America is blessed with so many conveniences! Unfortunately, it has also increased our obesity rate! Fortunately you don’t have to be a casualty.

Your great-great grandmother would laugh!

She’d wipe the sweat off her brow and let out a belly laugh. “A what? A gym?” Especially after coming in from milking the cows, weeding the garden, churning the butter and doing the family laundry by the river.

It hasn’t been until recently (about the 1950’s) that Americans have faced a need for formal exercise. With automation came less lifestyle activity. About the same time more processed “fast” foods entered the scene. Convenience crept in — and it is here to stay!

It’s no mystery when you stop and calculate how automation has caused us to burn less calories and consume more of them.

Today, it is possible to stay home for 30 days straight and never leave the house. You can have your food delivered, your trash picked up, your movies delivered, your mail picked up, and even have your dog walked!

Hang on Jennifer. Do you want me to live like the Amish?

Now please don’t get me wrong. I like my washing machine, dishwasher, and my automobile. Since I live on an island, I really like that I can have some of my favorite retailers deliver to my front door. These conveniences free up my time for other priorities.

For busy people, outsourcing some of the less physical everyday tasks will actually assist you with your health and weight loss goals. It will free up your time to plan healthy low-cal meals, exercise more, and even rest.

Here are some everyday tasks that can help you lose weight:

• Park in the back of the lot.
• Walk downtown for an errand.
• Take the stairs.
• Walk your kids to school.
• Walk the dog.
• Walk to the mailbox.
• Go shopping.
• Do careful meal planning and cooking.

You can exercise during leisure time as well!

• Turn off the screen and go for a walk.
• Walk to your local video store for a movie. (Multi-task by bringing the dog.)
  
• Walk to your local restaurant.
• Plan outdoor activities for your off time.
• Meet a friend for a walk and then have coffee or lunch.
• Walk on the beach.
• Go hiking and have a picnic for a date.
• Plan vacations that offer physical activities.

Last Tuesday, a close friend of mine was in town. She wanted to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and sight see. We walked a little over three miles and had so much fun. It was a beautiful day. After, we went to Sausalito for lunch.

It would have been so much easier to stop in the car, take a few photos, and drive on to Sausalito. I’m so glad that we made the extra effort to walk across it. We combined our exercise with our leisure time. We had fun and met our daily exercise goal all at the same time.

There’s no getting around it — we have to plan to lose weight!

Modern convenience has permanently created an environment that requires us to pay more attention to calories burned versus calories consumed. In order to lose and/or maintain our weight for the years to come, healthy eating and regular exercise must be incorporated into our daily lives.

Whether you prefer to “disguise” exercise in your every day activities or like to do formal workouts, it will require some thought and planning. Check this out for tips on how to lose weight living your life.

Convenience can open the door for a “last minute” mindset. Use your calendar to schedule exercise and healthy meals into your day. If you’d like suggestions on how to do that, I offer you nine meal planning tips that lead to weight loss. Don’t worry. They’re perfect for busy people, and even save you money!

Please leave a comment below and let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything you are struggling with. Or, if you have a success story you would like to share! I love hearing from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer