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Why You Need To Plan Ahead To Lose Weight

August 18, 2016

Spoiler alert! You need to plan ahead to lose weight.

Millions of people are trying to lose weight. Changing their diets, starting an exercise routine, trying to live a balanced and healthy life.

There are also millions of people giving up on their new lifestyle, and going back to their unhealthy habits. It is estimated that 95% of people fail to make healthy, sustainable changes, and many of them fail within just a week.

And while those statistics are widely disputed, what’s not disputed is that the majority of people have a hard time sticking with a new nutrition or exercise plan long-term, and the reason for that has absolutely nothing to do with willpower or genetics.

Why You Need To Plan Ahead To Lose Weight

It’s simple. It comes down to failing to plan ahead.

People are great at setting routines and never breaking them. People are creatures of habit, so by flying by the seat of your pants when you want to change something as big as the food you eat or physical activity, you’ll fail without a plan.

Plan Ahead To Lose Weight

Unhealthy habits are difficult to change. But, the good news is there’s one simple trick to making healthy living habits that last.

Planning ahead! This by far, is the most important habit you can develop, and it will pay you back huge dividends too.

When you meal plan, organize a healthy grocery list and have a backup plan for hiccups, you’ll be much more likely to stick with your new healthy lifestyle, lose weight and feel AWESOME about yourself.

Still not convinced why you need to plan ahead to lose weight? Here’s more reasons.

Why You Need To Plan Ahead To Lose Weight

You Can’t Work & Be A Chef

Chef

Let’s be real. Working and being the household chef is two jobs, and you’re too busy for that!

Imagine you come home from a long day at work and you’re staring at a refrigerator full of ingredients. Chances are high you’ll go either through the drive through or order takeout instead of making a healthy meal. Sound familiar?

That’s because your brain is tired from a full day of working. Creating a meal on the fly, takes as much mental endurance as running a marathon. Cooking is work!

By setting aside 30 minutes every week to meal plan, you can come home, look at the plan and know exactly what needs to be made. There’s no decision making in the moment. You simply follow the plan. Bonus if you make it ahead of time and can heat up leftovers!

You’ll Have All Your Bases Covered

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

For today’s busy family, planning is necessary to keep track of everyone’s evolving schedules. Between work, school, hobbies, sports, appointments and social gatherings, it’s hard to know who’s coming and going when and where. This can throw a wrench in your eating plans if you wait until the last minute to figure it out.

When you meal prep, check the family calendar and plan meals and snacks that accommodate everyone’s schedule. Include on-the-go friendly snacks and plan crockpot meals that will make the meal for you while you’re out.

On-the-go Snacks – Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls, Healthy PB Chocolate Chip Bars, Cheesy Parmesan Hummus

Simple Freezable Meals: Crockpot Chicken Taco Bowls, Crockpot Chicken Taco Bowls, Crockpot Italian Chicken, Low Calorie Italian Turkey Casserole

This way you won’t suddenly find yourself scrambling to find something to eat for a crowd of kids that show up for a play date, or if you’re single find yourself like Bridget Jones eating moldy cheese and drinking wine.

You’ll Have A Backup

Freezer Meals

Anyone can stick to a new diet or exercise program when things are going smoothly, but once something unexpected happens, they give up and order takeout.

By planning ahead, you can anticipate things that may cause a change in plans, and have a backup ready to help you stay on track.

For example, keep a stash of healthy snacks in your purse for appointments that run late. Keep steam vegetables, turkey burgers, fish (yes, you can cook these frozen) or pre-made soup or casseroles in the freezer so when you’re short on time, you can heat and EAT! Keep gym clothes in your car so you can head go to the gym if the kids practice is running late.

Leaving everything to chance gives you excuses, and your weight or health won’t accommodate excuses.

You’ll Eat The Right Portions

Portion

We live in supersize America, and estimating calories and portion sizes has become a problem as much as the obesity epidemic. When you plan ahead, it’s more likely you’ll eat the right portions because you won’t overbuy food which will save you money! Also, you can divide a single meal into separate containers so there’s no question how much you should be eating on any given night.

