When you embark upon a fitness journey, you must start planning your meals. From when you will eat to what you will eat and how much. It is much easier when you have a meal already prepared. They key to success is planning and not having to think, when it comes time to that meal. If you do not have that next meal prepared and planned, if you think too much about what to have next, you are just setting yourself up to either skip a meal or grab something on the go. Mind you that grab and go is usually not the best way to go because they usually aren’t compatible with the exact proportions of your meal. It is important to not only take the time to mentally prepare and plan for the week but actually prepare your meals for that upcoming week. Planning is the first step towards success and winning. Start with your meal plan and from there decide how you are going to be creative, make your meals and pack them up for the week. As soon as you have your meal plan mapped out, that becomes your shopping list! Take it with you, head to the grocery store and get what you need from your list. Be sure to stop by the spice isle to see what creative spices you may find to help with your creativity! Using a specific list of everything you’ll need for the week will prevent you from browsing the isles and shopping thoughtlessly! I don’t know about you but I can spend Hours in the grocery store!! It is okay if you are one of those who can browse and not buy but not many are able to do that… when you wander the aisles you may be setting yourself up to find something that looks yummy but may NOT be on your program. Keep that list in hand and stick to it. Most likely you will be shopping around the border of the grocery store and not even having to go down the isles, unless it is for those yummy oats, spices or essential cooking sprays 😉
Get everything on the list and nothing else. Shopping with your list also prevents you from having to make a go shopping several times a week! So many of us are strapped for time so limiting our trips to the store is key! The last thing you want to do when you get home late from a long day is realize you have NO food, nothing is prepared and you have to go shopping. Which reminds me, NEVER go to the grocery store with an empty stomach or right before it is time to eat a meal. You never want to be in a position where you are starving and right in front of you are all kinds of colorful yummy treats! That is when you are most likely most tempted to throw them into your cart and dig in before you get home! Again, NEVER go grocery shopping hungry!
Once you have your groceries and plan for the week, be sure to cook and pack everything ahead of time. This is where Tupperware and your handy dandy cooler comes into play! If you don’t want to leave all your meals for the week out, you can always throw your meals for later in the week, in the freezer. Nothing like having your entire meal prepared and all you have to do is grab it and go! If you are so savvy as to label your meals, have at it. It just makes life that much easier and if it is hard to recognize what is what, it may be a smart idea!
Plan, Prepare, Cook, Pack and you are off to a successful week! Put thought into your preparation and your success and possibilities are endless!
“Our thoughts and imagination are the only real limits to our possibilities.” O.S. Marden
