I Can Do This!! Meal Planning/Daily Exercise

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NicoleP2012
NicoleP2012 Posts: 15 Member
in Getting Started
So Im starting over..with trying to lose weight..I hate calorie counting but that seems to be the way it works. So I wanna plan my meals and count them that way...
But I have never meal planned...I need to loose 75 lbs 2 lbs a week..I need accountabiliy and easy meals...anybody in the same boat

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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Meals can be as elaborate or easy as you please. Accountability is easier when you're doing something you like. What did you have in mind?
  • NicoleP2012
    NicoleP2012 Posts: 15 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Meals can be as elaborate or easy as you please. Accountability is easier when you're doing something you like. What did you have in mind?

    i need quick easy tasty filling meals...Time is a issue.maybe plan Mon-Tues..Wed Thur Friday....weekends are my worst times...
    of eating healty.....So I need lunch meals for work and dinner...(breakfast i can do)
  • TartsAndTattoos
    TartsAndTattoos Posts: 33 Member
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    Meal planning is just a small amount of organizing and giving yourself a couple of hours to prep. So worth it. I suggest, if you want ideas on how/ what, just look at social media. Pinterest is a great resource on batch prep (freezer meals). Instagram is great to see what others do #MealPrep #SundayMealPrep Most people that I know that meal prep do it on Sundays so the week ahead is ready to go. You got this. Also, perhaps drop your expectations on your lose per week. 1 lb a week is very sustainable. But most importantly- a lose is a lose. Don't fret if you don't hit that 2lbs every week. Every ounce lost is a win.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited September 2017
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    Planning should free up time. You have to prioritize. Eating well is an important as well as pleasurable task, don't sacrifice food, you'll be sacrificing your health.

    Look into what you think "healthy eating" is, maybe eating healthily doesn't have to be boring or difficult. Start with what you're already eating and know how to make. Maybe you can eat out half as often, or reduce portions. If you need recipes, google. But maybe you don't need so many recipes. Learn how to cook easy things like rice, pasta, potatoes, meat and fish, frozen vegetables, things that are easy to combine into acceptable meals.

    Start with your calorie goal and (pre)log food to hit your calorie goal. If you hit your calories, and keep a good macro balance (MFP's default is fine), you can forget "filling" - satiety is subjective, individual, habitual and situational - you're eating enough, and balanced - aka healthily. What you should focus on, is taste. What do you like? How can you eat tasty within your calorie allowance?
  • shipleyamye
    shipleyamye Posts: 54 Member
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    On Sundays I have been making five lunches, 2 go in the fridge, 3 in the freezer. The lunches are easy, a carb choice, a protein choice, some roasted veggies all goes into tupperware containers and I'm set for the week.

    I eat the same thing all week, however I might put a different marinade on the proteins for different days. Last week I had salmon (cooked with two different marinades), brown rice and roasted green beans, the week before was lentils (two different sauces), jasmine rice and roasted beets. I will also do chicken, roasted potato and boiled carrots.

    Eating the same thing everyday for the work week is to some boring. However, I change up seasonings on the same basic meal and find I have enough variety. Doing work lunches this way really simplifies things for me and makes tracking and counting calories easy because it is the same all week. I put my lunches under meals in the tracking part and just have to make one click each day to add the food to my diary.

    For suppers, I try to cook bigger batches of stuff that I might use later in the week. So if we are having baked potatoes and beans...I will make extra potatoes or beans to use in a different meal later in the week.

    When starting with changes to diet I think it is easiest to keep things really simple. Then once you get the hang of it and have built up a habit you can start experimenting more!
  • Timorous_Beastie
    Timorous_Beastie Posts: 595 Member
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    I tend to eat variations of the same foods. Not so much "meal planning" as having plenty of easy options on hand to mix and match. Most of my meals are chicken breast with some sort of marinade or sauce, frozen vegetables (easy prep - no cutting and they won't go bad if you don't eat them all right away) and a baked potato or rice or pasta. So maybe chicken with Teriyaki sauce, "Oriental blend" frozen veggies, and rice. Or chicken breast, "Italian blend" veg, pasta and marinara sauce. Or chicken breast, a tablespoon of BBQ sauce, green beans and a baked potato (topped with some light ranch dressing).

    You know how Bubba was telling Forrest Gump about shrimp? I'm that way with chicken. I can go weeks without eating it the same way twice, and I have it almost every darn day.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,136 Member
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    I have a few recipes on my website that are ideal for prepping ahead, my Instagram feed is also on there for lunch and breakfast ideas. www.exercisenotextrafries.com (not selling anything just a personal blog site)
  • mlrtri
    mlrtri Posts: 425 Member
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    I am right there with you. I have about 60 lbs to shed and am hoping to be aggressive and knock off 10 lbs a month (shoot for the stars, right?) I have always had to plan/prep meals due to busy life ( and living in country and not close to a store). I am just tweaking what the meals are. It becomes easier after awhile. The only downfalls are 1- when you just truly don't feel like the meal you had planned. 2- when you are gone for the weekend and don't have time to prep for week ahead.

    Friend me and we can help each other out :)
  • JustRobby1
    JustRobby1 Posts: 674 Member
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    I used to meal plan in the initial stages. This is good for calorie and portion control at the onset. These days I just keep my fridge stoked with items I know the counts for so I can make whatever and I keep my freezer stocked with connivence meals I can just heat up when I am lazy. I also have a VERY long Google Docs file with about every fast food and casual dining chain imaginable with my go to meals at each.

    Counting calories does suck at first I admit, but you would be surprised how quickly you get used to it. It won't be long an you will get exceedingly creative in being able to squeeze in stuff you like and still meet your daily goal. Also helpful is the fact that many restaurants and food producers out there have heeded the call and created items that are calorie counting friendly. I remember when I first discovered Halo Top ice cream my mind was blown.
  • y2jmann
    y2jmann Posts: 15 Member
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    I used this book to help put together my weight loss plan. It is called CHUBSTER: A Hipster's Guide To Losing Weight While Staying Cool. It is funny but has a lot of solid advice, check it out. I borrowed it from my local library but you can also get it on Amazon... https://www.amazon.com/Chubster-Hipsters-Losing-Weight-Staying/dp/0547559348

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