Pre-Challenge Activity #3: Meal Plan
kaliswalker
Posts: 1,316 Member
❔What is the first thing you think of when you decide that you need to 'get healthy' and 'lose weight'?
❔What is at the top of the list when your doctor tells you that your blood pressure needs to be managed or that your cholesterol numbers are too high?
More often than not, they will suggest that you follow a low carb, low sugar, low salt, low fat, etc., etc., etc. diet. They may even give you a '2-pager' on what they might suggest for you to follow and then they tell you to make an appointment for a 6-month appointment to see how you are doing and out the door they go to their next appointment. This scenario is if you are one of the lucky ones. You could be one of those who have been brought to an Emergency Department of a hospital with chest pains, tingling in your limbs, shortness of breath, etc. After running a battery of tests your diagnosis is revealed and ultimately, as part of your discharge plan, your eating habits are once again attacked.
Most of the time, after such an appointment, you feel like a failure; you feel hopeless. Let me tell you, it is NOT you. Our food supply is tainted and clever advertising can entice us with delicious looking overly processed food that, if you think about it logically, CAN'T possibly be all that good for you!! Whatever you think about nutritional information that is shared within the media, the more ingredients in a food that you can't pronounce and the less work you have to put in to get something on the table - the more unhealthy the meal becomes.
Searching on the internet for ideas becomes even more confusing ... many sites tell you to eat this and not that or to eat that and not this, but if you look closely you will see that many of these sites are also sponsored by those that have a monetary interest in the 'healthy food' industry. Although I don't believe everything that I read, even from those sites that are 'experts', I think that a lot of what is written here is true. Please join me in reading the following article published by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/index.html
Of course, there are plans out there like Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Noom, Atkins, Paleo, Keto - the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, there is no 'one size fits all' and various plans work better for some than for others. You have to decide what interests you and then give it a try. Knowing that weight-loss and healthy lifestyle is not the same for everyone lends itself to the fact that you can/will try many things before you find something that resonates with you and fits into your lifestyle and helps to get the results you need. Do some research; pick a plan to follow what piques your interest and follow that plan for a period of time.
In business, they talk about adopting processes in a 'plan-do-check-act' format. It means that there is a task that needs to be completed. You PLAN how to get that task done by doing research and developing steps that are needed to execute that task. You DO follow that plan and CHECK your progress. If you find a flaw in the plan, you ACT to correct your steps to eventually have a satisfactory outcome. You really can use this 'plan-do-check-act' approach in many aspects of your own life. Why not try this approach to find the nutritional plan that resonates with you? What meal plan are YOU following for YOUR healthy lifestyle journey?
> > > > Of course, any and all of these recommendations NEVER, EVER supersede recommendations from your healthcare provider. We are all individuals and are all at different stages of life (and health) which sometimes dictate what we can and can't eat. If you are under a physician's care and a meal plan has been recommended for your specific needs, please continue following your doctor's orders! < < < <
📓Your assignment: Your assignment: Pre-Challenge Activity #3: Meal Plan
Whatever ‘ food plan’ you are doing or something that is working for you, write it down!!
Feel free to add your comments to this thread outlining your meal plan for a successful 2023 Summer 5% Challenge (if you blog, you may add the link to your blog here or you may simply wish to copy/paste your writing here - or do both!), but please consider sharing!!
Remember to feel proud of each and every day that you 'work your plan', however, if you have a day where you find you stumble, don't dwell on it; pick yourself up; dust yourself off and keep walking toward your goal(s). Never make it 2 bad days in a row!
We invite you to add your comments to this thread outlining your goal setting plans for a successful 2023 Summer 5% Challenge (if you blog, you may add the link to your blog here or you may simply wish to copy/paste your writing here - or do both!), but please consider sharing!!
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PLEASE NOTE: The Seasonal 5% Challenge Teams are very active. You will be expected to participate to the best of your ability.
ALL challenge weeks run from Saturday through Friday - you will be expected to record your exercise and Living the Good Life points based on weekly Challenge Themes. You are expected to record these points daily or at least as often as you can during the week but no later than 11:59 pm each Friday (your local time). In addition, you are expected to weigh in one time per week by 11:59 pm every Saturday (your local time). Your individual team leaders and/or team mates will help to answer any and all questions about where to record your points.
