A Guide to Healthy Eating with a Busy Lifestyle

You wake up Monday morning filled with good intentions for a week of healthy eating. Then life happens.

But don't let your busy lifestyle sidetrack your weight loss intentions. With a little foresight and planning, the following tips and strategies can help pave the way for more nourishing and sustainable habits that can help keep the weight off long after surgery.

1. Double up. Making extra servings for leftovers is a huge time-saver.

Use dinner leftovers for lunch; in fact, pack up your lunch bag as you are cleaning up from dinner.

Extra grilled or baked chicken or salmon can supply the protein to a lunch or dinner salad the following day.

Prep a double or triple batch of salad (keep undressed until ready to eat).

Freeze extra chili, soup or stew to create a stockpile of homemade frozen dinners at your fingertips.

2. Take a few minutes to pre-cut veggies, such as bell peppers, carrots, celery and cucumbers, that you can keep in the fridge to munch on for snacks.

3. Buy pre-bagged veggies and frozen fruits. Most supermarkets carry ready-to-go bags of veggies such as green beans, spinach, kale, arugula, broccoli and shredded cabbage. Use frozen fruits in smoothies.

4. Use canned beans. Readily available and pre-cooked, canned beans can be tossed into soups and salads, or mixed with avocado and salsa for a quick, easy meal.

5. Prep breakfast the night before. After dinner, set up your smoothie ingredients, hard-cook some eggs, or start some oats in the slow cooker for a delicious, ready-to-eat breakfast in the a.m.

6. Use these quick meal ideas for some inspiration:

Grilled or baked chicken or fish with a small sweet potato and frozen veggies

Bagged greens topped with canned tuna, sardines, or leftover chicken or salmon, drizzled with 1 tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice, vinegar, sea salt and pepper.

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