Back to School is the Perfect Time to Get Back to Healthy Routines

Back to School is the perfect time to get back to healthy routines. I know this time of year is busy and crazy and you don't think you can get the kids back on track AND worry about eating healthy or losing weight.

That's why Back to School is actually a great time to make those changes! You're already making making changes to your daily routines and habits, why not make sure those new routines help you feel better and have more energy?

Back to School time is upon us! It's such a busy time of year, and this year in particular, we might all be dealing with even more changes and frustrations than usual.

I know it's easy to feel overwhelmed and put aside your healthy habits and weight loss goals thinking you'll get back to them when "things slow down."

The truth is that Back to School is the perfect time to get back to healthy routines. We're already making changes to our daily routines, it's actually easier to develop those healthy habits right now.

Studies show that times of transition - like heading back to school or the change of seasons - are great times to change habits and develop new routines. There's something about that "new start" that makes it easier to leave the old, bad habits behind and have more success with new, healthier habits.

Plus - any bad habits that you may be forming now will just be habits you will want to change in the future, right?

The best time to start losing weight or making healthier eating choices is now.

Getting back to healthy routines

Do you find yourself thinking, "I'm so busy, how can I possibly think about anything else?"

What if I told you that taking the time right now to make some changes and develop healthy routines will actually SAVE you time and energy and help you feel less overwhelmed?!

Let's take Dinner Time, for an example. On a typical Tuesday you've probably spent the day working (or supervising online learning!) and as the end of the day approaches you start to worry about what to make for dinner. Only you still need to finish that report or pick up your son from football practice. Plus you're tired and you haven't been to the grocery store in a few days. So you put off deciding what's for dinner until everyone is cranky and hungry and you end up scrambling to throw together a meal, or you just give in and order pizza.

You know the solution to this one, right? Meal planning!

When you know what you want to fix for dinner and have everything you need in the pantry, most of the stress and worry goes away. Not only do you know what you're making for dinner, but you can give yourself a pat on the back for feeding your family (and yourself!) something healthy and delicious.

I have an entire blog post on meal planning and prep - everything from how to plan meals based on what you have on the calendar the following week, to quick meal prep ideas that save you time at dinner without needing to spend Sunday afternoon cooking all of the meals ahead of time. You can find everything you need HERE.

Back to School Healthy Habits / Morning Routines

What else gives you stress about Back to School? Maybe those crazy mornings getting everyone out the door?

It happens to all of us - those rushed mornings when the kids get out of bed grumpy, and it takes 5 reminders to find their socks, and we're out of their favorite cereal for breakfast and they refuse to eat anything else, or the homework didn't get finished, and by the time everyone is out the door you are so frazzled... UGH!

Now, you might still have a morning or two like that, but there is absolutely no reason why most mornings can't run smoothly and easily. All you need is the right routine.

What that routine looks like specifically will look slightly different for everyone. But every morning routine should address the common problems with getting out the door calmly and easily every morning. Your routine should have solutions for things like:

• wake up time for you (and the kids, if needed). Be sure to allow plenty of time for a shower, applying make-up, etc. Be realistic about how long you will need, because not allowing enough time to get everything done will leave you rushing and cranky. Hitting the snooze on the alarm clock for the third time really isn't worth that!
• a quick calendar or To Do List check for the day. Do you know what's for dinner? Do you need to pack some snacks for the after-school run around? Give your day a little bit of thought and pre-planning.
• a plan to get in some activity or exercise. Some people love to work out first thing in the morning. If you're not one of those people, that's great - just have a plan to go for a walk or hit the gym at a specific time later in the day.
• breakfast! Because breakfast sets the tone for your day and for your metabolism, it's important to not only eat breakfast, but to eat a breakfast that fuels your body appropriately. This means high protein and low carb, and some green juice. For more tips on what to eat for breakfast check out THIS blog post. And my favorite Green Juice recipes and tips can be found HERE.
• pack a lunch. Add a healthy snack to your purse. Fill your water bottle. Any of those small tasks that set you up to be successful and stay on track with your healthy eating and weight loss goals.

Back to School / Healthy Snacks

So where do the routines fit in when it comes to snacking? Well, I would guess your snacking tends to happen at certain times every day. Maybe your energy dips mid-afternoon and you reach for the Cheetohs. Maybe the kids are starving after school and when you serve them a snack, you grab some of those apple slices and fruit snacks for yourself.

If you are eating well during the day, most of the food you will eat should be at mealtime. It's so easy to go overboard with snacking between meals when we are tired, bored, or simply from habit. I encourage you to keep snacking to a minimum, but if you really need a snack, some great ideas include:

• avocado halves drizzled with avocado oil, lemon, salt and pepper
• almonds cacao powder, stevia, and cinnamon
• cucumber slices dipped in tahini or sunflower seed butter
• celery slices dipped in almond butter
• fresh coconut meat
• cauliflower dipped in hummus
• radishes sprinkled with sea salt
• hot tea
• hard boiled eggs
• pepperoni/salami slices
• olives

There is nothing wrong with snacking when it's done out of hunger. But often, snacking is simply out of habit and that's where we need to be careful. If you find yourself reaching for a snack, make sure you are actually hungry. And if you are hungry and still want a snack, make sure you are reaching for something that will give you the energy and nutrients you need and not simply something to fill your stomach.

I encourage you to take a look at your routines and habits and see which ones are working for you, which ones are helping you achieve your goals both in weight loss and healthy eating, and in your life in general. Keep the ones that are beneficial and think about adding in some healthy changes. Back to school is the perfect time to get back to healthy routines. Which healthy routines do you want to get back to today?

P.S. I’d love to help you reach your goals. If you’d like to use the same step-by-step plan I’ve outlined for my clients who are dropping 10-15 pounds in 30 days or less, you can get started here.