Food prep is one of my top priorities in regards to my health and weight loss. Prepping food keeps me organized, never without a meal, saves time and money, and keeps me on track. "Winging it" when it comes to your meals is not something I recommend anyone doing if they are trying to lose weight and life a clean, healthy lifestyle.
It took a bit of trial and error, like everything I do in life. You will get better at this once you keep you doing it. For example: I like carbohydrates at night. Thus I schedule more carbs then than I do during the day. Sometimes people think I am crazy. However, I know me and I know my body. Consuming complex carbohydrates in the evening has never caused me to gain weight, ever. I have been eating carbohydrates almost every evening since I started my new weight loss journey in November of 2013 and I am down almost 45 pounds. I train extremely hard in the evenings so when I finish, I need my carb fix. Carbs keep me full, cut cravings, and help me sleep better. You may be different. You may find you want to switch your meals and their times - it is all about what works for you most all of, keeps you satisfied.
Believe it or not; food planning is simple.
What I do:
1) I always have my planner. I love this thing. It's a $10 one from Target.
2) Decide what I want my meals to be. You can see those written in the blue marker. I write them out and which meal number I want it to be.
3) List the certain ingredients I want the meal to contain.
4) Put a check mark by the items I already have it at home and will not have to purchase.
5) Make a grocery list on the oppsoite side.
6) Designate a day to cook everything - except my dinners. Most times I make those nightly.
7) Put everything in tupperware. Grab and go; heat and eat.
Side note: I do not include fruits and vegetables as part of my daily caloric intake. I consider those "freebie's". I know fresh fruits can contain natural sugars but those have never deterred me from losing weight. I view those as natural energy and craving busters.
I also do this with my workouts and training regimen. It is just as important to plan my workouts as it is my food. I do not write all of the details in my planner as I have a detailed "Weekly Nutrition and Training Plan" I share with you guys.
Lastly, I do this with my finances. Purchasing a planner or even a notebook is a great tool to have to keep you on track. You can never be too organized in my opinion. It is also great to look back on how far you have come, compare bills, and remember recipes, etc.
How do you prep your food? Leave a comment if you have ideas to share or have a question!
Love this! I started meal planning and food prepping last summer and it has been the BEST thing I could do for myself. I sit down Sunday mornings, plan out what we are going to eat for the week, make a list for the store, check to see if I have any coupons I can use, go get everything, come home and start prepping anything I can do ahead of time. It comes in handy during the week, our fruits and veggies don't go wasted because we were "too lazy" to actually rinse and cut something.
ReplyDeleteI always find Pinterest to be helpful while deciding what to make. Sometimes I get in a rut or want to try something new and I will look at stuff there to inspire me,
I love your system! All of our bills are organized in Excel spreadsheets and I keep our meals all planned out like this in my planner.
ReplyDeletelove this!! looks like a good system. I keep waiting until the morning to make my lunch for the day and it always puts be behind schedule....luckily I don't HAVE to be to work 'on-time' in the mornings since I'm the only one in my office =) see you in july! can't wait to see the workout you put ravie thru.
ReplyDeleteOMG this is great!! As I'm getting more into fitness, eating healthy is definitely my biggest challenge. I love this post girl!
ReplyDeleteI freaking love your system! I really want to run out and buy a few new notebooks now so I can be more organized. I want to start meal planning and eating healthier but I always get so overwhelmed and I'm not organized at all so it makes it hard. I also really need to start working out more, and I think that if I scheduled and planned my workouts I would actually do them. Girl, if we lived closer that would be so nice ha ha!!
ReplyDeleteYou are so organized! I love it! Iam so bad with a planner. I use it for like 2 weeks then forget it.
ReplyDeleteI too, love lists and planners. I couldn't live without them. Everyone says "how can you stay so organized?" Duh! That's how.! One question though - why does your rent amount have a smiley face? Just none of our business? Or do you not have to pay it?? (Lucky)
ReplyDeletehaha I wish I did not have to pay it! Gosh that would save me soo much money. I just didn't put that because, I don't know, it felt weird, lol.
DeleteTotally understand! I thought maybe you found a sugar daddy to pay it for you. Just kidding, wouldn't that be nice?? Congrats on losing so much weight - I am joining a gym this month - couldn't afford it before now - and I hope I can tighten up and lose some pounds as well. The hard part for me is going to be cutting down on the wine...... :)
DeleteThese are great tips Liz! I too am a carb at night girl. I love them in the evenings & I've lived that way as long as I can remember !!
ReplyDeleteYou are so organized! I love it! These are great tips.
ReplyDeleteWow, am impressed with your organization! I am going to use your food prep timeline. What is a complex carbohydrate and what would be a protein and fat based meal or snack?
ReplyDelete~Ashley @ A Cute Angle
acutelifestyle.blogspot.com
Hi Liz,
ReplyDeleteI recently found your blog and have to say that I have a major woman crush on you now (and I mean that in the least creepy way possible)! I've glossed over your past month or so of posts and am truly inspired by your dedication to fitness and I pretty much feel like you must be my long-lost little sister because we have so much in common from the love of Marilyn, beauty products, and weight loss to the fact that I just read that you love choker style necklaces and bought a 3 star charm for yours....Almost everyday I wear a choker style silver necklace with a star charm on it that has my initials engraved on the front (I know I still sound creepy - but I promise I'm not!) I also used to be a platinum blonde but in the past year I transitioned to the "dark side". You are more than welcome to check out my blog but its become sort of a hot mess in the past couple of years. Much like you I had about a year and a half of my life that knocked me on my ass - ended a marriage, lost a job, dated a psycho and that's about when my regular blogging stopped- I am hoping to revamp and start again but in the meantime most of my "posting" is on instagram at aleedssmith. I love following you and look forward to more posts to come! Keep kicking ass with your weight loss and fitness!
Seems nice!
ReplyDeleteI love carbs at night too.
ReplyDeleteI do basically the same thing, except I check whats on sale first, and choose my weekly recipes based on that. If there is a really good sale I will buy extra and freeze it for a week with no good sales. This really helps keep costs down.
Love this! I use my Erin condren life planner to keep track and meal prep! I keep a list next to me when I plan for my grocery list. You've given me some good ideas!
ReplyDeleteCould you be my trainer, lo?!?
ReplyDelete