Busy lives are one excuse that brings people to binge eating or making the wrong choice in food. I have some time saving tips that can help you stay on track.

1)      Plan. You have to plan, Plan of action (POA) you may have things come up in your busy day that will not allow you to eat the good lunch that you provided for the day so plan out a healthy go to snack.

2)      Prepare. You will have to take a minute of your time to prepare your healthy meals and snacks. You can get up a few minutes earlier each day to make a good breakfast. Or you can prepare your breakfast the night before. A slow cooker is an ideal way to prepare morning cereals while you sleep. Before going to bed, measure, rinse, and drain some steel cut oats and prepare according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Upon waking, place the cooked oats in a heat-resistant container and top with your favorite fruits and nuts. Have a few bites on your way to cycle class or immediately following the workout. Include a hard-boiled egg and some fruit to help curb hunger and increase satiety.

3)      Practice. Practice not only makes perfect, it makes permanence. Practice builds habits that can become a permanent part of one’s lifestyle. Practicing to eat regular meals and snack throughout the day (every 2 to 3 hours). Eventually, it becomes second nature.

Stuck behind a desk all day? No problem. Keep food choices convenient and compact. Store your favorite go-to lunch or snack items in a mini cooler and non-perishables in a large sealed plastic container. The storage size for the non-perishables should be large enough to contain a selection of the following items: Dried fruits and nuts, pre-packaged individual serving sizes (You can buy these at Trader Joe’s and other select grocery stores) Apple sauce, individual serving sizes Shelf stable milk or “milk” product, 8 ounce size Nutritional shake product, complete with protein, fiber, Omega-3’s, antioxidants, probiotics and greens, such as Vega One. Meal bars, containing at least 12 grams of protein Shaker bottle. I like to keep Shakeology on hand at all times.

Lastly, write three “SMART” goals for the beginning of each week and place them in a spot you see every day, such as on the refrigerator or bathroom mirror. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant/realistic and time-bound. This is something that you have to do. Unless you are very wealthy and you can afford a personal life coach that you hang with on a daily basis. I am not that wealthy so I will make a list and follow it every day. Remember it takes 21 days to make a habit and 21 days to break a habit. This meaning that you need to take your time and not get frustrated.