Meal Planning

As a Beachbody Coach, one of my roles is to help folks with nutrition.  Does that mean I'm an expert?  Heck no.  Does that mean I exist solely on twigs and berries?  For sure not.  Confession:  I love food.  I love to prepare it, serve it, eat it, create it...food and I?  Yeah, we're pretty tight.  I've come to learn that 80% of weight loss is about what and how we eat.  That's a big chunk, don't you think?  So it's only right that we focus a big chunk of our energy and thinking on that very topic. 

The thing is, what I do do (ha, do do!) is try my very best to eat cleanly.  While there's no hard and fast definition, clean eating is all about consuming only whole foods (think: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), while avoiding processed and fast foods at all costs.   

I'll be 100% honest; every once in a blue moon (or even something more uncommon) I will eat some Wendy's fries.  Or even have (gasp!) a burger.  HOWEVER, before you go stripping me of my Coach status, know this; I have learned to pay attention to my body and how it feels after I eat something like that.  It ain't pretty.  Which is what helps me stay away from it and NOT feel deprived.  Not to mention, I love finding alternatives to satisfy whatever the craving is.

One of the best ways I've found to help me with my eating is to meal plan and prep.  For me, this happens on Sundays.  I previously described my Sunday Morning Ritual here.

I suppose it could seem mundane or boring to some.  But for me, this practice is a little slice of predictability that carries through to my entire week.  See, when Tuesday is a particularly ridiculous day with demands, angry co-workers or tough clients, I take some small measure of comfort in knowing that when I get home, I know exactly what's hitting the table and, if I'm really lucky, some of the prep is even done.

If that sounds silly, well, guilty as charged.  But let's be honest--dinnertime can often be the witching hour in the sense that hunger can creep up on you, you're likely a little worn out and that can lead to some bad choices (don't tell me you haven't grazed mindlessly in your pantry for a good 20 minutes before you decided what to have for dinner...then called out for pizza.  And breadsticks.  And fried zucchini planks.).  

Below is a sample of my dinner plan for a given week.  Monday thru Friday, I start my day with Shakeology for breakfast.  Around 10:30 or so,  I usually have a few unsalted almonds and some apple slices as a light snack, although I do like to mix up snacks, too.  Check out some cool snack ideas.  Lunch is generally leftovers from the previous night's dinner or lunch with a client--I opt for salads, careful to avoid too many extras.  Don't be fooled by a big ole bowl of lettuce; even healthy stuff can be overdone!

And then it's dinner.  The moment we pause, breathe and talk about our days.  On this particular week, here's what we ate.  Generally speaking, most of the recipes can also be found on my blog; I try (I really, really do!) to keep them all on the Full Plate tab (but the name of that tab is a carefully chosen one that speaks to, well, the juggle of it all.  Invariably, something crops up before I've completed that task!!).  If you don't see one that you'd like to learn about, leave a comment and I'll be sure to post it up.     

I hope this helps give you a sense of how my weeks shake out.  It's not complicated, it's not rocket science, and it's really not much of a chore.  In fact, in the odd week when we don't go through this process, it throws our whole week off.  No, really.  This doesn't mean there isn't flexibility from time to time, but overall, we stick to our plan and it works.  Here's to it working for you, too!

Sunday
Dijon Mustard Chicken
Wild Rice and Veggies

Monday
BBQ Chicken Quesadillas in whole wheat wraps
Fruit Salad

Tuesday
Cheddar/Spinach Chicken Burgers (these have become quite the family favorite!)
Sweet Potato “Bakers” (not fries!)

Wednesday
Ground Turkey, Spinach and Tomatoes baked with Spaghetti Squash
Tossed Salad

Thursday
Breakfast for Dinner (Crockpot casserole with eggs, turkey sausage and veggies)
Fruit Salad

Friday
Baked Tilapia
Brown Rice and veggies

For more on how I can help you with  your goals, please feel free to reach out!  I look forward to hearing from you!