Plan to Lose

To win the weight loss war, it is so important to have a plan to lose. And not just one plan, but several. Think about your own success or other people who are successful in sports, academics, or their business and most most people start with a plan.

The Weekly Plan:

If you have the weekends off from work, this can be the perfect opportunity to make a meal plan for the upcoming week. Make a grocery store list to make sure you have enough fresh fruits/veggies and meal ideas for the week. Plan out what days you are going to go to the grocery store, so you always have fresh fruits and veggies at home. I love to steam my sweet potatoes, make a batch of steel cut oatmeal, hard boil some eggs, put some veggies in my snack bags, and make containers of fruit salad all at one time to make having healthy food quick and easy for my busy days.

Picture of my Frig= I love to have healthy food stocked up that is easy to just grab & go.

Tomorrow's Plan:

Make your healthy to-do list for the next day the night before, to already set yourself up for a great day. Turn the page in your journal to the next day and you can write your daily goals at the top of the page. Take a little yellow sticky and post-it to that day with what you plan on having for your meals and snacks. This way you will know that if you eat what you planned, you will hit your goal.

"Compliance experts know that if people actually put down on paper a list of what they intend to do, they're more likely to follow through". If you don't have time the night before, take time that morning to plan out your day. I promise this makes it so much easier to eat healthy because you are not making your decisions when you are tired and hungry.

Last Minute Plan:

Even if you didn't get to plan out the whole day, simply writing on the sticky what you plan to have for that meal can save lots of calories. Planning as you go can still be helpful. For example, if you are driving home from work and are hungry, creating a plan in your head before you walk in the door, for what you are going to make and how much to eat, can already get you in the right mind set to avoid overeating. If you are going out to eat, planning in advance what you are going to order can make it so much easier to look forward to that choice and not be tempted by 'toxic' food that will only satisfy you temporarily.

Plan to Cheat:

Getting out of the mindset of "depriving" yourself is important to stick to eating healthy. I love chocolate, so I plan out my chocolate treats in small portions so I don't go overboard on the first bite of chocolate I get. If you are too strict all the time, it can be challenging to actually stay on track with eating healthy. Keep in mind 90/10 or 80/20, meaning 80-90% of the time fuel your body with whole healthy foods, and save 10-20% for little indulgences. I recommend planning these out too. I would not waste those empty calories on something that is just okay or eat it just because it is there. Save that 10-20% for what you love.