Planning and Expectations

The last habit we discussed was all about sleep. But recall, sleep is just ONE component of nutrition. Another element of holistic nutrition is our social well-being and belonging— which ties into mood and emotions.  With summer coming up, there is no doubt hangouts with friends and family will be on the rise.

So, how do we manage eating in a way that supports our goals, getting enough sleep, hitting the gym, and all the other things that would be in your routine if you didn’t get that text that said “Hey, we’re grabbing dinner this weekend. Join us!”

Simple, but difficult… by planning! Believe it or not, motivation is rare… consistency is what keeps us going. So, by planning you eliminate the need for motivation, but if it’s there, ride that wave!

Let’s get into how to plan!

• Create bare minimums
• Bare minimums are things you will do NO MATTER WHAT. Whether life is lifeing and you are stressed or you’re having a social week, these are things that will almost never fall by the wayside
• For someone who eats out 5+ times a week with a goal of losing weight can create a bare minimum of eating at home 3 times per week.
• For someone who wants to workout but falls into a cycle of going 5 times per week to the gym, then stopping completely and perpetuating that cycle, a bare minimum might be going to the gym 2 times per week
• Bare minimums give you the wins you need and keep you accountable without feeling overwhelmed. And when that motivation comes, cook at home more, go to the gym more. Once it becomes a habit, increase the amount little by little.
• Batch prep food
• If you’re too busy or feel overwhelmed, frozen food and deli meats are good hacks to get you through
• Pack your gym bag or sign up for class the night before
• Chances are if you pack your gym bag the night before, the likelihood of you bailing is less
• Similarly, if you sign up for a group fitness class, you’re less likely to bail if you wait to decide

So,  get back to that text your friend sent you. It’s Wednesday and they want to go out on Saturday. What are you going to do?

• Look at the menu and pick a dish
• Based on that choice, reverse engineer what the rest of your week looks like with food intake
• Not all restaurants have calories listed, but if you plug into myfitnesspal or even google, you can get a good idea of what range of calories you’re looking at
• Eat a little more protein every day and “bank” some fats and carbs

It’s okay if you don’t stick to the exact choice you made. What if you chose to get a drink? What if there’s an ice cream place nearby and it’s a warm night and everyone wants to get some, you included. THAT’S OKAY. Have a plan. Own your choices. Get back into the game the next day.