Let’s be realistic here. You aren’t going to be that person that obsessively tracks their food or weighs their food on a scale for portion control. No matter how many online articles and magazines you read on health and fitness, the actual doing part is just too time consuming or too much hard work. A restrictive diet with so many rules is enough to make you scream. It’s just easier to order Chinese, right? Well, I am here to deliver some good news. There are ways to live a healthy lifestyle even if you don’t consider yourself a “health freak” and if you consistently incorporate these, you will be in pretty good shape. I have shared some tips below, so read on.
Take Baby Steps
Don’t overhaul it, or drastically change your lifestyle. It is very important to start your healthy journey slowly. Rome wasn’t built in a day! Begin by being healthy-ish, and then work your way up from there. Pick a few healthy recipes and incorporate those in on week nights.
Cook simple Meals
When you make meals that are simple and contain about five ingredients or less, then you are more likely to stick to your healthy lifestyle, because it is so easy to give up on your new lifestyle if you feel like the process is way too complex for you. when you’ve had a long, hard day at work with annoying co-workers and your boss is at your neck, the last thing you want to do is cook (or bake) some super complicated gluten-free thing with a side of something that has organic wine sauce in it or something (you get the point).
Learn how to make eggs.
Eggs are awesome and healthy. You need to fall in love with eggs, and specifically boiled eggs. When you are in-between episodes of your latest Netflix binge on Saturday night, make a dozen boiled eggs to keep you fed for the week.
- Put in a dozen eggs in a pot, fill the pot with enough water to cover the eggs plus two inches, set the stove top to high.
- When the water starts boiling, turn the stove OFF.
- Cover for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, put in some ice and cold water in the pot to stop the cooking process.
- Drain water and put the pot in the fridge. Yes, put the pot in the fridge! Don’t worry about peeling them right now. You’ll peel the eggs when you get to work and it’s time to eat.
Pair the eggs with a few slices of 2 minute microwaved turkey bacon and you’ll have yourself a full-on lazy person’s breakfast for less than a dollar. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty good deal to me!
Learn how to make a 30 minute meat and veggie meal.
Are five ingredients too much for you? Well, what about two? (well, maybe three if you count in the seasoning)
- Buy some chicken (or fish, steak or white meat) and frozen veggies.
- Season the meat of your choice with an all-in-one type seasoning.
- Heat some oil on the stove on medium or high heat.
- Fry the meat in a pan for about 5-7 minutes per side until both sides are thoroughly cooked.
- Microwave the veggies per the bag instructions.
- Serve!
Load up on some good almonds.
Do you get so hungry around 2 pm that you want to get a donut from the break room or gnaw down that candy bar from the vending machine? Instead of sweets, grab a handful of almonds and snack on instead. It does not necessarily have to be the plain type of almonds, you can get the seasoned type of almonds.
Experience the possibilities of lunch wraps.
Your new favorite lunch is going to be a wrap. The combinations are endless. My favorite is turkey, cheese, lettuce, and mayo on a whole wheat tortilla (You don’t even have to assemble it at home before work)! If you have a fridge at work, just take the ingredients that you need with you to last the week and assemble it at lunch time. Whether you assemble before work or during work, it will still take you about two minutes! If you are feeling really brave and also feeling like a health guru, wrap it up in romaine lettuce instead of a whole wheat tortilla.
Utilize your hands for portion control
Are scales and calorie counting apps just too much work for you? Use your hand to figure out portions!
Palm = 3 oz recommended meat portion
Clenched Fist = 1 cup
Front of Clenched Fist = 1/2 cup recommended carb portion
Thumb = 1 Tablespoon
Index Fingertip = 1 Teaspoon
Substitute sugary drinks.
This includes “healthy” juice options that has added sugar. Always check the label! This may seem like a tough one, but there are plenty of substitutes for your traditional 3pm soda fix. Instead of switching to diet, try Zevia instead. It’s 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugar, 0 everything, sweetened with Stevia, and some of the flavors even have caffeine. A little more expensive but the taste is just right. They have a flavor substitute for every popular soda (sounds like a good deal to me).
Use a Slow Cooker
Anyone can dump ingredients into a slow cooker and make something delicious. Slow cookers help to preserve nutrients and it is pretty easy to use. With 15 minutes of prep time, you can easily throw in whatever you want to prepare before work and come home to a delicious smelling dinner. You can also use your slow cooker to prepare protein in bulk to chop up and throw in a salad or wrap.
Become a Water Freak
You know all those annoying people at work who carry water bottles wherever they go? Become one of those people. There are many cool water bottles online (Amazon always has cool stuff), just make sure it’s easy to clean for the sake of hygiene. You’ll carry it to work, in the car line to pick up the kids, to restaurants, everywhere. It’ll be like an extra limb. You do actually have to drink the water though. If you get sick of only water, try drinking some green tea sweetened with Stevia. You could also try infusing your water with loads of fruit and vegetables. Water tends to have loads of health benefits; it’ll help with belly bloat, plus it’s a great pick-me-up in the afternoon.
Get to Bed on Time!
I know that this is easier said than done because of all the fun movies that there are to watch and all of the great online deals that amazon has, but it is totally doable. All you need to do is set yourself a bedtime alarm, and stick to it. The iPhone even has a built in bedtime reminder, which is pretty effective. If you use an iPhone, simply go to the clock app and check out the bedtime tab. Once you set the time that you think is most appropriate for you, stick to it and your work days will feel better. Doing the same pre-bedtime routine, going to bed at the same time, and waking up at the same time will also help you become healthier and feel more agile throughout the day. Aim for at 7-9 hours per night to contribute to overall health and wellness.
Incorporate all of these techniques to your daily and weekly routine if you want to kick start your health journey. Remember that you are doing this for you. Stay motivated!
