6 Quick Tips For The Time Poor

Pushed for time? Don’t let the festive season and the ol’, “I don’t have enough time” excuse stop you from rocking your Bikini this Summer. With BUF’s 3rd annual Bikini Overhaul program coming to a close, we wanted to share 6 of the top tips the program covered about keeping your mind, body and nutrition in check. Hopefully these will help you stay on track as you launch in to 2014… a few pre-New Year’s resolutions, perhaps ;)  

1. Mind: Focus on the present

Generally, humans find it pretty hard to stay in the present moment. We get consumed and caught up in thoughts of what happened yesterday, or what may happen tomorrow, while the present moment (the only thing we really have control over) passes us by. Take a moment to look around you, focus on the present and appreciate where you’re at right now to feel more in control of your mental state. You’ll feel more confident in your decisions when they’re not shrouded in comparisons to the past or expectations of the future. A simple way to draw your attention to the present is to use cue words and affirmations, for example, ‘breathe’, or ‘pause and ground yourself’. It’s easy to become anxious when your mind wanders, so focus on your breath and the blessings in your life, rather than focusing on your anxiety. 

2. Mind: Meditation

Want to become friends with your mind? Meditation will help you work with your mind, rather than against it. Acknowledging the internal (sometimes constant) chatter in your brain can be daunting at first, but don’t let that deter you, everybody experiences it when they start out. Put on some meditation music (https://www.freemeditation.com or hit up YouTube), sit comfortably in a quiet place and focus on your breathing. For the time poor, even five minutes, morning and night, will make a difference to your mental state and stress levels. In fact, just like exercise, a little every day is much better than a lot on the weekend. 

3. Body: Aim to move every day

Routines can tend to be disrupted at this time of year with festivities and (let’s be honest) hangovers! But not having enough time, money, space, or the right shoes are excuses, not good reasons to avoid working up a sweat. Try these fast and furious BUF workouts that can be done anywhere. Got a spare 4 minutes? Try and complete the below:

• 40 x High Knees + 40 x Mountain Climbers
• 30 x High Knees + 30 x Mountain Climbers
• 20 x High Knees + 20 x Mountain Climbers
• 10 x High Knees + 10 x Mountain Climbers

  Then work your way back up! Got a skipping rope – skip instead of high knees! Or go for this…

• 10 x Jump Lunges (left + right = 1 rep) + 10 x Tricep Pushups
• 9 x Jump Lunges + 9 x Tricep Pushups
• Work your way down (10, 9, 8, 7…) until you complete 1 rep of both Jump Lunges and Tricep Pushups.

  And here’s another BUF Fav!Complete the following all within 60 seconds:

• 5 x Jump Squats
• 10 x Burpees
• 5 x Push Ups

  If you finish all of the above in less than 60s, rest for the remainder of the minute before beginning all exercises again – but if you take the full 60s to finish, you start all over again ASAP with no rest! Complete 5 to 10 of these 1-minute rounds. 

4. Body: Book in your training

When you plan your week ahead, put your training in your diary or planner. Just like you book a meeting, facial appointment, or that brunch with your girlfriend, block out designated times to work on your fitness. This helps to keep you accountable and makes sure life doesn’t get in the way.

5. Nutrition: Protein Breaky

Just as your mum always reminded you to brush your teeth before bed, we’re going to keep at you about your breakfast. That very first morsel you put in your mouth is the most important meal of the day and getting it right can mean you’re burning through fat and switching your brain to ON right from the start. The best breakies are micronutrient rich (that means they contain lots of vitamins, and minerals) and contain satiating fibres, proteins and good fats. A breakfast containing all of these wonderful things will balance your blood sugars, increase your ability to stay lean, improve mood and energy and set you up for better food choices later in the day.Options BUF love, and great for the time poor:

• Salmon + brazil nuts
or cashews
• Organic chicken/turkey breast + avocado
• Organic whole poached/boiled eggs + greens
• Organic plain yoghurt with walnuts and berries
• Homemade smoothie with a scoop of Sunwarrior protein powder, chia seeds and ice
• Brown/wild rice with beans and spinach
• 1 cup of wheat-free oats + a scoop of protein powder

6. Nutrition: Meals on Wheels!

As you wrap up the year and social commitments ramp up, it’s easy to start wondering how the heck you used to find time to cook healthy food every single night! But a lack of time doesn’t mean you can justify fast food ladies! Jump on board with the new wave of meal delivery services and have fresh, healthy, organic meals delivered daily to your door! It may be too expensive to keep up all year, but for a cheeky few weeks in the lead-up to Christmas, it may well be worth it to keep your health in check. BUF! loves Hexey and Eat Fit Food for full service, or try Chomp Life for lunch delivered direct to your workplace! All of these provide nutrient dense meals and snacks made with high quality, locally sourced produce (Hexey is even 100% organic these days!), saving you time, energy and money. Yes please! See you on the beach BUFettes ;)