Originally posted in July 2016, updated with more awesomeness in May 2020.

Here are some of the things I’ve learned over the years that have helped me when time and energy resources are low.

1. Take advantage of the time you have

Perhaps you are exhausted and rushed when you get home at the end of the day, not to mention starving. Having the time and patience to cook the chicken and rice you planned for dinner is the last thing you’ve got in you.

But perhaps you had an hour this morning while you were enjoying your coffee, reading the news or getting ready. It takes as little as 5 minutes to put on a pot of rice and place chicken breasts on a pan in the oven while you’re doing your morning routine. When it’s finished, stick it in the fridge and voila: it’s there for you at the end of the day, saving you from reaching for Doritos!

Similarly, if mornings are usually a mad dash out the door in a barely awake state, make your protein pancake, smoothie or breakfast parfait the night before and have it in the fridge ready to grab (see more breakfast ideas here).

Break free from the convention of cooking dinner at dinnertime. Cook, chop veggies or do your other food prep when you find it works for you.

2. Multi-task with food prep

This is the easiest, I think, yet surprisingly many don’t think of it. Combine being in the kitchen with other things whenever possible.

If you have a TV in the kitchen or an adjoining family room, tend to your food prep while watching a show or movie you’ve been wanting to catch up on.

And my favourite little trick: time it so that you are in the kitchen when the kids come home from school, especially if you have teenagers! For years this gave me the opportunity to be present, and for conversations to happen that may not have otherwise.

3. Know yourself

Know your vulnerabilities and use your strengths to the fullest. For example, I know that I am useless later in the evenings! My energy is at its highest earlier in the day, so I always book my workouts early. Cooking and puttering in my kitchen are a little less physically taxing, so that’s when I do most of my cooking and food prep.

Similarly, during times of low motivation or fatigue (for me this is often the last few weeks before a competition, or in the dead of winter when my body wants to go into hibernation mode), I intentionally plan more workouts with friends or sign up for classes. That gives me added accountability and helps ensure I don’t miss my workouts.

Take time to identify your strengths and vulnerabilities, and plan accordingly.

4. Schedule your wellness and commit to yourself

Every Sunday I spend 15 minutes looking ahead to the upcoming week and planning my workouts and food prep time. Sure, life happens and things need to be adjusted, but for the most part I stick to it.

Consider your workouts important meetings with yourself, and don’t cancel unless absolutely necessary. Taking care of yourself is not an indulgence, so don’t feel bad about prioritizing it.

When other demands come your way, be careful not to overextend yourself. Politely tell whoever has requested your time that you have an important meeting (which you do: your workout!) and let them know when you’re available.

5. Cook lots and always have options

Never cook a meal without cooking enough for another 2 to 4 meals. It takes the same amount of time in the oven, and the same pan or baking sheet to wash, to cook 6 chicken breasts as it does 2.

If you’re going to spend time cooking a pot of rice, make enough for the next couple of days so you don’t have to find those 10 minutes again tomorrow.

In my house at any given time, you’ll find at least two types of meat cooked and in the fridge, plus a couple of types of carbohydrates (rice, quinoa or sweet potatoes) in containers, ready to reheat for a meal.

6. Get real about cooking

You don’t need to be a master chef to eat healthy, and you don’t need to spend your life in the kitchen. But yes, you do need to spend a little time in there. Wanting to commit to eating well without spending a little time cooking each week is completely unrealistic, so let’s just get over that right away!

If you truly don’t enjoy cooking, it’s important to find recipes that are quick and easy and use simple ingredients. Use the many resources out there to find these (like Pinterest and our recipe blog), and check out our many Recipe Books, available as instant downloads, with loads of simple recipes that will work for your lifestyle.

7. Never leave the house without food

How many times has this happened? You put in the time to cook great food that supports your goals, you even have it all packaged up in to-go containers… but it’s sitting in the fridge at home and you’re sitting in traffic, starving!

Maintaining a regular eating schedule is important to your health and fitness goals. Going hungry because you didn’t bring enough food will sabotage your efforts. And it goes without saying that running through a fast-food window because you’re starving isn’t a great option either.

Get yourself a stylish lunch cooler bag and always have quality food with you. Always plan for one more meal or snack than you think you’ll need while you’re out.

8. Break free of the all-or-nothing mentality

I totally get this one. As athletes, executives and goal-oriented people, we’re often a little type A, and if we can’t go all out, we often throw in the towel on the whole thing!

Let’s face it, life happens. Be flexible and find healthy alternatives on the fly. Do a quick 20-minute high-intensity workout when you’re late getting to the gym and don’t have time for your scheduled 45-minute workout. You don’t need to be perfect all the time. Progress is still progress, and little by little, a little goes a long way.

Fit in small doses of exercise whenever unexpected opportunities arise. Make a game of it and have fun!

• Do glute squeezes at every red light.
• Lunge everywhere you need to go at the gym, between exercises.
• Do air squats or crunches during commercials when watching TV (yes, that means not fast-forwarding through them!).
• Every time you get up from your desk to go to the bathroom, do 25 tricep dips at your chair before you sit back down.

The possibilities are endless. Do you have ideas or mini workouts you do like this? Please comment below and share, we’d love to hear from you!

9. Lean on others

Get the family involved. Getting the kids or your spouse to help with food prep is not only helpful for you and a good learning opportunity for them, but it provides a platform for quality time together. Some of my best conversations with my kids have been in the kitchen.

Engage a friend or co-worker to join you in your wellness journey. You don’t need to go it alone. A workout buddy creates a support system and fulfils social needs, and can also feed the natural competitiveness we all have under the surface! Research suggests exercising around other people tends to make us push a little harder.

When you just don’t enjoy cooking at all, or during super busy times when prepping your meals is near impossible, a fresh meal delivery service can be a life-saver. Try Lean on Meals in Calgary or Wolf Meal Prep in Victoria. Most major cities now have similar services.

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