We decide to get “healthy”, get “in shape”, loose the weight, fit into that bikini, get into that wedding dress, just get fucking sexy!
Now is the time we tell ourselves!
So we look up recipes and start off strong…
…but all the motivation in the world doesn’t last when we are running on fumes from yet another busy day.
That drive through on the way home is basically calling your name, or maybe you just want to skip eating dinner altogether and just go for that last pint of ice cream in the freezer, (better to eat it and get it out of there of course!)
Recipes start to seem complicated and time consuming. You are bored with eating the same chicken and broccoli over and over like a robot!
So how do we move toward our goals without falling back into restrictive dieting and misery?
How do we make time for eating well and actually enjoying our food?
The step forward might mean 2 steps back to start.
Take a look at your day and ask yourself a few questions.
- Is there time lost that you could be investing elsewhere?
2. Is there energy you are giving someone or something that you could give to yourself?
3. Are there options worth exploring that could actually make life easier and allow you to not only get home and have a home cooked meal, but you also actually enjoy eating it?! YES, yes and a big hell yes!
#1: Is there time lost that you could be investing elsewhere?
This is always a favorite of mine… “I don’t have time for breakfast.”
Same client hitting snooze 18 times and running out of the house late for work… or the morning social scrolls that ate up 20 minutes before they even got out of bed but those scrambled eggs were just 2 minutes too long.
If eating well and eating food that you actually enjoy is not worth your time and energy, then guess what… you need a good chat with yourself!
It doesn’t need to be a gourmet meal to be tasty.
It doesn’t need to be beautiful.
It does require you to have things in your kitchen to eat and allow yourself a small window of time to invest in feeding yourself… (a basic human need that is frankly far more important than deciding on the 5th outfit you tried on, fixing your hair just right, or that extra 15 minutes you wasted online shopping!)
#2: Is there energy you are giving someone or something that you could give to yourself?
This piggyback a bit on #1. Am I giving my energy to less meaningful behaviors that I could be giving to feeding myself well? (If yes, that doesn’t mean you have to stop online shopping, that’s an entirely different beast! 🙂 ) But maybe that means you set a limit on your phone time so you make sure you accomplish a healthy meal too.
Just as common, we give so many others our energy and efforts that we don’t take care of ourselves. Is taking a bath self care?
Maybe it is, I believe we should all get to bathe without that somehow being an indulgence, call me crazy!
If you have kids then just taking a poop by yourself starts to be a privilege!
When we pour into the people around us and don’t give back to ourselves we often don’t have the time or energy left to make a healthy dinner. We give up on the belief that our goals are possible and that we can achieve anything better for ourselves. Magically that pint of ice cream appears back in the freezer and we give up.
Make yourself a priority, I insist! This is not vanity and you don’t need to be a martyr.
#3: Are there options worth exploring that could actually make life easier?
We live in a world of conveniences. I can literally never leave my house and get everything I need!
Full meals hand delivered, my pets groomed or seen by the vet, a bag of ice and a bottle of booze, cleaning services, beauty services, tampons, the endless world of Amazon products!
So if we pay for all of these conveniences, why not groceries?
For some the cost of grocery delivery seems indulgent and an added expense they can’t afford. That is a possibility of course, however if you don’t physically go into a store, you shop online and select the stuff you need; guess what you stop spending money on the extras that you picked up wandering around hungry and in a rush. You also are more likely to avoid buying the less favorable foods and stick to your healthy grocery list.
Not convinced?
Try it out and see the time you save alone, it’s worth every penny! Many stores also offer a pick up service which is typically cheaper or even free!
This is a big way to save on time and energy that can be reinvested at home in your kitchen making a simple yet delicious meal!
Keep your recipes simple.
Look for ingredients and foods that are prepped for you. Buy the broccoli florets that are already chopped, do the rotisserie chicken instead of cooking it at home. Save time where you can while also eating quality foods. Keep your focus on better and not perfect!
Every time you eat it won’t be a foodgasm!
Every time you eat it won’t be a spiritual experience! Every time you eat will NOT be a perfectly balanced, healthy meal!!! Start eating healthy on a regular basis and stop wasting your time on the unnecessary stress and complications we put in our path.