Want a secret tip to lose weight? I know they say there supposedly aren’t secrets for weight loss, but actually, there are! And I have one. Are you ready for it? Drum roll please…
Meal planning.
What? That’s it? Yes. Meal planning. Here’s why:
• It eliminates mindless eating.
• It ensures that every bite is approved.
• It controls calorie and nutritional counts.
• It plans when your nutrients will be consumed.
And did I mention it saves you time so you can spend all those extra hours at the gym. Haha, you know you want to. Perhaps the idea of meal planning sounds intimidating? And you are thinking, where do I start? Well in 7 easy steps we will walk you through it. Ready, set and go!
How to get started:
Outline a plan
How many meals do you eat each day? How much weight do you want to lose (remember this is not the goal, but if you do want to lose weight then you should consider cutting down on your intake of carbohydrates). What size should your meals be per day? Many times we eat portions which are far, far bigger than anything that we should be eating. Don’t eat for the sake of eating but rather benchmark against regular portion control.
Find pre-made options
Even if you are prepping, it is still a lot of work to cook everything. Try to get some pre-cooked chicken, brown rice which heats up in a bag or veggies which you can steam in 5 minutes. This will give you a head start on your preparations.
Create a list of recipes
Get friendly with Google and see what you can come up with in terms of recipes. There are loads of options. Go for the recipes which are simple (ain’t nobody got time for that) and low in fats. Some good options are the follows: sautéed veggies, slow cooker lean beef, stir fried chicken, baked sweet potato, rolled oats, and hard-boiled eggs.
Go shopping
Once you’ve got your recipes take to the shops to get everything you need. It may seem very expensive but you will find that you are spending this amount and more anyway without getting the nutritional gains. Do a quick clean out of your fridge before your shopping trip so that you have space and remember to get some Tupperware containers and plastic bags.
Start cooking
Cook through the recipes you have planned. You may have to set aside some time and put some music on to make it go quicker, but remember, once again you are saving time in the long run. If you need fresh vegetables for your meals leave these out and only cook them on the day or make a salad.
Measure and pack your meals
You may have to freeze some meals if you don’t have enough space in your fridge. Try to stack things and get them in so that you have enough for 3 days. You can defrost after that. You should also have some handy snacks set aside for when you feel munchy so that you don’t pick up chocolates and crisps instead of their better alternative.
Grab and GO!
There you go! Don’t forget to put your meals into a cool box. And don’t forget to drink lots of water so you remain hydrated. Happy planning.