Ep: #21 - How Time Impacts Your Weight Loss

Faye Casement Author

Mar 22, 2023 |

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A common misconception is that the only things you need to weight loss are diet and exercise. While these are key and you will lose weight, there are other things that are important if you want lasting weight loss and to make the journey easier and sustainable. Does it surprise you if I say time management is one of them?

Effective time management really is an important life skill in general for everyone let's face it, whether you're trying to lose weight or not.

But if you want to see real and lasting results in your weight loss I would put honing your time management skills up there.

Like most things though it is continual work in progress.

You're probably wondering why time management is so important when trying to lose weight. Is it because I need to make time to diet and exercise?

In part yes, diet and exercise are key factors in weight loss and an excuse that pops up often is "I do not have time" but there are other reasons too so stay tuned/keep reading as I run you through them.

First off another question for you - play along now as it is important you gain awareness so you can take your life and weight loss by the balls.  How you would score your relationship with time. Score of 1 - 10, 1 being I never have enough time to do everything I need to and 10 being I always have time to do everything I need to. 

Why Is Time Management Important For Weight Loss?

The most obvious thing is you will need to dedicate enough time to your weight loss and any movement you want to do.

But the pro move is managing your time well generally in life for other things like work, family etc . Good time management skills mean you are more likely to make healthy choices throughout the day which will lead to better eating habits and more consistent exercise routines.

On the other hand, poor time management can lead to stress and anxiety which can lead to emotional eating and a more sedentary lifestyle.

So really it comes down to you and how you want to use your time. If you want to make lasting changes in your life & weight loss then you need to manage your time as it could be the difference between success and failure.

Time As An Excuse

Time is often used as an excuse for not doing a lot of things we all have 168 hours in a week but it is how we chose to spend it that counts.

I quote this all the time but where your attention goes your energy flows and this is the same for time. You make time for things that are important to you.

You may say hold up Faye but I have a job I can't just skip out on that, I have a family that needs me etc. These things are true of course but it is important to still realise and accept these are choices. There is likely still a lot of scope in your day for when you could be doing one thing but you are choosing to do another.

For example, my plan was to be writing a webinar right now for another group but I got this idea in my head and have chosen to put that to one side 🙄

You may choose to have an extra half an hour in bed instead of getting up to do some exercise. Or maybe you zone out and buffer on Facebook or TikTok for an hour.  I have totally done that too I am human 😁.

My brain though is quite happy to complain still that I don't have enough time to do what I want to do which really is bs.

These are all things to be mindful of when using time as an excuse for not doing something.

In one of the group coaching sessions in the Membership recently we did an exercise called the 168 hour week. It was really interesting because people could really see where their time was going and once you gather awareness it leads to ideas on how you can step into action. We then revisited it the following week for accountability.

The exercise in the Membership can actually be run 2 ways. One to see where your time is going and in reverse to see how you want to spend your time.

Want to get started on managing your time more effectively why not join the membership and have a go at the exercise too and grab coaching so as to take your life and weight loss to the next level.

Time & Stress

Time is also a huge stressor for many people.

If you find yourself running late all the time, are frazzled and can't meet deadlines you are likely to feel stressed.

A simple thing like misplacing your keys and running a little late in the morning can ruin your whole day. The stress it causes a spike in your cortisol and triggers a ton of thoughts knocking into how you think the whole day and how you then show up for it.

Maybe you feel like you run out of time at the end of the day and therefore do not have enough time for yourself once you have finished working and looking after loved ones meaning you do not make the best choices for yourself in the moment.

If this is you, then it is likely born out of one of two things.

You don't think you deserve to make time for yourself. You may feel guilty and selfish when you take time to work on yourself. If so, I'm here to tell you this is not true, and also to remind you that to really give to others you have to give to yourself first as you will then show up more vibrantly. It's just like on an airplane you have to put your oxygen mask on first. We can work on this if this is you.

The other or as well as, could be working on your time management so you have more time. In his book, "The big leap", Gay Hendricks talks about Einstein time and how we have the ability to create time. He talks about how time can compress or expand depending on how we are showing up in the moment.

So how can you do this? 

1) Be aware of what is going on when you feel that time and space have disappeared, 

2) Take small actionable steps to shift this so that you have more time in your day and life.

Whether it's working on your time management and getting things done faster or taking control of the negative thoughts about yourself, you can do this.

You aren't alone in needing to work on this, it a common issue and have seen I have seen many a woman struggle with this and how it impacts in to their weight loss and therefore why I cover it in the membership.

Time & Overeating

Like above if you are feeling a bit time frazzled and stressed this will show up in your eating and it is likely without the right help you will make choices that don't serve your life or weight loss.

This is not a dig, just the reality of what happens as I have seen it often in my own weight loss and the journeys of others.

Who hasn’t had a healthy meal planned for the evening only to have been so frazzled they couldn’t contemplate cooking it.

Who hasn’t had grabbed a last-minute take out or inviting to eat out from a friend after a busy day.

Who hasn’t skipped their chosen exercise as they were home late and couldn’t possibly do it then.

Who hasn’t been so busy they forgot to eat but then gorged after because you serve it.

Why don’t you take some time to write down the ways time could be impacting your weight loss.

Busting Time Hurdles

So how do you overcome these hurdles to show up for yourself and your weight loss daily?

Here are some tips on how to do that:

1, My first tip is to work on it. It is easy to let life just happen to you but when you take hold of life magical things happen.

2, Work on your thoughts and relationship with time. It is your thoughts about any given situation that ultimately create your results.

3, Look at practical action steps:

- Really get to know what sucks your time.

- Prioritise your time and set realistic commitments for yourself. This can help you focus on what tasks are most important, and ensure that you have enough time to devote to diet and exercise. There are loads of life coaching tools available to help with this as well as coaching.

- Work on reducing distractions like social media or the internet. It can be easy to lose track of time when scrolling through Instagram or Facebook, so try to limit your activity.

RECAP

Trying to lose weight can be like trying to run a marathon with no training. It's impossible to achieve your goals without putting in the time and effort required. Similarly, if you're not managing your time well, you're likely to overeat or make other choices that sabotage your weight loss goals. Just like in a race, time management is one of the key factors that determine whether you reach your finish line.

There are many different ways that time management can impact weight loss, including stress levels and distraction. For example, if you're constantly running late or feeling stressed out, it's easy to turn to food for comfort or get distracted by social media or other online activities.

To be successful at weight loss and overall wellness, it's important to work on managing your time well. This means setting realistic commitments, focusing on what's most important, and avoiding distractions. By taking control of your time, you can reach your weight loss goals and improve your overall health.

I hope you found this blog helpful.

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If you're interested in learning more about this topic or want to find out how you can make time for your overall wellness and a weight loss program that works for you long term, please reach out in messenger.

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Categories: : Weight loss