🔮Our individual Summer 5% Challenge Teams are currently being set up.
✉️You will be invited to your individual team soon, in enough time to get to know your team leaders and team mates. Until then, get to know some of the Challengers that will be participating right along with you.
📢Announcements will be made when invitations to your individual teams are sent. Please visit this team, the 2023 SUMMER 5% COMMUNITY TEAM often as this will be the best source for up-to-date information.
Previous Pre-Challenge Activities (consider reading/participating in one or all of them):
Pre-Challenge Activity #1: INFORMATION and YOUR INPUT!
Here is the link: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10891802/pre-challenge-activity-1-information-and-your-input-ℹ️#latest
Pre-Challenge Activity #2: SET SOME GOALS!
Here is the link: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10891804/pre-challenge-activity-2-set-some-goals#latest
Heidi (hicim705)
Overall Co-Leader, Seasonal 5% Challenges (hosted on MFP)
Overall Co-Leader, Seasonal 5% Challenges (hosted on MFP)
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I follow a vegetarian meal plan. I need to watch my sugar and junk food. (Hopefully cut them out as much as I can.)1
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I plan to concentrate on fruits and vegetables, especially veggies. I do like most of them, and I want to try more healthy recipes from the three new to me cookbooks I bought. I did try one for sautéed radishes that tasted pretty good, but I don’t think it was very healthy.1
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I use an app called RecipeKeeper to plan my meals ahead and my shopping lists. I put the recipes in Myfitnesspal which then calculates the calories etc. When I add to the diary I can see if I am going to be within my target for the day. I will then complete the entry once that day is complete. I am trying to eat my veggies, less red meat and low carb (bread has always upset my tummy) following a Mediteranean diet.3
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I will continue to reduce added sugars: no evening "treats," limit alcohol to one drink, no refills.
Add protein to breakfast: make lactose-free yogurt, eggs, Canadian bacon
Aim for two veggie sides at every "lunner."1 -
I've lost 117 lbs by not restricting any food, I'll continue this. I Swear my mind and body are still stuck at age 4 and I WILL THROW A FIT if I am told "NO!" I do keep junk food in the house, the more improve the less I want it. Today I was eating chocolate cake and ice cream and threw some of it away. WHY? I'd rather eat something else.
I keep remembering what a teacher told us eons ago "Cook like your Grandmother did." Well, my Mom cooked that way to (only not nearly as good LOLOLOL). Shop the outside of the grocery store with a few exceptions." She was right. Both of her ideas have stayed with me all of these years. Until the pandangitall (LOL Pandemic) I HATED cooking, and I am till not wild about it, but I DO LOVE the way the food tastes. Thanks to my health (need to stay at 1500 mgs or less of sodium, restricted fluids to 64 ozs a day, and keep sugars in control also) cooking is now a necessity. There are tons of sites (On Facebook I belong to a low sodium site, which includes recipes!) which makes it much easier. I've become amazingly good at using other spices instead.
Reading over what Heidi ( @Hicim705) has written up above, it all comes together. The way to success for not only weight loss, but also to maintain our health once we reach our personal goals. TY TY TY TY Heidi!!2 -
this really resonates with me - I have definitely tried everything under the sun and although some have worked (for a while) I just fall off that wagon and undo any good that has been done. This has got to stop.3
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My doctor and nutritionist recommend me leaning towards a more vegetarian diet due to my cholesterol levels and other indicators in recent blood work. I plan to still have chicken breast, ground turkey or some salmon a couple times per week.1
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I have tried Weight Watchers and 30 years ago it worked for me for awhile. The newer versions have not worked at all. I did find what you said is true each one of us has a unique body and we have to find what works for our body and for our lifestyle. A month ago, I focused again on getting healthy. A friend had lost a lot of weight in the last few months and I asked what she was doing. She told me Intermittent fasting. I had heard about it but since I was always hungry I could not imagine not eating for hours and hours each day. Plus I had always been told that breakfast was the most important of the day so I was always eating a big breakfast...but I was very hungry by lunch time and again by dinner time.
