Many people in and out of my office tell me that time is a huge barrier. They don’t have time to cook, exercise, or even eat. How did our lives get so busy that we don’t have the time to meet basic needs like shop for groceries and eat sitting down? I would like to debunk this perception and therefore help you lose weight and become healthier.
I understand that some people simply have harder lives because they are caring for children and/or elderly parents. I’m not belittling your particular circumstance but see if this applies to you. Most people tell me that working full-time just doesn’t leave much room left to go shopping, cook, clean, and exercise. Most people feel so overwhelmed by all the things they have to get done.
I heard of a story about a woman who was extremely busy owning a business, having 2 kids, and without an ounce of free time. One day her water pipes broke and she had to rush home to address a flooded house. It took her 7 hours that week to completely repair the issue. That means she managed to find an average of 1 hour per day of “spare” time. So “I don’t have time” really just means I don’t want to do it because it’s not my priority. You bet my flooded house is a priority so I made the time. Time is a choice. Every minute I spend is my choice; granted I understand that some choices need to be made responsibly.
We are smart. If we really want to do it, we will find the time. We have lots of time. We have 168 hours a week (24 hours X 7 days). If we work 40 hours/week and sleep 8 hours a day, then we have 72 free hours a week. That’s a lot of free time! Let’s say you work 50 hours/week, then you have 62 free hours. And if you work 60 hours/week, well then, you’re probably really not working all those hours. Research shows that people don’t actually work those hours and productivity goes way down.
What would you do with 72 FREE hours? Make goals every Friday afternoon for the next week and plug in your goals. (I just choose Fridays so I can go into my weekend carefree). Plug in goals for self-care (exercise, grocery shopping, cooking, meditation, etc.), relationships (family, friends, community-building are the pillars to happiness), and career (work tasks and growth).
Find time to fit in joy. Most of us waste so much time watching TV, being on Facebook, and getting sucked into emails. Focus on the life that you want and build it. Clearly, I believe that health is so much more than calories in and out. It’s the whole person. The more pleasure, the more organized, the more successful you’ll be at losing weight, meeting your goals, and feeling healthy and happy. The alternative is living a life where you feel dissatisfied and for many that results in emotional eating and filling the void with unhealthy habits which equals weight gain.
Changing old habits aren’t easy. If there are changes you’d like to make in your stress level, eating habits, exercise, and overall health and happiness, start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people’s opinion of Happy Food.
~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA
