One of the most popular excuses people have for not sticking to a plan consistently and achieving their goals is lack of time.

There are two solutions to help overcome time as an excuse. The first step is prioritization.

If time is the primary obstacle then most likely you are prioritizing other areas of life over your health and fitness goals. This can be addressed by making your health and fitness goals a priority. If there are other circumstances that absolutely need to come first, then make sure your health and fitness plan is the next thing up and do not let it fall too far down the totem poll. Be honest with yourself and ask if these other things are truly more important, or just easy excuses to not bust your butt and achieve your goals.

Changing your health and body means actually making changes in choices and lifestyle. Anybody who has achieved anything significant in health and fitness has demonstrated a certain level of toughness. This might mean getting up early once in a while to get your training in, or staying up a little late to prepare your meals for the next day.

Once you have prioritized your health and fitness goals, you can next begin optimizing your time. Here are some time-saving techniques that can help you stick to your plan and keep you moving forward towards achieving your goals.

1 – Have a nutritional plan that you follow consistently. This not only helps you achieve your goals but also keeps your grocery shopping quick because you always know what you need, and you can get it and get out in the most efficient way possible. Having a plan also means you can shop ahead which means less trips to the store.

2 – Cook portions for more than one meal. If you are going to be busy the next day, cook enough for your meal that day and the next.

3 – Prepare your meals ahead of time for days you know will be busy.

4- Use protein shakes. They are quick, easy, and fit most nutritional plans.

Start implementing these time-saving techniques today!