I decided to learn more about intermittent fasting (IF)and found a lot of advice to use keto with IF. That Keto would cut the hunger and cravings. Not sure I believed it because I could never walk by the candy jar in the office without taking at least one.
But I started with the goal of doing it for a week and then evaluating it. The first 4 days were miserable and I was hungry. I sure wanted one of the donuts someone brought into the office. But I stuck it out and by day 5 I realized I was not hungry. I had no desire for the sweet rolls someone brought in. OK maybe this will work. I lost 4 pounds that first week...ok I know that will be mostly water. But it has continued. Now 4 weeks later I have lost almost 13 pounds and I am not hungry. I can stand right in front of the candy jar and have no desire to take just one. This is going to be my plan for as long as it works. Intermittent fasting along with healthy keto - lots of vegetables. This is working for me.4 -
I don't have much of a regiment diet. I rarely eat take-out. I will be adding more water and possibly weighing my food out.1
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I don't follow any kind of meal plan. My husband and I have our favorites, some options are healthy, some less so. What I would like to do during this upcoming challenge (actually starting now) is to incorporate some new healthy recipes adding more fish to our diet and including more fruits and vegetables. This summer we will make it an adventure to visit a farmer's market on a regular basis so we can try some new things. We both have cut about 50% of the sweets from our diet already as well as soda.1
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I have ADHD and texture problems. This means that if I don't take my meds, I can just completely forget to eat, AND I'm super picky about what I like. No cooked vegetables, no slightly underdone potatoes, no fish, etc. It's honestly no wonder I gained weight in the first place, because throwing breaded chicken in the airfryer is safe, fast, and easy!
What's been working for me lately is not cutting back, but adding in. I just eat what I want, but I add vegetables and fruit at every meal. I used to eat a breaded chicken sandwich and chips or fries for lunch every day. Now I air fry chicken fingers and cut them up over a salad or in a wrap. If the ADHD kicks in and the idea of prepping a whole lunch feels like too much work for too few happy chemicals, I work with it. Same amount of chicken strips, just with with sliced raw veggies and fruit on the side.
My partner and I also meal prep by default. We used to be incredibly broke, so baking one big pan of something and eating that for dinner every day was the cheapest way to make dinner work. I just do our same beloved recipes, but we add veggies in when we can. Cauliflower in our potatoes, blended veggies in pasta sauce, side salad if needed, etc. I don't deprive myself of pizza night or wine on date nights, and some weeks I lose less, but what I'm doing right now is manageable and my weight is trending downward overall.2 -
With a toddler and 18 animals to care for, I usually don’t have a lot of spoons when it comes to caring for myself. A lot of times if there’s nothing quick and easy, I’d rather not eat at all. Oftentimes, what’s quick and easy is not nutritious. I do best when I have a plan (and a backup plan) that includes *simple* options. Rather than following a specific meal plan (Keto, Mediterranean, etc.), I am going to sit down and come up with a list of options that are easy to meal prep and/or easy enough that when I’m having a low energy day I don’t give up all together and reach for junk. I really struggle with fruit and veggies…I LOVE fruit, but hate the process of preparing it, and it often doesn’t sound good when I’m hungry because I’m so conditioned to grab the non-nutritious yummy foods instead. I’m hit or miss with veggies, mostly due to texture, and the ones I do really like require prep and cooking (low spoons).
My main goals for meal planning:
1. Write down a weekly plan, including options for each meal/snack, and make a grocery list based on it
2. Prep what I can ahead of time so it is grab and go when I need it to be (ask husband for help if I just can't do it - he's willing!)
