Planning Meals in Advance?
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LBinSF
Posts: 81 Member
Hi Everyone,
Do any of you plan your meals in advance?
I'd like to do this but really have just been winging it for the past 1.5 years, reducing junky carbs, and using MFP to log food / water / exercise, which has worked pretty well (87 pound weight loss; 22 pounds to go).
There must be a way to automate the meal process- like having certain "go to" meals that you don't have to think about.
Do any of you do this?
My friend whom I just saw over Christmas does this and it got me thinking that I should do something similar. In the past, when I've tried to follow rigid food plans or diets, it's been a miserable experience. But there might be a way to do it now as a convenience, while being able to remain flexible about what and when I eat.
Your thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
LBinSF
Do any of you plan your meals in advance?
I'd like to do this but really have just been winging it for the past 1.5 years, reducing junky carbs, and using MFP to log food / water / exercise, which has worked pretty well (87 pound weight loss; 22 pounds to go).
There must be a way to automate the meal process- like having certain "go to" meals that you don't have to think about.
Do any of you do this?
My friend whom I just saw over Christmas does this and it got me thinking that I should do something similar. In the past, when I've tried to follow rigid food plans or diets, it's been a miserable experience. But there might be a way to do it now as a convenience, while being able to remain flexible about what and when I eat.
Your thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
LBinSF
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Replies
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I kind of plan my dinners in advance. I find recipes on pinterest and fitness magazines. I have a few that I make fairly regularly, but I like to try one or two new recipes a week as well. I make a list of 7-14 meals that are healthy and easy to make, then I go shopping and buy everything I need. I try not to "schedule" a meal for any certain night, because I've found that if I have something like salad scheduled, I might be craving something heartier than that and I'll end up picking up fast food or ordering pizza instead of having salad. So I usually wait to know how I'm feeling that day to decide what to have, but I have a list of options that I already have the ingredients for. If I want pasta, I have a healthy pasta option, if I'm craving Mexican, I have a healthy mexican recipe. The only time I truly schedule something is when I know I have a busy evening - like for tonight I have french onion soup in the crockpot. As far as other meals (breakfast, lunch) I tend to have pretty much the same things every day, so I just make sure to have eggs, english muffins, soup and veggies on hand. Also granola and yogurt. I think if you have some sort of plan you are less likely to just pick up something that sounds good and ultimately eat more calories.
Oh, I also buy my lean meats in bulk - chicken, fish, shrimp, etc. That way if I DON'T have a plan I can easily put something together with other things in my pantry. Like the other night I grilled some chicken, diced it up and made a sauce out of canned diced tomatoes, red cooking wine, garlic, green onions and a bunch of seasonings, cooked some whole wheat pasta, and had a very satisfying, healthy dinner.0
