Tag Archives: meal prep

Forget About Weight Loss

This year, I want to encourage my readers to forget about weight loss. That’s right, just rid it from your line of thinking. There are so many other goals that can positively impact your wellness and, ironically, can take weight off effortlessly. These “other” goals propel us in the right direction for our holistic health and release us from the mental stress of focusing on the scale.

 

I recently shared my thoughts with HealthiNation for its article:

6 New Year’s Resolutions That Have Nothing to Do with Weight Loss

 

If you’d like to check out my favorite “anti weight loss” new year’s resolution then scroll to tip #5. That’s me. And, just for fun, you can watch the accompanying video for a quick, visual summary of the article. My tip [#5] includes entertaining visuals of a puppy, Obama and Ariel (yes, the little mermaid). Hope you get a good chuckle like I did!

 

Here’s to your health and well being this year and always!

Maggie

 

The Pros/Cons of Meal Prep

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If you’ve ever been on Pinterest then you know that it’s pretty much impossible not to have stumbled across people’s personal pins displaying a dozen or so lovely, similar meals packed away into individual Tupperware containers for the week. If you’re not into social media, then maybe you’ve heard of someone who does this; cooks all their week’s meals on Sunday afternoon or evening so they don’t have to worry about what to eat during the work week. Sounds ideal, easy and cost-effective – and it is! But there are some things to consider about planning your meals for the week, whether you’re portioning them out into grab-and-go containers or not.

I will start with the pros of meal planning and prep, and then I will get into some of the downsides. To end, I will offer a couple of simple suggestions to help you make informed choices about your food.

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PROS OF MEAL PLANNING

Weekend meal prep is a useful strategy for people wanting to lose weight via portion control and people who track their macronutrients (think bodybuilders trying to ensure maximal protein and minimal carbohydrate consumption). It also makes things easier for time-pressed working professionals and even busy parents!   

It’s Cost-Effective

Planning and cooking your meals for the whole week at once means you’re armed and ready with a set grocery list when you hit the store, allowing you more time to scrutinize prices while you shop. You’re also more likely to buy bulk or cheaper high-volume, low-cost items since you know that no ingredients will go to waste. More money left over to treat yourself!

 

Takes Away Last-Minute Planning

With a plan in place, you’re never going to be the person scrambling to find their way to the office vending machine at lunch time. You don’t settle for less than your well thought-out meals. No last-minute pizza or overpriced takeout for you!

 

Portion and Calorie Control

It goes without saying that you’re in charge of portions and calories when you put effort into measuring out food for each meal. Casseroles, soups and lasagnas might be tricky to figure out calories for, but you can at least put reasonably size portions into containers and not be tempted to overeat come lunch. Meals that are easier to calorie count (if that’s your thing) include salads, sandwiches and proteins with veggies, rice, quinoa, beans or fruit on the side.

 

Reduces Time in the Kitchen

Although you’re going to be clocking in some major hours in the kitchen one day of the week, you’re ultimately saving a lot of time – a bonus if you work late hours leading up to dinner or often have to take lunch at your desk.

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CONS OF MEAL PLANNING 

My mom’s opinion on Sunday meal planning: “Here I’ve worked hard all week and Sunday is finally my day of rest, and you’re telling me I’ve got to spend the whole time in the kitchen?!? Forget it!!!” If you share this sentiment, then maybe you’ll be happy to hear some of the drawbacks of meal planning. But, even if you don’t meal prep on the weekend, you still need a plan in place for healthy foods and cooking during the week.

 

Calories Don’t Change

Meal planning allows for calorie control, presumably a great thing for those of us looking to trim our waist lines. But wait…is eating the same number of calories every day a good thing? Not necessarily, according to science. “Calorie shifting” is an approach to eating that aims for a total caloric amount every week (aimed at weight loss or management, depending on one’s goals), but with varying calories consumed every day. This helps keep the metabolism “sharp” and from adapting to a set daily intake. The good news is that this approach allows you to consume more on days you need it! Our metabolisms are not static and our activity levels change day-to-day, so don’t be surprised, if you’re a meal planner, if some days the meals are too much or too little.

 

Potential Lack of Nutritional Variety

If your meal plan is a PB&J with an apple for every lunch and a chicken breast with broccoli for every dinner, you’re probably saving some money and controlling your calories, but you’re majorly missing the mark on nutritional variety. Where are the dark, leafy greens? What about some foods with heart-healthy omega fatty-acids (like salmon)? Variety in all food categories (veggies, fruits, proteins, grains, etc.) is going to be best for packing in the nutrients your body needs. One idea: Change up the protein and/or veggie with your dinner for half the week. Another: Trade your apple for an orange or mango. Better yet, try a healthier alternative to the PB&J like avocado toast or smoked salmon and capers on multigrain!

 

Susceptible to Stress or Overeating on “Off” Weeks

If you’re the type of person who flails and flounders without a set plan then you may be prone to overeating or stressing out when you don’t have time for meal planning. Ultimately, meal planning is a tool to help you with your work week, but thoughtful eating and confidence approaching on-the-fly food selections is a skill.

 

Boredom

Meal planning is generally not as suitable for those with adventurous and varied palates. If you cook a lot of one thing in bulk and plan to eat it day after day, you may quickly tire of the taste and opt for something else. This means you’ve wasted time, money and food! “There are starving children in Africa!” Eat your leftovers!

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IMPROVEMENTS FOR MEAL PREP & PLANNING

A happy medium can be found if you’re a meal planner. Here are a few ideas to help ensure you’re able to have the best of all words – cost-efficient foods, nutrient density, variety and appropriate quantity!