3. Include more fruit (most days I currently get none)
4. Include more veggies, even if it’s just adding baby spinach to everything possible
5. Make eating a priority; don’t skip meals (or snacks!), come up with a schedule and make the time to eat
6. Eat when hungry and stop when full (I rarely feel/notice hunger signals from my body anymore because I ignored them for so long. A schedule will help with this, but I may be eating without feeling hungry for the first week or so)
7. Pay attention to how what I eat makes me feel
8. Drink a full big cup (32oz) of water with each meal
9. Consider carbs and work towards reducing them a little bit more each week
10. Add more protein
11. Eat IN, not OUT (on my low spoons days, it's often easier to just hit the drive-through)
12. Take it one meal at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time and make adjustments as needed (instead of just giving up)1 -
I don't really follow a specific diet plan. I tried those in the past and they didn't work for me; couldn't make them a lifetime plan; when I went off I felt like a failure. I'm just counting calories, and that's been good for me, down 35 pounds since January and MFP is beautiful for that. I do incorporate 16 hours of intermittent fasting most days.1
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My “meal plan” is no whites (cauliflower has a green tinge). I was a binger, then wasn’t and yo-yoed ‘till I finally lost 70 lbs. SparkPeople folded, and a few lbs crept up, until I found MFP, then lost some more. Dh had open heart surgery, Covid hit, dh had hernia surgery, I had a hysterectomy, and I lost 4 lbs. Dr started me on estrogen, and all I want to do is eat. Bingeing is back. My meal plan, now includes meditating, Qi Qong, youtube chair exercises 2x a week, and deep breathing - the tools I used to lose the original 70.2
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I am using an AP called Intent and using a Mediterranean diet mostly keeping my Macros balanced. I am also mixing in 2B Mindset ideas about healthy eating. Water first/Veggies most/Track everything and weigh in.
Calories about 1500 ish.1 -
I started deadlifting this year so I had to significantly increase my protein intake. I am currently eating around 115 grams of protein, 125 grams of carbs, and 40 grams of sugar everyday. I have been struggling with snacking late in the afternoon and eating enough vegetables but I am currently creating recipes that will help me maintain my current food goals.1
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I have a meal plan in place from the book "Low Sodium, Low Cholesterol, Diabetic Menu Plan." I'm following 1200 calorie option and tracking everything I eat.1
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I have naturally been doing Intermittent fasting, but I've found for me it's better to maintain my weight, not to lose weight. I'm also a diabetic and an now post menopausal, so I need more drastic measures. I eat low carb, not keto as all the fat gives me mild pancreatitis. I eat more protein instead of fat and cycle my carbs for weight lifting. Instead of focusing on predetermined eating windows, I eat meals when my blood glucose is below a set target and I'm hungry. I eat to full and don't eat again until I'm both hungry and below my personalized blood sugar level. I also take measures to reduce blood sugar spikes.
Nutrition:
- Eat according to my blood sugars and hunger and fullness
- Strike the blood sugar spike by food selection and exercise
- Lower carb with some days a little more carbs with fruit and or keto tortillas and Carbquick pancakes
- High protein
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My plan is to do a calorie in/ calorie out ..keeping Kcal less than 1500, low sodium due to heart and health, but I also am one that if I am told I cannot have something I will crave it until I do have it. So I love veggies, and lean meats..but I also love batter fried cod and burritos..the secret is balance. And paying attention , NO mindless eating...I sit at a table with my plate and concentrate on my meal.
Since surgery I have not had much appitite..it comes in surges, so I make myself eat at regular times and am working on having Healthy snacks on hand.1 -
I plan to add more lean protein to my diet. I feel it is necessary if I am going to build muscle. I also plan
on cutting back on snacks and carbs. I also plan to kick my exercise up a notch1 -
It feels like I am on a diet since I am 14. I lost 30 kg about 5 years ago . After i moved and starte a new job a gained about 10 kg. I want to lose it and even a little more. I do not folow a diet, but i want to plan my meals. eat my veggies and fruits at the day and be balanced. i love to eat and bake, i do not want to eat proceed food , i want to choose and make choices that work for me in along term. i want to be honest with myself.1
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Thank you for s thoughtful and well written intro/challenge, Heidi and the whole 5% team!
I enjoyed reading it, and the CDC article, too. I like the way they breakout all the many protein sources. I mean, I know all that, but I also get tunnel vision, and forget all that. I bought some soya chunks awhile back, that I meant to try, but never did! They're not easy to find in the US! The people looked at me like I had two heads when I inquired at Whole Foods and Trader Joes ... I didn't even try my local supermarkets after that 🤣. But soya chunks are a major source of protein in other countries! I did find some on ye olde massive marketplace aka Amazon 😉.
For my plan ... copying my hopes/plans/goals forward from assignment #1 -2:So, I did write my Goals and Hopes in Pre-Challenge Activity #1. Copying it here:Thanks for posting the history of the challenge, and the link to the SparkTeams blog article. Interesting reading!
