Anyone know any good weekly habits that can help with Diet and exercise?

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AHeartForBart
AHeartForBart Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey, I'm just asking this question generally because i had a sit down conversation with my wife this past weekend and brainstormed some ideas that might help us change our lifestyle. One thing we are doing is cooking all of our meals on the weekend for the following week so we know what we have and make use of all of our food so it doesn't wind up thrown away. Also it gives us the ability to plan our meals. I had a weekly dry erase board calendar that i put on our fridge and use to write what meal we are having each day. It is also a big help when you know you are eating out or going to your parents for dinner or something (Party,Wedding ect.) We decided on a "No Seconds" rule so that we make our plate put all of the food back into the fridge and eat our average meal. I had a few other ideas but i'm still brainstorming and i wanted to hear what others are doing to make better habits. If you have time it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks =)

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  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Measure, weigh, and track!
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    It is great that you are doing this together. My better half came on board after I had lost the weight and was quite happy maintaining. He has had great success and we compare notes all the time. He now works out with me and has developed his own routines.

    Yes do weigh, measure and log your food, this can be great fun, seeing who has got closest to their goal intake without going over ( we do % as he can eat twice what I can).

    Since you are doing this together you may like to have a set of scales each, so dinner isn't cold by the time you have dished it out. Costco have them for under $20 at the moment.

    Take turns in planning menus- the one that gets the menu that fits closest to your macros wins.

    Start some kind of exercise routine, the calories burned can also be a game.

    Train for a 5k, lift weights that are heavy for you and track the progression.

    Set realistic goals, no need to be the same, and reward the achiever by making their fav meal for that week.

    All this is done with a smile on your face, not ultra competitive.

    Have fun doing this together.
    Cheers, h.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
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    For treats, get prepackaged one serving type (i.e. fruit bars or other individually packed ones) and keep it prelogged so that you have the "reward" if your calories allow for it. Throw out or keep out all other snacks that can't be rationed into single serving type snacks (or prepackage all snack items in little sandwich baggies so that you don't have to guess and weigh each and every time).

    I got an egg steamer so that I can mass produce hard boiled eggs for my snacks. You have to eat them within a day or two (something about not boiling it for long enough to kill off every little thing), but that's not a problem for me.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Plan your lunches, too. You could plan your dinners for 4 servings so you can each have lunch the next day. Pre-pack your lunches the night before so you can grab and go in the morning. You can even pre-log it in MFP. If you don't like leftovers, or can't reheat food at work, make sure you have the ingredients on hand for lunches at all time and make them up the night before. A before bed routine is crucial for preparing for the next day.

    Plan some activities together that will get the two of you moving more. Take a walk before or after dinner. Plan a hike or a long bike ride on the weekend. Play tennis. Go to the gym together even if you both do your own thing while there.
  • Amitysk
    Amitysk Posts: 705 Member
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    Meal planning is the biggest key for me!
  • mamacoates
    mamacoates Posts: 430 Member
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    Congrats to you for being so involved in the meal planning and prep! My hubby and I also have "date nights" at the gym on Fridays and Saturdays. We run together on the treadmill so we don't have to worry about the difference in our speeds ... and we go for a distance goal or a time goal each time. Sometimes we take a spin class together. After the gym we pick a healthy dinner spot (salads or freshly prepared foods) to enjoy together and talk about our week, etc.

    I also make green smoothies every evening, store them in mason jars so they are cold and ready to go as we head out the door for work each morning. He leaves at 5 am so this is really great for him and assures we both have a healthy start to our day. It's a lot harder to indulge in donuts and junk when you have a delicious smoothie waiting for you first thing every morning.

    Best wishes to you both and keep us posted on your progress!!

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