My Meal Prep Journey:
I've had a lot of people, mainly women that will stop me and say- oh wow I would love to have to those arms or I love the way your blouse fits on your shoulder. And I'm always quick to say- I'm focused on being committed to living to be sexy at sixty and sexier at seventy- then laugh about it.
It may look like I put a lot of time in the gym with building this solid statue that I have, but the truth is- I don't work out more than 30 minutes to an hour on any given day. My daily routine consist of a 30 minutes of cardio or HIIT training session, followed by 30 minutes of weight training. Ive also learned to start breaking those fitness sessions up with one in the morning and the other in the evening to give my body a better opportunity at a steady stay of movement. Instead of being an active sedimentary person (meaning I workout once a day and that's all my muscles get as far as exercise). While it's important to exercise daily, it's just as important to keep your body in motion all through the day. But we'll discuss that subject more in-depth in another blog.
I know that a lot of you keep hearing that "abs are made in the kitchen," well I'm here to tell you that is SO true. Without controlling our food intake, doing all of that working out in the gym or pounding the ground running is not going to assist you with reaching those weight loss goals. My overall key to success and maintaining my physique is eating a balanced meal with the correct portions for my lifestyle/activities. Meal Prepping is it!
How to effectively meal prep:
1. Select lean meats of chicken, fish, and beef- while shopping in bulk
2. Fresh vs. Frozen: I cook with fresh vegetables/fruits and use frozen vegetables/fruits for my smoothies or shakes. But I NEVER EVER use canned vegetables. I will take frozen over canned any day. I don't even purchase them anymore.
3. Add something green to every meal. Your body needs those green vegetables to assist with every element within your body.
4. Foods needed in your daily diet is- Protein, Starches, Fats, Fruits Legumes (beans), Vegetables and lots of Water.
5. An active person needs more carbs than a low/moderate activity person. So ensure you balance out your intake to what you are doing physically.
- When I'm not doing a lot of distance running I cut back on my carb intake and replace it with more protein to help keep me lean.
- Example: I add 3 starches and 7 proteins to my current diet because I'm lifting heavy weights and not distant running as much.
6. Be VERY aware of you sugar intake. The storage of sugar is one of the biggest set backs for people achieving their overall fitness goals.
- Remember fruits have a lot of sugar so make sure you are not taking in large quantities of fruits as well.
- Replace candy, cakes and other unnaturally sweet items with a fruits instead to get nature's gift to you in the form of deserts or sweets.
7. Cook and prepare adequate portions for your weight goal and activities. For example- I want to get to 160- 165 lbs., so I set my caloric intake or portions at 1500 to 1600 calories a day.
- I stick to the proper portions with every meal to include my snacks. As long as I'm working out at least 5 to 6 times a week a for 30 to 40 minutes and eating my prepared meals. I have no problem reaching my goals.
- Use the right container size to assist with keeping portions correct. Don't use those overly large containers to place your food in, it causes you to place more food than you truly need.
6. Eating out at a restaurant or take out food is no different. It's still all about controlling your portions and the types of food you select to eat. As long as you stick to lean vs greasy foods you will be fine.
7. Whatever you do- don't starve yourself because that will back fire on you causing your fat cells to attack your lean muscle leading to unwanted weight gain and health issues.
- Beside in order to have a healthy immune system, it is required for you to eat properly. Thus the old saying of "feeding a cold," is true. However, by following a meal preparation plan, you can avoid colds and the flu all together because you will strengthen your system.
8. Use Variety: You don't have to cook or eat the same foods all week. I mix up my foods by cooking chicken, fish, hamburgers, or meat balls. A pasta dish or rice and also use different vegetables to my week's worth of food for ome excitement.
- You will more than likely get bored with eating the same dish over and over
- It's easier to cook everything at once to shorten the preparation time.
9. Plan out your meals before you go to the grocery store to shop. It makes your trip a lot faster and more focused on keeping you from over spending on unnecessary items.
- Make or print a shopping list
- Only buy the items that is in your meal plan, buying extra will cause you to get side tracked from your overall goal- often introducing JUNK food that's not a part of the plan.
10. Lastly, stay motivated and remember why you started this journey to begin with. Get an accountability partner or trainer to help assist you with staying on track.
Let's Get It!
