Meal Prep Shortcuts

One of the components of maintaining where I want to be has been meal prepping. I do not know what I would do some weeks if I didn’t meal prep, I can honestly say that it is what makes or breaks my success in eating for my goals.

Typically I meal prep every other Sunday at a minimum. Ideally it would be every week and sometimes that happens. On weeks it is just myself, I can get the whole weeks worth of food for about $120- $130. Weeks my 3 kids are home will run me $40-$50 more.

Bear in mind that If you are meal prepping, meals out during the day for lunch and dinner aren’t necessary and you’re going to save so much more money that way!

Below is a list of the items that personally, I find necessary if I want to stay on track for meal prepping. It is not a one-size-fits-all prescription but simply a guideline if you find the idea of meal prepping multiple meals intimidating.

• Make a meal plan and matching grocery list

This is the most important part of your prep. Know in advance what you want to make. Write out each recipe on a sheet of paper, list your ingredients and then cross reference it with what you already have at home so you are not buying extra and wasting it. Do not skip this step.

• Keep it Simple

When I first started meal prepping it was all about making the most elaborate and complicated meals I could find. End it would take me in excess of four or five hours to complete one prep. Why… ? I don’t know. I don’t have an answer for you I just know that it isn’t necessary so keep your recipes simple to avoid being overwhelmed when you prep.

• Opt for frozen or pre cut veggies and fruits

This was a hard step for me to take because I felt like if I was getting pre-sliced or frozen foods, that I was cheating myself somehow. Don’t be a martyr. If there’s a way to make the work a little easier, take it. While frozen foods typically come out a little less expensive, you will find that pre-cut fruits and vegetables appear higher in cost. I don’t feel that this is true because you can still end up with a considerable amount of waste when you cut the fruits and vegetables yourself… Especially if you are paying by the pound, that’s going to inevitably waste money. Also consider that your time is valuable as well. And microwaving steam bags and not having to slice stuff up is literally going to cut your prep time in half.

• Don’t try to cook everything at one time

Maybe this rule only applies to people like me who are easily distracted. I try to have one thing in the oven, one in the microwave, and two on the stove top. Anything more than that and I tend to forget that certain things are cooking, 20 minutes later I realize somethings burning and I’ve wasted money. Don’t be like me.

• Purchase containers that are uniform and match

The containers shown in my picture below came from Amazon but I’ve also found them at Walmart recently. They are very inexpensive, microwavable, and hold plenty of food. The best part is that you can stack 30 to 40 of them on one shelf in one spot and all of the lids will fit right on top. It is so much less stressful when you don’t have to rummage around for Tupperware’s and matching lids! You can find them on Amazon.

• Wash dishes as you go

I promise you will not regret washing your dishes as you go along. Waiting until the end of your meal prep to wash everything at once is going to be just as overwhelming as cooking it all at once.

THINGS THAT DON’T REHEAT WELL

vegetable pastas

Fish (this is perhaps a personal preference)

Eggs (I don’t mind this, but I’ve heard many other people say they hate it)

Steak or tenderloin, (beef cuts like this tend to become over cooked and rubbery when reheated in the microwave. I do not find the ground beef does this so it is usually the beef that I will choose for meal prep, if any)

Some Foods that are wrapped or made with tortillas. This includes quesadillas or burritos, the tortillas become soggy when reheated. The same applies to pizzas and flatbreads so if I have a healthy recipe of any of these I save it for dinner when I can eat it fresh.

THINGS I HAVE TO HAVE WHEN I PREP

parchment paper (I roast almost all of my vegetables if I don’t microwave them)

Chicken breast

Ground turkey

Cauliflower rice

Broccoli

Sweet potatoes

Onion

Olive oil

Garlic

All of my dishes clean and ready

Glass of wine and my favorite playlist

The most critical part of a successful mealprep is to have a plan. Two of the reasons I hear most often for people wanting to try this are to make better choices when they eat and to help save money. Having an idea what you are cooking and buying in advance will greatly assist you in doing both of these things.

Don’t let a meal prep overwhelm you. While it can be slightly time-consuming in the short term, the amount of time and money you will save throughout the week more than make up for it.

You’ll see the last item on the list of things I need is a glass of wine and a good playlist…. Don’t underestimate things like this. Creating your meals for the week can become an act of self care. Complete it knowing that you are setting yourself up for success and making the best choices possible for you, your health, and that of anyone sharing the meals with you. Make it a part of your weekend that separates you from reality and nurtures your soul, it does not have to be a chore. Turn it into something you look forward to and you will never look back!

