Mean Planning

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MandiMarie913
MandiMarie913 Posts: 26 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
After deciding to get on track with a diet and exercise plan I've discovered meal planning works for me. I went over my calorie intake of 1450 for past couple days and I've figured out why lol. Never thought much about planning my meals but it actually decreases the stressful aspects of dieting. I have my meals set for today, let's do this! Does anybody else plan their meals?

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  • Tea_A_Holic
    Tea_A_Holic Posts: 36 Member
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    I try to plan my meals for the week, but find that part way through the week I end up 'not fancying' what I have planned!! I ended up trying to just plan my main meal for the week but even that goes wrong sometimes lol
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    I'm probably a little over the top on this but I make a rough monthly plan, which then allows me to order most of my meat online. I then make more detailed weekly plans which cover our family evening meals and lunches for MrsStealthHealth and myself.

    I do a fair bit of batch cooking also.

    Daily, I pre-log my food and use my evening snack to hit my cals and macro targets for the day.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I plan my meals and I love it! Actually, I'm a bit addicted and spend a lot of time daydreaming about my plan and read a lot about techniques and tips and tricks. I'm in maintenance and plan mostly to assemble acceptable meals - nothing fancy or elaborate, but it has to taste good and be balanced - at the same time varied - and not run unexpectedly out, and to avoid waste. I don't usually change my mind much, because I plan to eat what I like. Some adjustments have to be done, when something happens - if I can't get something I've planned for, or something else that looks even better turns up and I haven't prepped the original meal yet.
  • mari5466
    mari5466 Posts: 137 Member
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    I make a grocery list based off all the dinners I am gonna make that week, then I pick a lunch to pack for work and I write the stuff I need and various snacks I want to have and breakfast options so I have some flexibility. Then I write into my diary 3 days in advanced but I have a list for each day of the week what I'm gonna a cook for dinner and lunch so it's easy to write in.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,268 Member
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    I do a meal plan for the week for the family. I usually eat a little more in the evening with my husband as he is not watching what he eats as much and I like to make nice meals for us. I always have my snacks ready at work and something good for lunch. Meal planning has worked for me in the past and it is a great way to know what I'm eating and how many calories I have to burn in order to continue to lose.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    My family decides on dinners for the following week based on likes and what we have on hand, and we post it on the fridge. I decide on a few dishes that I plan to batch cook, then I grocery shop based on those meals.
  • MandiMarie913
    MandiMarie913 Posts: 26 Member
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    Thank you so much for the insight everyone! I can see how planning for several days or wks could benefit and make it easier. I also like the idea of grocery shopping based on those planned meals. I think applying these tips to my meal planning will def help!

    Also, just realized my title says 'Mean Planning' lol...smh. I guess we could call it that
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    I was going to say I don't plan on being mean... it just happens. :wink:

    But for meal planning, I shop usually by the month and make a weeks worth of meals to put in the deep freezer. I currently for the baby, have about 3 months worth of dinners ready to go. Hubby is on board for kitchen activity as he is not a cook.
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
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    I have learned if I don't plan I go over. It's not that easy to find healthy, satisfying, low calorie meals on the go so I end up eating high calorie stuff that doesn't leave me full
  • LaurenSL1
    LaurenSL1 Posts: 9 Member
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    I also love my meal planning. I plan our family dinners, kids lunches, and breakfasts. Ill be honest it takes all the stress out of eating AND we have saved money shopping this way as well. I didnt meal plan this week due to being sick and im a mess.. This weekend ill be back at it for sure.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    I do all meal planning, prepping and logging for the week on Sundays
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
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    I love meal planning! I plan at least a week in advance and it really helps keep me organized and on track. I do all the shopping and cooking for all three meals a day at our house since my husband can't cook, so having everything set up for the week saves me a bunch of time and stress. I batch cook, freeze and use the crock pot a lot.

    Of course, I'm pretty flexible if something happens to change things. My sister brought me a lovely chicken and cheese casserole last week that someone had given her and her family can't eat. Score! Dinner for 2 nights and a couple of lunches for me.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    MandiMarie913 wrote: »
    After deciding to get on track with a diet and exercise plan I've discovered meal planning works for me. I went over my calorie intake of 1450 for past couple days and I've figured out why lol. Never thought much about planning my meals but it actually decreases the stressful aspects of dieting. I have my meals set for today, let's do this! Does anybody else plan their meals?

    I've been planning for 3 years.

    However....your title says mean planning, so I was intrigued. :p

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    I don't log and I'm in maintenance, but I meal plan at least to some degree. My wife and I sit down every weekend and determine what we plan to eat for our meals and whatnot and then go shopping...

    Having a plan mitigates just going around eating random things...it seems to me that most successful endeavors have a solid plan behind them, not randomness.
  • lizandrashaw
    lizandrashaw Posts: 154 Member
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    I plan my lunches for the week. That's the meal I've always struggled with in the past.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I like to add something I forgot to mention - theme nights. You can have the dinners of the week dedicated to some "theme" - for instance "ethnic" (Asian, Italian, Mexican), or based on protein (chicken, beef, pork, fish, beans), or cooking style (crockpot, freezer meals, build your own). I'm using this: Monday Soup or casserole (often meatless), Tuesday white meat (chicken or pork), Wednesday leftovers from Monday, Thursday fish (usually salmon or herring, but also cod or pollock), Friday open for experiments, or readymeals or takeaway or something not quite fitting any category, Saturday carb heavy (pizza, cheese on toast, or pancakes), Sunday red meat (beef or lamb). This provides me structure, variety, inspiration. I can put lots of different things into these categories, without losing the rythm.

    For a year I followed a rotation plan for these meals - 2, 3 or 4 of each category that came together in a 12 weeks plan. This was an excellent idea and I ate so well and fixed my nutritional deficiencies. Then I decided to inject an "off week" after each cycle, and oops, it doesn't work like clockwork anymore. So I have stopped the rotation, and instead just pick one meal from each category for each day.

    This lets me sort of plan backwards for a couple of dinners each week: I just decide a protein, and then go and buy something to match that protein that also looks good and is cheap.

    I have an assortment of starches in pantry and frozen vegetables/meat/fish in freezer and keep a running inventory. This makes planning so easy.
  • janekana
    janekana Posts: 151 Member
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    I've definitely been better at organising expiry dates of my food once I meal planned! It has also helped me realise that just smoothies cannot accomodate for lunch, and I stuck back with oatmeal for lunch now :)

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