Motivational Monday

Resolve to Plan Ahead!

When you're super-busy, it's easy to let your healthy-eating habits or workouts fall by the wayside. Then you get down on yourself for not sticking with the plan, or you feel like quitting altogether. Don't let this happen to you! There are so many things you can do to make juggling life's priorities more manageable — and one of them is planning ahead.

If late nights on the job are leaving you with zero time to prepare wholesome meals during the week, do the prep work in advance! On the weekends, go over the upcoming week's meals and figure out ways to limit the time you'll have to spend in the kitchen. For example, buy pre-cut, prewashed salad greens, frozen veggies, and thin (read: fast-cooking) cuts of meat. Or do most of your slicing and dicing at one timece, place the ingredients in storage containers, and then refrigerate until you're ready to whip up your meals when you get home.

As for your workouts, knock them out first thing in the morning. Then you can immediately cross off one oh-so-important thing from your to-do list! Plus, all that heart-pumping exercise will leave you feeling refreshed and energized — the perfect way to start your day and get you on the path to success! www.deniseaustin.com