If I could offer one piece of advice to people trying to accomplish health goals it would PREPARE.
Simple right? It is, but it makes a WORLD of difference. It is the key to being successful. Having a plan and knowing how you are going to carry it out is the best way to make things happen.
Yesterday on my way to work I saw all of the Utah Valley marathoners running down University Ave. I almost got in a wreck searching for everyone I knew that was running! I am so proud of all of you!! Traffic was going real slow, so I rolled down my window, and I may or may not have been cheering up a storm! I am not going to lie I was tearing up. I have wanted so badly to get back into races, and my body is just not having it. It has been super frustrating to me, and seeing all of the runners made me sad/proud/excited/jealous/frustrated all at the same time! I wanted to be out there with them so bad.
I started thinking about how I love having a training plan to follow. It got me thinking about preparation in general and how it applies to life of course, but specifically to health goals. If you have ever trained for a race you know how important it is to follow your training plan. Getting in the right mileage, doing your speed work, and hill work is all going to help you achieve your goals.
The same theory goes for when you are trying to eat healthy. If you plan out your food before hand you are a lot less likely to find yourself starving and munching through your pantry; eating endless handfuls of calories that aren’t going to help you achieve your goals. Making a weekly menu or meal plan, or even just planning out your food for the next day will allow you to stay on track with your healthy eating goals.
Last Sunday my darling older brother Tyler invited me over for dinner. We had some tasty grilled chicken, salad, and fresh fruit and it was DIVINE. All of my favorites. He made a bunch and sent me home with a bunch of grilled chicken to eat for the week. It was so great. I ate it on top of my
cottage cheese for and made some grilled chicken wraps as well.
– La Tortilla Factory Wrap
– Spinach
– Sliced grilled chicken
– Mango Salsa
– Drizzle of Fat Free Avocado Ranch
Done. Quick. Easy. Tasty. Healthy.
It was so nice to already have it cooked and ready to eat, and it reminded me that it is so easy to do. If you are making something yummy, double it so you have leftovers. It can make eating healthy in busy times a LOT more doable.
Halfway through the week I made Benita and I some
Salsa Chicken which is one of the easiest crock pot dishes ever. I used it to make a quick salad, but it would be awesome for burritos, over brown rice, with
oven baked tortilla chips, or even just by itself. It’s that good.
Again, it was easy and already prepped for me. It didn’t allow for me to make poor eating choices because I knew beforehand what I was going to eat. Plus, it was GOOD. Sometimes you may have planned to go home and drink a tall glass of wheat grass (Does anyone really plan that…probably not?) but because you don’t like it you may just pick the Mac N’ Cheese that your kids are eating instead.
Plan ahead with meals that you LIKE. If there is one thing that I can share with people, I hope that it is the message that healthy food can be tasty. You don’t have to starve yourself or eat bland gross foods just to lose weight and get in shape. You simply have to be on top of your game. Find good food that you like. Choose to eat healthy GOOD food. It is very possible.
My goal for you this week…make a plan…and stick to it! Sit down for ten minutes and decide what your meals are going to be for the week. Decide now when you are going to have time to work out and what you are going to do. Having these plans in place will help you to foresee obstacles that otherwise may pop up and stop you from succeeding altogether. Make a chart for the fridge. Put sticky notes on your mirror. Do whatever you need to do to remind yourself what your plan is for the week. Accomplishing goals a week at a time will help you to make huge strides as you go. Consistency in the small things makes a BIG difference.
Preparation = Success!
I hope you all had a great weekend! I got to spend some time in the beautiful mountains. Utah is pretty hard to compete with when it comes to scenery.
I also go to go to the Orem Summer Fest to see my FAVORITE thing in the world.
FIREWORKS!!
They make me so incredibly happy. I’ve told my mom for years that one thing I MUST have at my wedding reception is fireworks. I am obsessed!
Beautiful, no?
What are some ways preparation has helped you accomplish your goals? Having training plans for my workouts is always big in accomplishing my end goals. I also always have a mental plan as to what my meals are going to be. What are you going to do this week to prepare to meet some of your goals? Set a goal that will get you a little closer to where you want to be! You can do it!
Don’t forget to enter June’s Relax Remix Music Giveaway You have until Tuesday Night!
I couldn’t agree with you more! Preparation is so important. I have found myself in some sticky situations (i.e. starving after class) and made my way through a box of wheat thins faster than humanly possible. After that happened a few times I figured out I needed to take snacks like an apple with me. I always plan out my meals for the week, it makes grocery shopping so much easier!
Great post, I love fireworks too 🙂 They never fail to amaze me.
Preparation is definitely the number one determining factor in my success. I can honestly say that in the last 3 years I have never missed one planned ahead workout. I am very OCD about structure and don’t compromise the time I set aside for working out.
I also spend a lot of time preparing food, and keep my shopping schedule on track. Tuesday is my Costco day but I have something Tuesday night this week so I have been sitting here figuring out how to tweak my meals to make my food last an extra day. If I have healthy food, I have no excuse to cheat.
Meal planning honestly keeps me sane! When I went back to work after my maternity leave I felt like I was always a chicken with my head cut off when I got home from work. Meal plans have cut down so much on my prep time and saves a ton of money.
You are completely right. A long time ago you told me to remember what you CAN and should be eating instead of what you CAN’T eat. When I think about it that way and I’m prepared its 10x easier to stay on track.
Love this Megan. So so true for basically everything in life. I feel so much more in control when I am organized in every aspect of my life.
Have a great week! P.S. We need to get together soon because I have missed your face. 🙂
AHHH I WAS AT SUMMERFEST TOO…we should have met up!! You are SO right about preparation, it just makes healthy living SO MUCH EASIER!!! Can we go swimming this week? When are you free? I leave next Tuesday so I need my megan time!