In my last post I mentioned the long game and the need to plan for success. I figured I’d start with one of the places where I struggle the most in planning – food! I love ALL food, well except for chicken and dumplings. Don’t judge; you know you have a weird dislike too! Anyway, anyone that knows me has heard me say that if I could be healthy and live off sweet tea (full sugar), and bread, I would be the happiest camper ever! Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. For me especially, carbs are not my friend.
At this point I need to include my ***Disclaimer*** I’m NOT a doctor or medical professional of any kind. You should ALWAYS consult your physician before starting any diet or exercise changes. I can only speak to my own personal experience and what works for me.
While I’m not a diabetic, I am insulin resistant. This is super scary because insulin resistant folks tend to develop Type II Diabetes if you don’t make changes. This causes some problems because the best way, I’ve been told to battle insulin resistance is to lose weight. However, insulin resistance makes it hard to lose weight. It seems my body wants to hold onto EVERY POUND for dear life. This makes for a super frustrating merry-go-round. But, take heart, if this is you, I HAVE found things and sources that have helped me in this battle.
But, before I dig into all of that, I have to start with the basics which is planning. I have to PLAN what I eat for the week. I know…where’s the fun in that? But, if I don’t, I leave myself open to make poor food choices. Like giving in to the mac’ n cheese cravings that somehow show up at lunch time.
Okay, down to the nitty gritty; we all plan differently. Some ideas that work for me and others I know are:
Use a calendar to plan out meals. I personally like this method because I need to see things.
- This can take many forms – a Gmail calendar, a planner, or a specific meal planner page like this handy dandy one on Sprout’s page. Use what works for you. I like “The Happy Planner.” They’re fun, pretty, and easy to find at local stores.
- I also use this to plan out leftovers for future lunches.
Start early!
- I like to start on a Saturday or Sunday, so I have time to go the grocery store. It’s super easy for the week’s busyness to take over and push this task to the backburner. If for some reason I don’t get this done, I go to the store at lunch!
- This also goes for drinking water. I struggle in this department, so starting early in the day is vital.
Start simple and keep an open mind.
- I found this particularly important for me since I’m still relatively new to cooking.
- I like to find recipes and try them EXACTLY. Once I’ve made them, I decide if I want to keep them in the rotation, want to make changes, or if they’re in the “never ever make this again” category. 🙂
Forgive yourself.
- We lead very busy lives and that means sometimes doing what’s easier to protect our sanity. That’s totally okay! I feel it’s about trying to make the BETTER choice. In these situations, try to make a decision BEFORE you get to a restaurant.
- And if that’s not possible, then try to do better at your next meal.
In my upcoming posts, I plan to share some of the sources I’ve found to help me along the way. Believe me there are tons of folks out there doing amazing things and they’ve already experimented for us, so we can reap the benefit.
Until next time,
~ B