Are you reluctant to lose weight because you don’t think you can make dieting work with your daily routine? Many people–especially stay at home moms–feel that fat loss programs are too much at odds with their family’s usual habits and that it would be too much work to stick with a program.
But there are ways that you can integrate healthy lifestyle changes into your routine without changing your entire family. In fact, your weight loss can inspire other family members, or you can set an example for healthy living to your kids.
So here are three quick and easy ways you can integrate healthy changes into your lifestyle, without changing your family’s routine:
Make a Crudités Tray
Crudités is a fancy term for an hors d’oeuvre tray of chopped fruits and vegetables. Make one of these trays up to snack on through the day, or have it on the dinner table, and watch in amazement as those good foods disappear. Having prepared healthy foods will keep you from falling off the wagon and snacking on something that will wreck your diet.
It’s also fun for kids, who enjoy selecting their own veggies and fruits. Add a “dipping sauce” of caramel or dark chocolate for the fruit (you’ll have to abstain from that part until you reach your goals) or salad dressing for the veggies, and you can rest assured your kids will be getting their 5 servings of fruits and veggies per day.
Take Your Kids to Workout
Most gyms offer free childcare, so if you are worried that you can’t workout because of your kids–think again! Your kids can have the benefit of social interaction with other kids their age, and you get to have your workout free from interruption.
If you can’t find a gym with free childcare, think of other ways to workout with your kids. Try going for walks, shooting hoops, or bicycle rides with your kids in tow. The whole family will have fun, and you’ll burn calories and fat at the same time.
Get Your Kids Involved
Try to get your kids involved in your weight loss program, as much as possible. Set up “health charts” for every member of your family and post them where they can be seen. Whenever someone (including you) does something healthy, you get a sticker or a gold star.
At the end of the week, total up the gold stars and whoever has the most gets a special, healthy treat. This can be anything from a trip to the library or zoo to a new toy or article of clothing. Your kids will soon be fighting for the top of the charts, and you’ll have the joy of sharing your new healthy lifestyle with those you love.
It’s all too common to make excuses for not changing our behaviors and lifestyles. But the simple truth is all you have to do to stick with fat loss programs is set your goal and stick with it. You may have to get a little creative at times to accomplish your goals, but it’s completely worth all of your dedication in the end.
Tags: bicycle rides, dark chocolate, falling off the wagon, fancy term, free childcare, fruits and vegetables, fruits and veggies, lifestyle changes, shooting hoops, social interaction