How To Stay Lean Year Round When You Have No Time To Exercise!

Tired of going from diet to diet with no long term success? Sick of your weight fluctuating all the time? Have you been wondering how to stay lean without exercise?

There are so many diets out there that promise to help you lose weight, but the truth is a lot of them are hard to maintain year round.

While they may be effective short term, you want an eating plan that you can maintain all year round so you keep your weight in check all the time.

In addition, if you don’t have time to exercise, then getting the diet right is the most important thing. Otherwise, it’s going to be difficult to achieve your weight loss goals.

As a Mom of three, I find it harder and harder to get any time in for exercise anymore. I do my best to follow my morning routine every day so that I can fit in my workouts, but sometimes exercise just falls last on my list.

When you have no time to exercise you need a backup plan if you want to stay lean.

Today let’s go through the different things you can do all year long to keep in good shape when you just don’t have the time to hit the gym!

How to Stay Lean Without Exercise

Eat Heaviest Carbs Early In The Day

Eat the majority of your carbs earlier in the day so that you have time to burn them off throughout the day. If your family still wants carbs at night you can still make the same meals , but try to cut back on the carbs for yourself.

For example, if I have carbs all weekend( I’m talking about unhealthy carbs), I may make my family turkey burgers for dinner on Monday, but will not eat the roll. The next night I will make tacos for dinner, they will all eat the shells, but I just eat the taco meat with all the toppings.

If I do eat carbs at dinner, it’s always the good carbs… which brings me to my next point….

Eat Mostly “Good Carbs”

Good Carbs have nutritional value. They offer fiber and vitamins that are essential for a healthy diet.

Here is a short list of good carbs that should make up the majority of carbs for your weekly meal plan:

• Sweet Potatoes
• Beans
• Whole wheat bread
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Oatmeal- I eat regular oats mixed with honey and cinnamon every morning. So good for you.

A few “bad carbs” to watch out for:

These are carbohydrates that have no nutritional value at all

• White Bread
• Cookies and Cakes
• Sugary Drinks
• Most Processed Boxed Foods

Drink Lots of Water

Do you know that most of the time you’re not even hungry, you’re just thirsty? I tell my kids this all the time when they are begging for more snacks. You’re not hungry, you’re thirsty!!

Have you ever heard anyone say you need to drink a glass of water before your meal?

They’re right. If you drink water it will fills you up and you are less likely to overeat. Try it!

When you drink more water this also means you will be drinking less sugary drinks and juices.

Watch the scale go down when you completely cut out the soda and iced tea and replace it with water. Aim for 8 glasses of water a day.

Eat Protein At Every Meal

Protein not only helps you maintain the muscle you already have, but it helps you keep full longer!

Protein slows down your digestion and makes you less likely to reach for those bad foods and searching through your snack cabinet and overeating.

Here are a few Lean proteins that you can incorporate into your eating plan to start:

• Chicken
• Lean Beef – eye of round roast and steak, Sirloin tip side steak, top round roast and steak, bottom round roast and sirloin steak. Courtesy of MayoClinic
• Pork Tenderloin
• Seafood- Shrimp, Salmon, Flounder, Tuna( steak or canned), crab, scallops, etc
• Beans- Lentil, northern, navy, black beans etc.
• Eggs
• Lean Ground Turkey
• Dairy- Milk, Yogurt(Greek is preferable), Cottage Cheese
• Nuts, Nut Butters and Seeds
• Certain Veggies- Peas, Spinach, Mushrooms, Kale and Corn

Eat 5-6 Times a Day to Keep Your Metabolism Going

There is conflicting evidence on this and I have been researching this for years. I can’t find anything conclusive, but for me I personally eat 5-6 times a day because that has always worked for me. I eat three full meals and then the other 2 or 3 may be lighter and what I consider snacks.

It is said that this keeps your metabolism constantly going which will aid in weight loss.

Drink Protein Shakes Even If You Don’t Workout

If you’ve never made a protein shake before I highly recommend them. Either that or a smoothie with greek yogurt (for the protein).

These are excellent to have every day and you don’t need to workout to have them. The best time to have them is after you have done some sort of activity so that you can repair your muscles with protein.

However, if you don’t have time to exercise have a protein shake or smoothie as a snack.

I have at least 4 shakes a week and that is with or without exercise.

My shakes give me the protein that I need to build muscle and stay full without adding a ton of calories. I add in protein powder, blueberries, banana, chia seeds, cocoa powder and spinach.

Side Note: I use this all natural non-gmo protein powder that is flavorless. You have to mix it with something though!

The smoothie keeps me full and stops me from grabbing a mid-afternoon snack that is heavy on carbs. It gives me the nutrients and vitamins I need whereas I may not have opted for a bowl of blueberries or a banana for a snack on their own.

Stay Away From Processed Foods As Much As Possible

They are empty calories and do nothing but add weight and no nutritional value. Opt for Healthy Snacks.

Processed unhealthy snacks may taste good, but they are loaded with bad stuff and are usually high in sugar, sodium, and calories!!

