Working or stay at home parents are busy people–no way around it. There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. Something will always have to wait until tomorrow. And even when you tell yourself to get the task done tonight, 9/10 times you fall asleep from exhaustion. So between work, children, chores around home, and all the other day to day activities, you don’t have much time for yourself.
With lack of self-care comes lots of frustration and possibly even depression with your own body. However, no matter how busy you may be, exercise is a huge step in uplifting your mind, body and soul. But even if you really can’t squeeze a workout in, there are several other alternatives you can try such as Body Transformations for Parents.
You could also work in a few activities into your day with the kids or together as a couple.
Family Activity
A lot of parents think that their weight loss routine has to be kept separate from their family. Instead, there are multiple things that you can do to get them involved. Regular sports days, for example, could be a fun way to keep everyone fit. I workout every morning around 7, just before breakfast. Most of the times the kids join me by either playing, doing the workout, or watching. Trust me, your children will get used to you needing to workout.
If you can’t spend a few hours every week on these, then you could try other things. Pedometers or other fitness trackers are great tools to challenge others in your family to get more steps in. Adding a bit of friendly competition will make things much more fun.
Getting these steps in should also be easy for any busy parents. Parking a little further from work or the grocery store will add to your steps while helping you lose weight. You could find a few other effective exercises that your family might like.
Parents, Get Enough Sleep!
I know this one is hard, I get it! I currently have a newborn and wake up every hour some nights. But if you’re not in that season of life, then make sure you are committed to getting more sleep. Losing sleep can impact your ability to lose weight and leave negative implications on your weight.
If you don’t have much energy, then you might not put in the effort to exercise or be able to give it your all. You could also end up not having the energy to cook healthy food, so instead you gravitate towards the prepackaged, processed junk.
It is more beneficial to get a solid night’s rest versus straining your body through a workout. Take care of yourself.
Parents, Don’t Skip Breakfast!
Having a good breakfast has been shown to help people lose weight. Eating solid meals with good amounts of protein will cause you to snack less throughout the day. Of course eating a health breakfast is linked to weight loss. Shoving your face with sugary cereals, high carbs (i.e. bread, donuts, etc.) and anything else sugary and artificial will not curb your appetite. Protein is a great way to kickstart your day and ensure you’ll get the most out of your day.
The Honest Truth
No one is too busy to just give up on their health. There are plenty of empty pockets of time throughout your day to implement one or two of the steps above. And of course once you feel like you have a handle on adding healthier choices to your life, take on one or two more challenges. It won’t be long before you create new habits that will push you towards your weight loss goal.
The only regret you’ll have, is not starting sooner.