Confessions of an Ex- Self Destroyer (Finding your Spark)

Flatter tummy… toned legs… big booty… look good in a bikini. GOALS! This was exactly why I started to work out. This was my paltry list of goals. I shake my own head when I recall this, so it’s ok for you to do the same.  But eight years ago, when I found myself 60-70 pounds heavier than my current weight, I was determined only to wear the size 5 I could fit before 3 kids. I was going to look so “fit” it made everyone jealous and I was going to do it by not eating and working out daily, maybe twice a day. What. A. Plan.

It didn’t work, obviously. Not because I didn’t lose weight, I did. It didn’t work because the reason I wanted those things, the whole reason I wanted to look good, and have a flat stomach, the reason I wanted to weigh less, was to feel good about myself. I wanted those things, so that I could feel worthy and valuable.  It was as though, in my mind, every pound lost added to another dollar on my own personal price tag.

Since then, it’s indescribable how my outlook has shifted, and that’s why I want to share this. One of the best things I ever did in relation to my health was to hold myself more accountable in things unrelated to how I look. Throughout the course of a tumultuous few years of life, I reevaluated my priorities and why I wanted to be healthy.

I should note, I don’t mean just my weight. I mean real health; balanced blends of mental, emotional, & physical health that foster an environment of self-love, and allow you to give to others and remain full yourself. It’s the kind of healthy that encompasses everything you do, and guides you to make better choices in every facet of life.

While some painfully challenging things had to happen for me to wake up and say “WHAT AM I DOING HERE?!” it doesn’t have to be that way for everyone.

That is why I am sharing this. These are things that motivate me. These are the things that wake me up at 4:30 am to do yoga or meditate, to plan my day so I can have enough time for a run or hit the gym. They’re why I turn down sweet tea and cake most of the time. These are my sparks. They are the things that ignite a fire in me, even when I don’t understand how I will find the fuel to keep it going.

I encourage you, especially if you’re struggling to stay on track, to find your own sparks, something that has nothing to do with how you look. Something that says YES, You need to be healthy, but you are WORTHY no matter what. Find the reasons that push you that say, I’m doing this BECAUSE I am valuable, not to make me become valuable.

Read that again: take care of yourself and your health because you are already so incredibly valuable, not to make you become valuable.

My reasons?

I want to see where these three amazing boys make it in life. I want to be there to see them drive, graduate, get married, and to babysit my grandbabies. I want to be around as long as possible so they always have their biggest cheerleader in their corner.

I want to have the energy to create and plan and bring amazing things into this world. I want the ability and clarity to handle my career with the relentlessness and ambition of someone who won’t ever give up.

I want to have a high quality of life as I age. I want to be sure that I have done my part to monitor my health so that I stand a fighting chance should there be a day when something I CANNOT control comes my way.

I want to see everything this beautiful, amazing world has to offer.

How can you be bored? How can you be unmotivated in a world as vast and brilliant as this one? Make your spark your focus. Get your priorities together, and get moving. You’re worth more than allowing your own mind to cheat you out of living your best life.

10 Things I did to Get Healthy

I don’t especially love sharing my “before” pictures. Not so much because I’m embarrassed because of how I looked, but because I really don’t care to revisit the mental state I possessed back then. It’s a part of my story though, and an important part at that. 

So here is me in 2010-ish, and me this summer on the right… The left picture was about 2 years through my healthy lifestyle change. I’d lost probably 40 pounds by the time the picture on the left was taken. The right one is close to where I am today, I have a little more muscle now because I have taken a powerlifting approach in my training.

There are so many things that had to happen for me to progress the way I have. I should also add now, that I am nowhere near the end of my fitness journey. I find new goals, new methods and tactics. I learn more and I figure out what works best for the current season of my life.

There are things that I never would’ve experienced success without, however. Especially when I first started out. They may not be the same things that work for you, but we can definitely find what WILL.

I woke up early. Sometimes, early needed to be 4 am. Thankfully now it’s 5 am most days, but regardless, this was probably the most important change. Other things had to happen, for this to become a habit though.

I found a workout style I love. Some people love Zumba. Some people commit to cross fit. Some love bodybuilding and others, yoga. Find what’s best for you and you’ll be more likely to stick with it. 

I set goals. No matter how small, I set goals for EVERYTHING.

