There are days when I’m so motivated to eat healthy and workout. But to be totally honest, most days I just There are days when I am extremely motivated to eat well and exercise. But, to be honest, I don’t feel like doing anything most of the time. That’s why I’m a big fan of lazy girl hacks! Some of these things I do on a regular basis, while others I do only when I notice my pants are becoming too tight (yeah, I know I should do them before I get to that point lol).
It’s fine if you don’t always do all of these things. Just do your best. Have a lot of weight to lose but don’t think you’ll be able to because you lack the willpower? I guarantee you’ll be able to use these simple hacks. Will you be able to shed 50 pounds in a week? No. However, three months from now, you can either look in the mirror and see that you are the same weight (or have gained weight) or you can lose 20-30 pounds by simply making these small lifestyle changes. You’ll be happier with yourself as well!
1. Meal Prep
It may appear that prepping your meals ahead of time is a lot of work, but consider this: Instead of cooking every day, you only need to do so once every four days. Get some of these and your meals will last at least four days in the fridge (some people push it farther). When we get hungry, it’s easy to just go out and get fast food, so these are ideal for popping in the microwave quickly.
Most people believe that meal planning is too time consuming. Although, in reality, it’s one of the wisest investments you can make in terms of your health and fitness, as well as your finances. You’ll have so much more time to do fun things after you do a little planning ahead of time!
Making a meal plan will help you stay on track with the healthy lifestyle diet you’re attempting to establish for yourself.
You don’t have to starve yourself, but you should limit empty-calorie foods and be conscious of what you put into your body.
If you eat and drink only healthy foods, you can gain weight or not lose a pound if you consume too much of them.
2. Avoid packaged & fast food
Processed food is typically high in calories and is one of the leading causes of obesity in the United States. It’s just so practical! If you’re used to stopping by McDonald’s for lunch every day, try packing your own. You will lose weight and see a significant increase in your financial situation. It’s a double win.
3. Adding variety to your diet
We need to consume a healthy variety of nutrients in order for our bodies to function properly.
Don’t get too caught up in the numbers. It’s not an exact science, but if you’ve tried a million different things and nothing has helped you see results in the past, this is most likely why. Your body can’t function properly because it isn’t getting enough of a certain nutrient (or multiple nutrients).
4. Establish health and fitness goals
What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Goals and a plan are more important than most people realize. Setting goals and writing them down helps to motivate positive behavior. Rather than winging it and eventually getting off track, you should set some goals.
Write down your overall goal and then break it down to help you devise a strategy for achieving it!
I have a super cheap diet and fitness tracker you can print off now! It has everything you need to set yourself up for success.
This fitness planner includes:
- 2 Weekly Fitness Planners
- 1 Weekly Meal Planner
- 1 Weekly Food Tracker
- 1 Monthly Workout Planner
- 1 Before & After Page
- 1 Exercise log Page
- 1 Recipe Page
- 1 Healthy Habit Tracker
- 1 30 day challenge Page
5. Use small bowls and plates
Portion control is critical! It’s so easy to eat too much. It’s for this reason that using smaller containers is so beneficial. When you use a large plate, it’s natural to want to fill it up, but this isn’t a good idea. Make your mind believe you are eating more. Also, when you’re eating, try to take it a little slower. Your brain takes a while to realize it’s full.
6. Grab and go snacks
Fill two decently sized containers with healthy snacks. You can keep one in the refrigerator and the other in the pantry. Cheese sticks, beef jerky, nut mixes, and fruits/veggies (both fresh and dried) are all excellent choices. It’s also a good idea to keep some of these on hand at all times so you don’t have a panic attack and have to stop at the gas station for a candy bar.
I don’t know about you, but whenever I get hungry, I crave extremely unhealthy foods. Having snacks on hand prevents me from becoming overly hungry and making poor decisions.
7. Don’t drink your calories
Every day, the average American consumes 400 calories. That’s a lot of empty calories that contribute to our weight gain! Consider this the next time you reach for a sugary beverage. You’ll feel better about eating some sweets later if you drink water instead (which has zero calories). You can also flavor your water by adding some fruit.
8. Use a tracker water bottle
And take it with you wherever you go! Yes, it is difficult to drink water at first. What’s more, guess what? After about a week, your body will begin to crave it.
9. Chug a 8 oz. glass of water before every meal
You can fill up on water before you eat by drinking it before you eat. You can lose weight by drinking more water and eating fewer calories. Don’t you think it’s a great combination?
Is it possible for lazy girl hacks to get any easier than this?!
10. Create a workout plan
Creating a workout plan will help you stay on track with your goals. One of the first things a personal trainer does with a client is devise a personal routine that is tailored to their specific needs. Because everyone is different, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all strategy.
Because you’ll need to increase your weight and reps, it’s best to make a plan for the month (depending on the workouts you want to do).
11. Get Moving. Do a short workout, don’t overwhelm yourself
When you first begin, do some form of physical activity for only 10 minutes per day. It may not appear that 10 minutes a day will help you lose weight, but many people lose weight this way.
The best benefit of working out for 10 minutes a day is that it helps you form better habits without being too demanding, which could lead to you giving up.
We all know the numerous advantages of daily exercise, but we still struggle to find the time (or motivation) to do it. Short workouts are ideal for people who are new to working out or who are simply lazy. It’s preferable to take small steps than none at all.
12. Push your body as it gets stronger
After a month or so of working out for 10 minutes a day, you will have developed a habit of working out.
Your body will continue to benefit from the activity you’ve been doing, but it won’t be as beneficial as when you first began. We must challenge ourselves to keep improving as our bodies become stronger and our endurance increases.
It would be sufficient to work out for an additional 5 or 10 minutes. You could also simply work harder and increase the intensity of your workout.
After all, you don’t have to be THAT lazy!
13. Don’t be too hard on yourself
I believe this is where the majority of us fall short. When we have bad days and make mistakes, we feel like failures, which makes us fail. Remember that making some progress is preferable to making no progress at all. Begin with a small project and work your way up. You don’t have to complete everything on this list right now. Get some grab-and-go snacks this week, and start meal prepping the following week.
It’ll take whatever it takes. If you have the motivation to complete everything, then go for it. If you skip your daily workout or drink a soda, don’t be too hard on yourself.
These are the lazy girl hacks that helped me transition from being unmotivated and out of shape to living a healthy lifestyle.
source: iheartthenewme.com