Making Changes to Your Daily Routine

Why is there a gap between our dreams and what we actually have? Numerous factors contribute, the most common of which is that real-life obligations simply take precedence.

"I wish I could reduce my food consumption, but I have to go to all these business events and don't have much say over the food that's served," we tell ourselves. We grumble, "I wish I had the time and money to hire a personal trainer like the ones the movie stars use. It's just not going to happen." "My skin and body need care, but I'm too busy to do anything more than a quick shower and apply moisturizer," we sigh.

It would be great if we had a lot of spare time to do things like organize our days, make nutritious, low-calorie meals, work out whenever we wanted, and treat ourselves without worrying about missing deadlines. Our schedules are just too full at the moment to make it happen anytime soon. We can give up and join the ranks of the overweight and unfit, or we can devise a personalized strategy that works with our lifestyle and gets us where we want to go, even if it's not as fast or as thorough as we'd want.

Everything about your life, from the time you spend there to the obligations and duties you bear, is unique to you. You have to figure out what can be realistically accommodated and what doesn't. Here are a few things to think about:

1. Food

Diets fail miserably when people eat while on the go, at their desks, or while competing in the rubber chicken circuit. If you find that you are gaining even one pound more than you would like, it is important to figure out why.

Take a look at your order if stopping for fast food on the way to an appointment is something you struggle with. Salads are offered by nearly every drive-thrus these days. You can reduce the amount of unhealthy fat in those salads by tossing out the fried croutons and the bottled dressings. Drink (unsweetened) iced tea, black coffee, or diet Coke instead of those sugary colas, and bring your own container of low-calorie dressing.

Think about what you're consuming if you eat your lunch at your desk. Feel free to order a cheeseburger or sandwich if you're having it delivered. Cut the bread or bun into pieces about the size of raisins and use a plastic fork and knife to devour it. It will fill you up quickly. Shake that onion ring and potatoes. Avoid going there at all costs.

As with most workplaces these days, is there a constant supply of snacks and goodies at your office? If you want to strengthen your "won't" power and distract yourself from the snacks, go to the restroom or, even better, go for a little walk around the building whenever they come by.

Make preparations in advance if business lunches, dinners, or those dreadful meeting banquets are a problem. Salad (dressed whatever you like, of course) or fish and cottage cheese are easy options for lunch. Substitute two low-calorie appetizers for the main course at dinner. Crab legs, unpeeled shrimp, and an artichoke (remove the hollandaise)—it will be a laborious process, but no one will notice that you're not eating much.

Banquets are especially challenging since you are presented with a plate full of food that you would never choose to eat. Chop up any veggies and protein you can find and chew them thoroughly. Delay the arrival of a syrupy dessert by spreading the remaining portion over your plate and manipulating it. In order to resist the persistent attempt by the too enthusiastic waiter to bring you a slice of pie, grab a black coffee and set it firmly on your table.

Because you normally know the hostess and want to avoid making a terrible impression, hosting an event at your home adds a new layer of difficulty. Just pretend you have allergies; no one wants to see you sneeze all over their celebration. You can fool everyone into thinking you're drinking nothing by bringing along a bottle of club soda or mineral water.

These seemingly insignificant adjustments can add up to big changes in your weight over time. Have a health shake or liquid protein on hand to satisfy your hunger when you come home. This will ensure that you meet your daily nutritional requirements.

Step two: Work out.

Millions of us join gyms every year with the hope of getting in better shape. Long lineups would form outside their locations if everyone utilized them as often as they say they will. Health clubs may keep adding members at a steady rate because they anticipate that regulars will remain around the same and that newcomers will arrive with a flurry of excitement but quickly lose interest.

It is challenging to commit to visiting somewhere on a regular basis unless you have a job with extremely regular hours, which is something that few of us enjoy these days. Every time we plan to travel, something unexpected happens, like a major meeting, our significant other demands our attention, or the kids beg us to take them elsewhere.

Because our lives are so hectic, we rarely get out of the house for exercise. Home workout machines that claim to sculpt our complete bodies, define our pects, and flatten our abs abound on television. We already know that our flats aren't big enough to fit a Bowflex or Nordic Track, even though they say the equipment packs up effortlessly. Who are these purchasers? We assume this is happening in the suburbs, where all the fancy gear ends up collecting dust in the garage or basement until the next yard sale. Equipment, with the exception of simple devices like hand weights and elastic bands, is just too cumbersome and time-consuming to put up.

If you're looking for an easy way to incorporate exercise into your schedule, look for activities that don't require any particular equipment, specific clothing, or extensive amounts of undisturbed time. The time-tested methods of yoga, calisthenics, push-ups, sit-ups, and weighted stretches have endured for good reason. They need little preparation other than a brief warm-up and can be slid into your hectic schedule at unexpected times. These criteria are also met by some of the more recent programs, such as callanetics, Pilates (parts of it), killer exercises, and video workouts.

If you happen to come across a spare thirty minutes, go for a stroll and, if possible, add a little sprinting to make the most of it.

While this strategy won't magically transform you into the next Mr. or Mrs. Universe, it will keep you flexible and somewhat fit without subjecting you to the draining guilt that comes from having lofty goals but never achieving them.

3. Prioritizing self-care.

Everyone here is familiar with the story of how Cleopatra supposedly bleached and smoothed her complexion by bathing in asses' milk. Oh my goodness, she was a queen! There was no need for her to rise before the sun came up and brave the office rush. There was no obligation for her to tend to a spouse, a home, or a kid. You would have plenty of time to take a relaxing bath if you weren't so busy with household chores, laundry, completing an office report, assisting children with their homework, preparing supper, and collecting up Aunt Mildred from the airport.

It is important for us to prioritize our own well-being. We aim to engage in the practices that will delay the inevitable onset of aging. In an ideal world, we'd indulge in a long shower or bath every day, use a loofah and scrubbing powders to exfoliate our skin, lather up with lotions and skin softeners, and use specialized cleansers, masques, and skin brighteners to treat our hair and face.

Once again, our lives interfere. We have a simple regimen that includes removing makeup, using a toner, and moisturizing. Whenever we get the chance, we wash our hair, and every once in a while, we treat ourselves to a facial or an oil treatment. If the effects of aging are transient and short-lived, it will be difficult to maintain full motivation. "I will get to it when I have more time," is what we tell ourselves. After twenty years, our skin bears the marks of time, including wrinkles, sagging jowls, and the effects of gravity, wind, and sun. Then we lament the carelessness with which we've treated our appearance throughout the years and work to reverse the effects of gravity.

Do not budge from your brisk daily schedule. You could get more self-care done if you got up earlier, but you're already sleep-deprived, like most Americans of working age.

A possible option is to set aside a couple of hours each week to focus on yourself. Particularly women neglect themselves since they are preoccupied with taking care of other people. Claim that two-hour window like it's your own lifeblood. It is solely for your use. Use it to give your hair or face a deep treatment. Listen to music, take a rain dance, or just relax with it. Feel good about treating your mind, body, and soul with it. Put your thoughts, aspirations, and aspirations into action by using it. Make the most of it by giving thanks for who you are and everything that life has given you. Make it your best buddy and confidant, and utilize it to map out your future self-improvement.

Our desires and basic necessities go unfulfilled because our lives are constantly consumed by obligations. No matter how hectic our schedules are, we can always find time for ourselves—we just have to be really determined. The moment to start being confident in who you are is now. You are also deserving of a little sunshine.

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