planning meals for the week. anyone doing that?

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  • balloongirlagain
    balloongirlagain Posts: 7
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    This is amazing and very helpful. Thank you!
  • SnugsNinja
    SnugsNinja Posts: 5
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    I don't plan by week I usually do day by day or two days. For instance I'll go to the shops and buy soup,veg,fruit some chicken/beef and cereal and that will be my food for the next day or two. I find it easy to manage that way instead of what I'll be eating 4-5 days in advance, and it gets me out the house.
  • tigerlinly
    tigerlinly Posts: 219 Member
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    mom and i tried that but it only lasted about 3 weeks (mom always starts things like that but never follows through and then wonders why i never follow through on my weight loss
  • HisShadow
    HisShadow Posts: 59 Member
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    hi there. i was wondering if anyone plans their meals for the week and would you say that makes things easier/more manageable for you? it's a big deal for me as i'm a working mum and end up eating all sorts of rubbish because i'm constantly running around. so was thinking perhaps planning would make all the difference as i would know exactly what i'm eating and when. is that doable do you think? thanks

    Yep, it works very very well.
  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
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    No other way to go for me :p It's FAR too easy to just eat out if there is nothing that will go bad at home if I do. Plus I usually plan my workouts, so it helps to have the extra calorie intake planned in advance as well, makes the whole thing easier to manage!
  • TAMMYCLARK62
    TAMMYCLARK62 Posts: 102
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    I don't do this but I am going to use it as one of my goals to start doing.....sounds so organized.....I am terrible for forgetting to take something out of the freezer and then making something quick
  • thatlisagirl
    thatlisagirl Posts: 2
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    I have a very rough plan for my upcoming week, but I tend to only buy the things that I know I can have and then add it to the diary as I go...it has been helping. What really helped me is learning the mechanics of weight loss as a trial and error process ....I am great at maintaining, it was the losing that was difficult for me and my metabolism. But, with the bumps, I am on track :-) I have tried to wing it when I first started, without a trip to the store before the week and it did not turn out well at all, and gained. Just know your limits :-)
  • makemewannadie
    makemewannadie Posts: 401 Member
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    I try to do this on paper (not on mfp), planning out the meals for each week just because my boyfriend are on a really tight budget and it helps us figure everything out (: Every morning I prelog what i'll eat for the day, then make adjustments at the end of the day if I need to.
  • JenniferNoll
    JenniferNoll Posts: 367 Member
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    My family menu is planned two weeks in advance, because I do the major shopping every two weeks. I return to the store every few days to get fresh items. I keep a fully stocked freezer and pantry for the sake of variety. If chicken is on sale, I buy a crapload of chicken, or fish, or turkey, or whatever else is on sale. Cheese freezes well, so I buy that on sale too. I keep a spreadsheet of the menu on the fridge, and it helps me to remember to defrost the right food for that day. Sometimes, meals get switched around for one reason or another, but I find that it's not a problem.

    I just find that I spend a lot less on groceries this way, and meal planning is a whole lot less stressful if planned ahead. We don't eat out much, so I just find it easier to plan ahead.
  • Valleydachs
    Valleydachs Posts: 56
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    I actually LIKE to cook so I find it enjoyable to look at recipes and make a menu for the week. I do NOT like to grocery shop but if I have a list made for my menu items, it's a lot easier and faster to get that chore done. Also it helps me to plan my calories better. I have about 4 GOOD Weight Watcher recipes books that I use a lot and I just installed a recipe toolbar for even more ideas. Keep bein' a LOSER! :)
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
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    Def makes things easier! I have my meals planned for the week and also food bought to cook up and freeze for future meals! I'm living back home after being on my own for 13 years. My folks have a tendency to mess up the entire kitchen to cook one of their healthy culinary creations such as hot dogs and beans. So it's either cook ahead to freeze for weeknight suppers or eat out every night so I choose the latter..it's cheaper and healthier. Plus I hate to food shop so I don't wanna have to go back to the food store b/c I didn't plan my stuff ahead of time.

    It's a pain in the butt at first but becomes habit and if you cook ahead to freeze and re heat for weeknight suppers then you're more likely to eat your homemade healthy cooked food on a busy night than run out and eat slop. So def worth the effort!
  • momtokgo
    momtokgo Posts: 446 Member
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    There is rarely a day that comes that I don't have something planned for dinner. Sometimes we will swing by the grocery store and buy something different then what I had planned, or we'll order pizza etc, but for the most part I always know what I"m going to make, and thats what I make.

    I make a meal plan near the end of every week, buy groceries by Sunday morning, and then we're ready for the week. I always have an up to date menu on our fridge so no one feels the need to ask me "whats for dinner?" I plan around what we have to do that day, sports, appointments etc. If we're going to have to be at soccer at 6pm, then having a full roast chicken dinner probably wouln't be the best idea. The crockpot is my friend on those nights.

    Honestly I don't think I could function without having a meal plan. I have to cook for myself ( I can't have gluten, dairy, meat, eggs or tree nuts) my oldest who can eat most foods, my toddlers that can't have dairy, soy or nuts and my husband who will eat anything. And I refuse to buy pre-made processed stuff, so pretty much everything is made from scratch. So yeah, we meal plan lol, trying to figure it out day to day would be awful.
  • NewNalu
    NewNalu Posts: 41
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    I stick to a regular shopping schedule and plan my meals for the week. I normally try to pick out 2-3 dinners that I spread over 5-6 days using leftovers. This helps keep both my calories and shopping bill predictable:) Inspiration normally comes from healthy online websites or food blogs. I also try to keep my pantry stocked with stuff, just incase I need to change up a meal mid week. I generally try to only do one grocery run per week.
  • hhayes06
    hhayes06 Posts: 189 Member
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    I too plan my family's meals for the week, usually only lunch and dinner because breakfast is always something quick and easy like smoothies or toast. Anyway, I sit down each week and write out what we will have for the next 7 days. I include what hubby and I will take to work with us. Hubby and I both do shift work so I also plan out meals based on who will be home at the time they are eaten. For instance, if it's just me and the kids then I do something more kid friendly. After I write out our meals I then make my grocery list based on our menu. This helps our budget and if one week is tighter than normal then I will plan as many meals as I can around items already on hand. Like others have said, this not only helps keep me on track MFP wise but it helps make mealtime a lot less stressful along with helping the pocketbook.

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