effort to find a solution that saves us time, I am going to try some freezer meals/crockpot meals. My mom has already offered to spend a whole day in my kitchen with me to cook up a storm so I have a freezer stocked with healthy meals. I can’t wait to get started! I’m still making a list of recipes to try, but I’m particularly interested in these ones.
Switching Up My Exercise Routine
Ok you guys, working out consistently is becoming really hard for me. Which doesn’t make any sense because I LOVE routines. But ever since getting married, I have struggled to stick to a workout schedule (probably because I’m so… you know… BUSY!) So, what I’ve started to do this summer is to switch up my workout routine. Instead of trying to run several miles 3-4 times per week (which I used to do with ease), I aim to either run or walk at least 2 times per week, even if it’s only a mile. On top of that, I recently joined an outside yoga group that meets once a week, so I go to that as much as possible.
Something else I’ve been looking forward to all summer is trying a CycleBar class! I’m actually taking a class next weekend at their Northville, Michigan location! I cannot wait to try it out. If you’ve never heard of CycleBar, visit their website here! They’re actually giving away free rides at the Northville location right now, and you can enter for that here. I’ll be sure to check back in with you guys next week to let you know how it went!
Not being too hard on myself
This is a big one for me. I am super hard on myself–ask anyone who knows me. I literally get stressed out if I don’t get something checked off my to-do list, especially if it’s a workout. But I’m vowing to stop doing this. Life’s too short. If a family event comes up and I have to miss a run, or if I need to work on a house project instead of going to yoga, that’s totally okay. I will choose to give myself grace and try again the next day. When it comes to health, what matters most is that I try my hardest and always, always trust God.
I hope these tips inspire you do stay active and eat healthy without letting it overwhelm you! What are some of your best healthy living habits? I’d love to hear from you!
I was chosen as a CycleBar brand ambassador, which means I was given the chance to try their new studio for free in exchange for promoting their classes and reviewing them. Please note, any personal opinions in my posts about CycleBar are my own. I have not been monetarily compensated.
cooking cyclebar exercise grocery shopping health healthy habits healthy living meal planning running workout routine yoga
[…] As I shared with you all last week, I sometimes struggle to keep a good routine with working out. And honestly, it’s probably because I am tempted to put way too much pressure on myself to be perfect (and because my schedule is mostly crazy). So, instead of being super strict with myself, I’m trying something new….by trying new things! […]