I smiled more. This one is cheesy. But it’s very key to success. As is the next one…

I found a hobby. This allowed me to have some clarity, down time and focus my thoughts in a productive way.

I reached out to others in my position. If you are old enough to remember, 2007-ish was the dawning of Myspace (yes I just went there….) and I sought out people and pages geared towards my goals.

I stopped smoking. Yes. I smoked. Off an on for about 6 years. I would stop when I was pregnant and begin again afterwards. It was terrible and by far the hardest change to make, especially since it hindered my weight loss temporarily when I quit.

I joined the gym. For the first 2 years, I ran, played with my kids and did little challenges I found online. Eventually, to stay motivated, I needed the gym. I haven’t looked back since.

I stopped buying garbage. This was another huge step. Especially because my family was used to eating a certain way, I had to change that for all of us.

I got a divorce. hahahaha, just kidding… but it’s definitely changed the way things work a bit. Actually 10: I stopped being so hard on myself. You are human. You will experience set backs. You will struggle. You will have to take a different route and sometimes, as hard as it is, you may even have to start from scratch. But the beauty of all of that is this: You are under no obligation to any but yourself to make YOU better. Do your best and take your time.

Your ten things may consist of some of these. Or all of them. Or none. It might be 1 thing. It might be 37. But you won’t know until you get started. Start with step one. There’s help along the way, you’re never alone.

Trust me when I say this: I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. You are not hopeless, it is not too late, and you CAN do this. Just take the first step!

Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss (and why one means absolutely nothing)

You found this AWESOME 500 calorie military diet on Pinterest and you’ve been sticking with it for a few weeks. You’re losing weight! Perhaps lightheaded and weak, maybe your skin doesn’t look as healthy but whatever, you’re skinny! <sarcasm>

Or did it happen like this….

“Hey <Insert Name>, haven’t seen you since <Insert Timeframe>! Hope you’re doing well! By the way, have you heard of <Insert ANY. I MEAN ANY multi level marketing supplement company that requires a monthly supply of some shake, patch or pill>”

You re-read the text or facebook message and recall seeing that she has lost some weight recently, she looks great. Huh. Wonder what this is about. You send her back a message and before you know it, you’re trying out samples and committing yourself to trying what she’s selling.

Now both of these can go one of two ways. Either you fully commit to the diet/product and see “results”, or you don’t adhere to the protocol and you give up. What’s important to understand is that this product, This DIET, didn’t work or fail for you. At all. It is not the product that produced results, and you didn’t miss your mark by NOT committing to eating 500 calories.

Fad diets, Meal replacement shakes, pills and patches can be a catalyst for change in people’s lives, because when you begin taking/drinking/applying it, you should be eliminating the current negative habits you have. THIS IS WHY THEY WORK. You are not losing weight because of the product, you are losing weight because you ELIMINATED the bad stuff.

LET ME SAY THIS AGAIN FOR THE FOLKS IN THE BACK. You are losing weight, your body is shrinking because you aren’t eating chocolate and drinking soda every day. NOT because you found a miracle product that melts away the pounds. Sadly, if you didn’t see results, it’s likely you still consumed the not so good for you stuff as well.

NOW. Here’s where it gets tricky, because you’re losing weight, and that seems like a good thing. But what most fail to recognize is that ideally, you would specifically lose fat, not just weight.

Read this over. If you didn’t feel like going over all of that, let me sum it up for you. When you lose weight in the wrong manner, when you lose weight by drinking a few shakes and skipping meals, it is unsafe, unhealthy and not sustainable. Your muscles will deteriorate, your organs will begin to break down, your cells will age faster… you can’t live off of supplements! These changes happen slowly, over the course of months and even longer. But ultimately, your body will notice and crave the missing elements you’ve removed.

(Not to mention 130 pounds of strength trained and 50/30/20 fueled bodyweight looks way better than 130 pounds of deprived organs and skin)

When you fuel your body with the RIGHT AMOUNT OF REAL FOOD, you will lose fat while maintaining the integrity of the rest of your body. You can eat this way forever and ever and ever, safely. It’s also less expensive than a multilevel marketing plan, when you know what you’re doing.

Does meal prep take time? It can. Does planning your weekly menu take a little effort. If you do it without help, yes. BUT it is sustainable and it works. This is how the body works, guys, clever marketing and pretty packaging don’t make a product or lifestyle good for you, it’s only pretty on the surface. Dig dipper, start a movement with your health by eating well and moving more.