Invariably you will have obstacles, challenges, and questions when beginning a weight loss program.  It’s smart if you address these before they come up.

When you know your challenges, it’s not as discouraging when they come up.  You’re prepared.  You’ll be mentally and physically ready to deal with the challenge and move past it–quickly!

Constraints At Work

The most often quoted excuse is after working all day in the office or at work, where will I find the energy or time to devote to a weight loss program?

It doesn’t really matter whether you have a hotshot career that keeps you on your toes all day long or have a job where you spend every day counting the minutes till closing hour; you are spending most of your time at work.

You may even have a job that involves constant physical work and you may be under the impression that this is an excellent way of making sure the calories never add up.  It may surprise you to find that this is an illusion and true weight control or weight loss requires a proper diet and regular workouts.

Let’s see how your work can affect your fitness plans. No matter how much you love or hate your job, many people spend most of the day or night–or both– working on it.  More time is lost in getting ready for work, commuting to and from work, maybe taking some work home.

Further, have you ever thought of how much time you spend thinking about work even if you’re not actually in the office? You may be thinking of upcoming presentations and deadlines or worrying about your new boss. Some people try to relieve themselves of work-related stress by turning to food or alcohol, all contributing to more weight gain.

For most people, work is a major factor that prevents them from sticking to a regular workout routine and from having well-balanced meals three times a day. In fact work may even make matters worse with stress causing weight gain in many.

Despite this, it is still possible to schedule workout plans and find recipes for nutritious meals that one can manage in whatever little time is available.

Constraints At Home

If you live alone, your time is entirely yours! You have great flexibility in deciding how you would like to spend your free time. You can decide what you would like to eat, when you would like to eat and when you would like to workout. With few constraints, you can devise an ideal weight control plan and make full use of your freedom!

On the other hand, for those with families and especially with little children, your time is seldom yours. You need to give consideration to everyone in the family. For example, forget about skipping a meal if you are not feeling hungry – almost everyone else will be ravenously hungry.

If you are all stepping out for dinner, no one is in the mood to go to a health bar.  And you will have a tougher time taking some time out for yourself if you have kids.

In fact, most parents try to get up early, have more intense workouts and then get to work. The result is that they are short of sleep and the combined effect of less calories and more intense workouts leaves them very tired and with not enough energy to go through the day. This kind of schedule will certainly not lead to any true fitness and there are more chances that their health will suffer.

With these kinds of constraints it is never easy to stick to a regular schedule, be it for workouts or for planning meals. However, do not despair – there are some simple and straightforward solutions to the above dilemma.

In my next post, we’ll review some ways to deal with the above time/family/food issues to keep you on the right track.

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How To Lose Those Last 10 Pounds, Part 2: Knowing Why Before How