Meal Prepping for Success!
Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition.
Do you ever have struggles with nutrition?
Of course you do. We all do.
Today, I want to break down five strategies to make sure your nutrition is on point for the week and it all centers around being prepared and shifting your priorities. Noah and I went over these and more in our weekly Wellness Wednesday Facebook Live so if you missed it, check it out here!
Exercise is great. It’s a stress reliever, it burns calories, you gain strength, your heart functions better and the list goes on.
However, exercise is only a piece of the puzzle.
Nutrition is a HUGE piece.
At Adam Clark Fitness, we don’t believe in “dieting” as it’s not really a long-term solution.
Instead, we work to build healthy habits and it starts with meal prep.
Here are five simple strategies to implement into your weekly routine that will keep you healthy, will curb those urges to grab fast food and will help you when you are feeling tired and busy:
Make A Plan
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” said Benjamin Franklin. I’m not saying you have to have it down to the single calorie and everything counted out but by putting together a sample meal calendar for the week keeps you organized and on point.
Excuse: This is boring and I don’t like to plan too far ahead.
Not everything needs to be an attention grabber. By consistently doing this, you create the habit of becoming a healthier person and making nutrition a priority. Don’t want to plan out the whole week? Plan a couple of days and then reassess.
Shop For Your Food
By going to the grocery store, you know exactly what ingredients are being used. You know exactly what you’re putting in your cart. You control everything whereas you don’t always know what goes into things at a restaurant.
Excuse: I don’t want to go to grocery stores right now.
The good news is there are services out there that will deliver to your door like Instacart as well as To-Go services with Hannaford, Target and Wal-Mart to name just a few.
Plan Out Time On A Weekend To Meal Prep
At the end of the busy work day, the last thing you want to do is cook. By meal prepping the essentials and carving out a couple hours on a weekend, you can be prepared.
Bulk cook things like rice, potatoes and meats. Put salads and fruit cups together so it’s easy to grab and go.
Excuse: I don’t have time.
You have time. It’s about making it a priority. It’s better to be proactive now than reactive in the future. And to make things easier, the meal kit delivery service market is booming! According to a report, the market could reach nearly $20 billion by 2027. HelloFresh and Blue Apron are big players, there are local services where you can buy pre-cooked meals that you just need to warm up. There are OPTIONS!
Portion Control
You can eat all the healthiest foods in the world but if you eat in excess, you will gain weight. There is no magic calorie number (sometimes numbers can make it too obsessive and control you), BUT it’s important that you are eating the right foods that fill you up in the right portions.
Need help with portions? Check this out on page 13!
Excuse: I just want to eat and not think about portions as it gets too overwhelming.
We hear you. Measuring your food is not a great way to do things nor is tracking it over the long-term. These are good short-term measures to become aware but over time the idea is to develop the habit of knowing the right portions. Overeating for a week isn’t going to do much in terms of weight gain. If you consistently do that though over 3-4 months, it will compound.
Do It Consistently
If you want results, you need to do it consistently. Consistency is everything and if you take positive steps in the right direction every single day, you will see results that compound. Make it a priority and give it more than 2-3 weeks. Give it time. There is no race.
Excuse: I get bored eating the same thing over and over again.
No one says you need to do that. Can’t cook? That’s a limiting belief. Learn to cook. No, you don’t have to be a five-star chef but you can learn the basics and different recipes. Listen, if I can do it, you can too!
What is on your menu for this week? Share your recipe with us!