Aim for Healthy Snacks Throughout The Day

Here is a list of a few healthy snacks for you:

• apples with natural peanut butter
• rice cakes(the good kind with little or no sugar) with almond butter or natural peanut butter
• banana
• hummus and carrots( I love Pita chips and opt for whole grain, but they are high in carbs and addicting!)
• whole grain pita bread and hummus
• whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter or almond butter(My go to!)
• whole wheat bread with avocado
• hardboiled eggs and whole wheat toast
• pretzels and dried fruit
• trail mix of nuts and dried fruit
• Healthy Muffins- Try any of these muffin recipes. They are a perfect pre-workout snack btw. I typically have two mini muffins before a workout.
• Cottage Cheese and Pretzels
• Protein Shake or Smoothie Loaded
• Veggies
• Fruit
• Greek Yogurt(unsweetened) with chopped dates and walnuts

Stay Away From Sweets

I wrote a whole post on sugar because it’s my downfall. Cutting out the sugar helped me so much and really changed my health and physique.

I highly recommend cutting back or cutting it out of your diet. Read more about Sugar and tips to reduce it HERE.

Eat As Close To Nature As Possible

It’s a simple rule to follow and it works!

Shop mostly the ends of the grocery store. That’s where all the fresh and natural foods are. That means you should not be buying too much in the middle of the grocery store! Stick to the ends as much as you can (So difficult to do with kids!)

Prep Ahead Of Time

You’re going to reach for unhealthy foods if you don’t have some veggies cut up for yourself or if you don’t have anything healthy on hand! Prepping is a big part of your success in staying lean year round.

Yes, it’s will take time, but your body will thank you and you will be happy with the results of your effort.

Try to plan your meals at the beginning of the week and maybe even cook them ahead of time so you are less likely to order out or make something unhealthy for dinner.

This includes snacks as well. Plan ahead for success!

Bring Snacks with You

Pack healthy snacks before you are ready to head out the door. If I’m ever out and hungry I’m going to grab whatever is most convenient and it’s never healthy. I always bring my own trail mix or fruit with me just in case I get hungry.

Allow Yourself Cheat Days

If you want to keep up with staying lean without exercise year round then you must allow yourself some of the foods you love.

It doesn’t sound right, but you are most likely guaranteed to fall back on bad habits because your cravings will be so strong or you will be miserable without indulging now and then!

I follow the 80/20 rule. 80 percent of what I eat is healthy and I choose to do that all week long. My weekends are saved for eating whatever I want. That keeps me satisfied and has helped me maintain a healthy lifestyle for years.

For example, if I know I have parties and get togethers coming up on the weekend then I make sure to eat right all week long so I can indulge because I will have no control over what is being served!

You can follow that same rule, but change it up throughout the week. It’s whatever works best for your schedule.

Here is One Example Of a Day of Lean Eating:

Morning– Coffee, water, Plain Oats with Honey and Cinnamon

Snack– Healthy Muffins

Lunch– Salad with Chicken, Walnuts, Avocado, Carrots, Cucumbers, Apples, Cheese and Dressing

Mid- Afternoon Snack– Protein Shake

Dinner– Marinated Chicken, Diced Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli

After Dinner Snack– Herbal Tea and Brown Rice Cake with Almond Butter

Portion Control

This would pertain to what you put on your dinner plate as well as what you snack on.

So that means you can’t put 5 Tablespoons of peanut butter on your apples! One or Two is plenty.

If you are going to grab yourself a bag of chips on your cheat days, don’t sit with the whole bag in front of you. Check out the serving size and go from there.

Then put the chips in a bowl and put the bag away!

How To Stay Lean Without Exercise|Tips To Keep Active

You need to be creative on how to get activity in…..

Here are some ideas you can incorporate into your day to get some physical activity in when there is no time to exercise:

-If you’re just sitting watching tv you can do a few sit ups during commercials.

-If you are outside playing with your kids or if they are playing at a park you can run around with them.

-Playing on the floor with your toddler? Do some leg lifts and donkey kicks while you are on the ground with them.

-Stuck in an office all day? Take the stairs, park far from the office or take a walk during your lunch break.

-Brushing your teeth? Do some squats. I’ll never forget when I read that a model did squats when she brushed her teeth. I thought that was genius and I have done that ever since!

These tips may sound silly, but I promise it does add up and you will burn calories.

You’re at least doing something and those little bits of activity will make a difference in combination with a healthy lifestyle and “diet.”

Then as you start doing these things you will come up with more ways to incorporate extra activity into your day.

It may be lifting your 30lb toddler up and down a few times or doing a few pushups before up get in the shower. It doesn’t have to be 30 mins to a half hour all the time.

Cut yourself some slack and do whatever you can with the time you have.

Doing something is better than nothing!

Invest in an Activity Tracker

An activity tracker is always helpful, that way you know exactly how much you’ve been moving. Sometimes we think we are so active when we’re really not!

Try to set a goal of at least 7000 steps a day and stick to it! That is progress. Then maybe you can up it to 10,000. Set goals for yourself and then reward yourself on the weekends if you achieve your goals throughout the week.

I personally aim for 10,000 steps a day and more.

10,000 steps equates to 5 miles. There are different factors involved to determine the number of calories you will burn, but it will be anywhere from 300 to 500 calories.

It does make a difference and this is so important if you don’t have time to exercise.

Now if you can exercise and have the time to do a full workout routine that you will see amazing results in your health and your physique!

Here is a budget friendly tracker that I currently have:

This one is more of a splurge

How To Stay Lean Without Exercise- Time To Take Action!

If you make healthy eating habits a way of life you are sure to reap the benefits.

For the majority of us, you cannot stay lean by eating anything you want and by being completely sedentary.

It just doesn’t work, but you can stay lean by watching what you eat and by being active in whatever way you can.

So start implementing some of these tips on staying lean without exercising and come back and let me know how it’s going!

Also, If you have any additional exercise hacks that you can share I would love to hear about them in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by and please share if you liked this post!

XOXO,

Nicole

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