The Busy (lazy) Gal's Guide to Eating Clean

Do you know how often I hear my clients say that they just don't have the TIME to eat clean? My response? It doesn't take any longer to choose between a bagel and an omelet. Or, it's just a matter of planning. Or, what's more important: convenience and feeling fat or making an effort and feeling and looking great?

That's not my entire bandwidth of answers, but you catch my drift. You can come up with a million excuses as to why you just can't eat clean. However, when all is said and done, eating crappy foods may be easy, but it sure won't make you feel easy when your pants don't fit, you're low on energy and you wish you didn't have to go on another diet yet again.

Here are a few tips on how to eat clean, no matter how much time you have. Remember, everyone has 24 hours and somehow even the busiest people in the world make health enough of a priority to make it count.

Plan ahead: This is a no-brainer. You know you make poor choices when you're unprepared. You walk into that 5-hour meeting knowing that the lunch will be catered with fat-laden sandwiches, a cookie tray and soda. Think ahead and bring your own. Or, at least, bring a protein shake so you can tide yourself over until you have a break to get decent food.

Shop smart: Take one day a week to shop for groceries. Whether it's delivered by Fresh Direct or you go to Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, make it a habit to have your fridge stocked with some frozen veggies for times you're in a time crunch, some frozen protein options, such as turkey meat balls, salmon or turkey burgers, or some fresh rotisserie chicken or turkey breast. Hard-boiled eggs and fritattas are great breakfast options you can eat on the run. Make sure you stock your pantry with clean choices and get rid of the stuff that you know you'll go for when nothing else is there. Have Ben & Jerry leave the kitchen!

Cook ahead: If you take the time to cook, cook several portions and freeze away a few or take a portion with you to work as lunch or snack for the next day. I often make a big salad bowl at lunch and keep eating it during the day or for dinner. If it's there when I open the fridge door, I'll eat it. If not, I'll try to take shortcuts and reach for things I know aren't going to make me feel food, such as peanut butter that's really reserved for my dog (yes, I know...). Here's one of my favorite high-protein salads: mixed greens, arugula, spinach with tomatoes, avocado, grilled chicken and cilantro dressing.

Same goes with your meal planning when on the run. Why not pick up a piece of chicken from the deli you get your breakfast eggs from? You'll have something in the fridge at work for a snack or for lunch in case you get stuck at work. Why not pick up a Greek yogurt from the deli to have as a snack in the office so you won't have to run to Starbucks for your 3pm sugar fix?

Share your intentions: How often do your co-workers bring foods to the office that aren't necessarily getting you into your skinny jeans. Why they bring donuts and cupcakes and other sugar to work is not really the question, but how you deal with it is an important consideration. Express what your intentions are and let your co-worker know (nicely) that you don't want it. Stand your ground and perhaps try to break that unhealthy cycle at work by bringing your own healthy food options. There are better ways to make your co-workers happy (and productive and healthy) that don't include sugar.

Remember, excuses aren't ever going to get you to your goal. If you're tired of running around in circles without making any progress, then write down your excuses just for a day and see what answers you can come up with to address them. Excuses are only excuses as long as you don't develop a creative response to them. You'll find you're coming up with a slew of new behaviors that will get you to your goal, rather than away from it.