 

Back-up Plan

It’s important to have a back-up plan for weeks when meal prep just isn’t feasible. There will be times when you’re too tired to do it, when you haven’t hit the grocery store in time, when special events or travel conflict with cooking, etc. Here are a few back-up plans to consider:

  • Create a budget for a week of every month to buy meals from a healthy, affordable restaurant for lunch or dinner. For example, once a month you could plan to buy salads for lunch from your favorite local café.
  • When you miss your weekend meal-prep, plan another day and time early in the week to tackle your shopping and cooking.
  • Try your hand at cooking every other night of the week and make enough for leftovers at lunch the next day.

 

Stash Meals in Freezer

When you meal prep, try making several large-volume dishes at once. Use your slow cooker, oven and stove top to prepare three separate meals so that you can both use and store some of each meal for optimal present and future variety!

 

Supplement with Snacks

If you’re lacking variety in your planned meals, try supplementing them with nutritious snacks. Snacks are also a way to implement “calorie shifting” into your week (see “Calories Don’t Change” above). A few ideas you can easily prep: Kale chips, sliced fruit, carrots and humus, cottage cheese or greek yogurt and fruit, ¼ cup nuts, a healthy nut or protein bar, apple or banana and a TBS of nut butter.

 

Meal Plan for 1-2 Meals Only

One way you can ensure that you don’t get bored with your food is to meal plan and prep for just lunches or dinners. This will allow you to take the most time-pressed, stressful or expensive meal of the day and make it easier. By sticking to just one or two meals, you still have room in your daily diet for nutritional variety and flexibility.

 

Hope this is helpful info as you kick-off 2017! Cheers to health and happiness!

Yours in health and wellness,

Maggie

wellnesswinz blue sea

How to Stay Fit as a Busy Lady

 Thank you to our guest blogger, Natalie! Her contribution in the wellness industry, particularly for women, is awesome. Natalie helps remind us how easy it can be to stay fit in spite of a packed schedule (see below).

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When you have endless tasks and days, it can be hard to find time to focus on your health and fitness. It needs to be a priority for everyone, but finding the time to go to the gym or make healthy meals can be difficult with thin margins. Sacrificing time with our family isn’t the right choice every day. Staying up late to exercise isn’t a good idea either; sleep is crucial for fitness. So, how can ladies stay fit when we are so busy?

The answer is preparation and focus. Staying fit just doesn’t take place during certain hours of the day. Staying fit is a lifestyle that should encompass our entire day. Also, healthy living should be a goal for our children. If you have kids, you want to make sure they understand living a healthy life and are exercising on a regular basis. Start them off early so living a healthy life becomes the norm.

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Here are some great tips for staying fit as a busy lady:

Take the Stairs: So long as you don’t need to climb 50 flights of stairs, take the stairs instead of the elevator. It is an excellent way to get your blood pumping and burn some calories. Plus, taking the stairs is a great way to increase your number of steps per day. This is just a simple strategy.

Plan Quick Workouts: There is no rule that workouts have to be one session per day. You can break up your workouts throughout the day to fit your schedule. Make a quick, cardio workout for when you first get home. You will want to sit down and rest, but if you get it out of the way, you will feel even better. Another idea is to keep your gym bag with you. If you find yourself with extra time, you don’t need to run home for clothes. You may find a day a week when you can take a longer lunch break for a quick workout. Being prepared will give you more opportunities.

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Meal Plan and Prep: Part of staying fit is eating the right foods. There is no way to stay healthy and eat candy and chips all day, every day. One of the best ways to combat this is to make a weekly meal plan. Decide ahead of time what to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Meal prepping can cut hours of cooking out of your week and makes eating healthy easier. Select one day out of the week when you can invest two to three hours in the kitchen. One tactic I use is pre-making slow cooker meals in freezer bags. Later in the week, I can dump the bag in, turn the slow cooker on, and come home to a great meal. For easy lunches, one idea is to cook up a large batch of freezer meals. You need some containers that are freezer friendly. Cook salmon or chicken breasts. Then add a rice or potato side with a vegetable.

Invest in a Home Gym: When your time margins are thin, going to the gym will be the last thing on your mind. Instead of spending money each month on membership, consider investing in a piece of equipment or two so you can workout at home. Don’t forget; you can count things such as sweeping and vacuuming into your daily workout!

Carry the Right Snacks: Throughout your day, you are going to want a snack or two. Instead of grabbing something out of the vending machine, bring a few snack foods with you. They will help keep away cravings and eating junk food. Try things such as portioned out trail mix, granola bars, or fruit like apples or oranges.

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Drink Water: It is important to drink water every day. Your body needs water to stay healthy. Set a daily goal and try to reach it. Keeping water on hand will curb your desires for soda and other sugary beverages. Eliminating those drinks will decrease your calories each day. Plus, staying hydrated is one of the best ways to stay awake and energized.

Workout Schedule: Besides your quick, sporadic workouts, it is a good idea to make an exercise plan. Going to the gym or spending an hour working out each day won’t work when you are a busy lady. However, if you make it a priority and pencil it in on certain days, you won’t have to find the time to make it work. One idea is to head to the gym in the morning instead of after work. Bring your work clothes and change at the gym before going to work.

Try Interval Workouts: When you are short on time, you need the most efficient way to workout. You want to work all of your muscle groups while burning as many calories as possible. An interval workout is the best way to accomplish this goal. You do a movement for a given period, take a short rest, and repeat. Intervals can burn more calories than steady cardio in the same amount of time, if you really give them full effort and intensity.

Thanks again for sharing these tips, Natalie! Now ladies, get your game face for working out ON! 

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Guest Bio: Natalie Michele is a busy lady who is balancing parenting two toddlers and working as a pregnancy consultant. You can visit her blog at http://Maternityathome.com or follow her on Pinterest(http://pinterest.com/maternityathome) and Twitter(http://Twitter.com/maternityathome)