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Learn about Ohio State's Living Well program.
Little tricks like only watching recorded television shows while she walks on her treadmill or planning her weekly meals each weekend help Angela Blackstone juggle her busy life as wife, mom and dietitian. |
"Even if I stumble or get off track, I keep moving forward," says Angela Blackstone, a registered dietitian with The Ohio State University Center for Wellness and Prevention, who is also a wife and a mother of two young children. "Every weekend my husband and I plan for six dinners at home and then make a grocery list. That sets us up to have food for lunches and dinners all week with one planned dinner out."
Transferring those plans into action for a healthy lifestyle takes effort, but Blackstone reports that it really is worth it, even on the busiest days. Here is a recent Wednesday in her world — consider adopting some of her tactics to organize your life:
5 a.m.
Alarm goes off and as much as I'd like to say I jump out of bed ready to start my day, I hit snooze once.
6 a.m.
Wake the kids and work with my husband to feed them breakfast and get them dressed. I leave for work at 6:30 a.m. and my husband drops the children at childcare.
7 a.m.
I work two 10-hour days and three shorter days each week. Today is a shorter day.
Noon
Lunch, which I take to work, is usually yogurt, a healthy frozen dinner, fruit cup and some kind of pre-portioned snack.
3 p.m.
After my shorter workdays, I walk on the treadmill for 30 to 45 minutes while watching recorded television shows. I've made it a rule that I only can watch TV when I'm on the treadmill.
5 p.m.
Pick up the kids from childcare.
6 p.m.
Family dinner is the goal, but sometimes I feed my two-year-old earlier to keep her from melting down. My daughter goes through spurts where she'll only eat five foods, or refuses vegetables, or only eats one type of fruit. I struggle as a dietitian with these issues, but I guess everyone faces them!
10 p.m.
I get things ready for the next day. I pack the bags for childcare, put together lunch and snacks for work and even pick out my clothes!
11 p.m.
My goal is to be in bed by 10:30 or 11 at the latest. But, really, one of the kids is bound to be up at some point during the night!