You’ll Get More Nutrients

Skinny Orange Chicken

Recipe – Skinny Orange Chicken

By planning a week of meals and snacks, it’s easier to balance your nutritional intake over the course of the week. However, if you take things day by day, you are more likely to overindulge in a given food thereby neglecting the other nutrients you should be getting. Put it this way, if you want your cake and to eat it too, then planning will help you achieve that balance.

Parting Words

Planning ahead is critical to changing, sustaining and/or meting a weight loss or health related goal. By planning ahead each week, picking out recipes, making a healthy shopping list, and doing basic food prep, you will find it much easier to stay on track.

Stop make excuses and setting yourself up for failure by leaving everything to chance. Start planning ahead, and watch the pounds melt off!

About Megan

Megan is a certified nutrition practitioner, author, freelance food photographer and fitness instructor living in Phoenix, Arizona. On her blog, Skinny Fitalicious she shares EASY, gluten free recipes for weight loss. Follow Megan on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates.

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  1. Sam @ PancakeWarriors says

    August 18, 2016 at 7:54 am

    Megan these are all great tips! I sometimes don’t meal plan I just meal prep and I still find myself staring into the fridge, with all the food “prepped” but no plan for it! You are so right, a plan is necessary or you can quickly just grab whatever is the most conveninet!!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      August 18, 2016 at 2:13 pm

      Girl, it happens to everyone. You are definitely not alone!

      Reply
  2. Tiffany@GreaterThanYesterdayNutrition says

    August 18, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    I could not agree more!!
    I used to always have ‘nutrition fails’ when I traveled with work (where lunches are usually pizza or pasta), but once I finally decided to take things into my own hands – I have been able to eat my kind of food while traveling.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      August 18, 2016 at 2:14 pm

      Traveling is especially tough. I used to travel weekly as a consultant and it takes a lot of planning to eat healthy. Good for you!

      Reply
  3. Lindsay Cotter says

    August 18, 2016 at 6:01 pm

    You are right on target with this post! So much helpful information here! Loved your tips!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      August 18, 2016 at 8:03 pm

      Thanks friend! Hope you are recovering well from surgery.

      Reply
  4. Sue Chipley says

    August 19, 2016 at 6:59 am

    I love love this blog! Great tips and great recipes… Here is to knocking at least 30 lbs off!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      August 19, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      You can do it!

      Reply
  5. Steve says

    August 22, 2016 at 3:26 am

    Hey Megan! Great post, I can totally understand this. An acquaintance of mine – who is on the bigger side – one day decided to lose weight.. He just jumped in the water with little to no research on what and why he is doing. Now after changing his program a few times, he hasn’t made any real progress. I will surely make him check out this article and hope he takes your advice and change his life around, for the better.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      August 22, 2016 at 6:02 pm

      I hope it helps your friend Steve!

      Reply
  6. Andy says

    August 24, 2016 at 3:35 am

    Hi Megan! Great post! As they say, failing to plan is planning to fail. Looking back, I can see how many times I set myself up for failure by not planning my fitness journey. I just plunged ahead without thought, so I was attracted by every fad diet or weight loss pill I saw being advertised. Thank God those years are long past gone and I’m on my way to a healthy, sustainable weight. 🙂

    Reply
    • Megan says

      August 24, 2016 at 4:40 pm

      Hey Andy, it takes a lot of trial and error to find what works for you. Congrats to you for finding what works for you!

      Reply
  7. Julie @ Running in a Skirt says

    August 28, 2016 at 7:13 am

    Such good tips! I think realizing this was a big game changer for me simply in eating better food.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      August 29, 2016 at 2:45 pm

      Yes! When I fall off the meal planning even now, it’s seems like everything falls apart.

      Reply

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Meet Megan

Certified nutrition practitioner NANP and fitness instructor working in an online private practice in Phoenix, Arizona. Lost 80 pounds, living with Hashimoto’s disease, had a hip replacement at 38 and battled amenorrhea. Megan coaches clients on weight loss and runs 14 Day Sugar Challenges. Here you get EASY, gluten free, recipes for weight loss. Learn more about me, my nutrition services and meal plans HERE!

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