In my Personal Training Gym in Barnsley I have come up with answers for people who find it difficult to eat healthy due to time constraints.

When Your Job or Day Sucks Up Your Time
Prepare your daily food either at the start of the day or the night before. This way you will take responsibility and control what you eat. This is your chance to choose between healthy foods or food from a vending machine or a canteen that serves processed and de-vitalised food.

Should you assume the role of taking control of what you eat (which you will have to if you want fat loss) your choice could be a bowl containing a chopped up salad with some cold cuts of meat or fish. The salad could include spinach, pepper, green beans, asparagus, sugarsnap peas, tomatoes and spring onions. Add some dressing, seed oil and maybe some lime or lemon juice and hey presto you have a very healthy lunch you can graze on during the day.

When Emails and Phone Calls Take Up Your Day
Set the alarm on your watch every 3 hours to remind you to take a break. Give yourself at least 10 minutes where you don’t answer emails or phone calls, divert calls if necessary or let calls go straight to the answer machine.

You are worth this time; your health is more valuable than trying to beat the never-ending stream of work that will always be there no matter how long and hard you try to beat it. When you do this make sure you leave the desk so you can’t be distracted.

Impromptu Meetings
I favour solid meals because they are more thermogenic but there are times when liquid meals can be convenient and a lifesaver. It is always handy to have a meal replacement sachet in your bag for unforeseeable situations.

Liquid meals don’t excite the metabolism as much as solid meals so it is best to leave them for times when you have little other options available. The best meal replacements are those that contain whey protein and have no aspartame. Meal replacements are easy to prepare, they mix easily in a screw top shaker with a little water and a few shakes.

Because of the protein content in a lot of these meal replacements it is a wise choice for women to just have half a sachet. Most of these meal replacements are designed for male bodybuilders and women’s daily protein requirements differ from that of a male bodybuilder. A piece of fruit is a good choice to accompany them.

I recommend having a tbsp of seed oil in the shake to give it some healthy fats.

When On the Road
There is nothing stopping you from taking a mixed salad and a choice of protein food in a bowl as mentioned above. If push comes to shove you could even have a meal replacement drink with a piece of fruit. Other options are mixed nuts and dried fruit, rice cakes with a boiled egg or cold cuts of meat or pate. Do you get the picture how easy it can be?

Anything that is easy to prepare and easy to transport is the key. It all comes down to preparing and being organised, remember it is you that is in control and responsible for your food choice. It isn’t the responsibility of the café owner or the fast food restaurants to provide you with good quality food that is healthy for your body.

When You Can’t Avoid Eating Out
I can’t see how this is a problem unless the waiter is force-feeding you deserts. People continue to use it as an excuse never the less. This is only as bad as the choices you make. You can still stick to the guidelines of eating the correct healthy protein with the right kind of carbohydrates for your body.

There is nothing to stop you from requesting more meat or fish with your meal to make sure you have enough protein on your plate. There is also nothing to stop you requesting your preference of cooking either. Always think about ratios between protein and carbohydrates, this will prevent you over eating carbohydrates and control fat storage.

Not Enough Time to Shop?
In this day and age of the Internet and door-to-door delivery and 24 hour openings of supermarkets this excuse is no longer valid. Shake yourself and focus!

Forget to Eat?
I can understand how this can be done especially if your body isn’t used to regular feeds and hunger is masked by regular drinks of coffee and tea. In order to get the metabolism fired up and working properly it is a good idea to set your alarm and get into the habit of eating frequently as already stated.

Once your body gets used to eating frequently and you experience the alertness and energy it gives you it will become automatic for you. It will feel natural for you to eat frequently and your body will feel uncomfortable if you miss a meal. But don’t forget exercise is important too!