Often times we feel like we are on autopilot- just going through the motions of life without much thought as to what we are doing. I find this to be especially true for me as a working mom.
Every day is pretty similar to the one before: racing around from one activity or event to the next. I’m always in a a rush and usually running late… does anyone else feel like this?
So what is a busy mom to do? Planning ahead is a definite help. Every weekend I take the time to plan our a menu based on our schedule for the upcoming week. The meals are always something quick and easy but relatively healthy.
The other thing that I’ve come to rely on is automation. We have automatic bank deposits, automatic withdrawals for payment plans. Why not automation when it comes to our health? I’m specifically referring to the food we eat. I’ve found that eating the same type of food every day allows me the ability to know that I’m always eating something healthy and I don’t need to wait until I’m starving to look for food, which inevitably leads me to making bad choices (coffee, sugar, high in fat, etc).
This doesn’t mean that the food I eat is boring (or tasteless). I love food. I love cooking and eating, so I need to make sure that I’m actually enjoying what I eat. But, I’ve found that by allowing automation for breakfast, lunch and snacks then allowing a yummy, although not necessarily the healthiest dinner, keeps me on track with an overall healthy diet. Part of my routine is to always have protein shakes, lots of water, an apple and protein bar with me when I’m working or on the go.
This is how I automate what I eat and I’ve found it to be very helpful in maintaining a healthy diet. The specifics of what I do may or may not work for you but that isn’t the point. The important thing is to think of ways that you can automate a part of your daily life that will allow you to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.
I would love to know what you have done to automate your life that keeps you living a healthy lifestyle.