(I also signed up at one of the other challenges mentioned, that also migrated from SparkPeople 😎)
Stopping at that point for now. I'll be back for the actual Pre-Challenge Activity #1 👏
Cheers!
- mk
(Maine 🌧️☔)
I am back to finish.
(I really did enjoy reading that history, ty for posting it!)
I have been in an 18-mos 10k/day steps goal since Dec 4, 2021 thanks to a really great bunch of people I was lucky enough to stumble upon at Fitbit. We had a daily goal day challenge every day until the day Fitbit killed their challenges and open groups in March 2023 😩😡.
I am here at MFP for the food logging tools (which are vastly better than Fitbit's, btw!). I joined some challenges hoping to reinforce that, bc I need it. While I did manage to lose 30 lbs over about 18 mos at Fitbit (started 6 mos before steps goal streak started), I regained it all plus 5+ lbs more this fall and winter 😬.
My goals and hopes for the challenge are:
1.) To maintain/reinforce food logging habit that I restarted on Apr 30 (May 1?) of this year
2.) To add strength training and or stretching/yoga to my daily exercise. I really need to do more than walking.
Cheers!
- mk
To zoom in on that further, the logging is sticking this time (yay!), so I'll sharpen that goal by stating:
1.) I will strive to come in under my calories budget for the week (average).
And I'll really put myself on the spot with the second goal/hope of adding strength training and/or stretching (or yoga) to my cardio 10k/day (& 20-min+ daily) of tracked exercise per day. I've mumbled for over a year about adding those elements, so I'll drill down on that, and hopefully bring it to reality, by stating that:
2.) I will strive to add 1 strength training session, and 1 stretching or yoga session, to my weekly exercise diet. Any length of time! Just beginning and maintaining something regular will be a good launching place to be at, for the next Seasonal 5% jaunt around the world! 🤗🌍🌎🌏🌐🗺️
Cheers!
- mk (Maine)
My eating plan would tie into my #1 goal:
Assignment #1:
1.) To maintain/reinforce food logging habit that I restarted on Apr 30 (May 1?) of this year.
Assignment #2:
To zoom in on that further, the logging is sticking this time (yay!), so I'll sharpen that goal by stating:
1.) I will strive to come in under my calories budget for the week (average).
My 'eating plan' started back in July '21. It started out focusing on fiber. I tried first, to eat >20g fiber per day. Then I tried to tie it to a benchmard (the RDA, actually), of 14g per 1,000 calories consumed.
I realized it was difficult to hit my fiber goals without eating veggies and fruits, so I added a goal if 3 cups of veggies per day, and 2 cups of fruits per day, or their equivalent.
Then I started noticing my protein intake was always near the bottom range of the US RDA. So, I read up on optimal protein intake, and learned fir the first time, that women over 50, as well as anyone trying to lose weight, has protein daily requirements that are significantly higher than the US RDA bottomed range. So I started aiming fir 100g of protein daily. This I never hit, until I started adding protein powder and nonfat dry milk powder to my morning tea, instead of a splash of nf milk. Then, as I went along, and started losing some weight, I changed this to trying to get >=20% of my daily calories from protein.
I also had long ago stopped using salt at the table, and only in limited quantities when cooking, so I did try to use lower sodium things.
And ... I tried to keep fats to below 30% of calories, and really limited saturated fats. For example, I stopped using butter to fry, sauteed, or broil. I used olive oil instead. Yep, even with eggs - try it, it's fine! 👏😄
So, anyway, that dll went great as long as I was food logging, which I did daily for almost 6 mos. I kept losing weight - slowly - so I thought I was good without logging. But ... creep is real! Little by little, I stopped hitting my targets, or even really trying, except I still only used olive oil to cook, rather than butter, I didn't use added salt, and I had protein tea every day.
Annnnnnddd .. I gained back all 30 lbs that it took me 18 mos to lose. So, her I am, starting again. I 'sort if' have the same meal plan targets in mind, but for now, I'm just concentrating on daily logging, and trying to stay within calories goal. Fine tuning, and that other stuff will come later. I promise! 😄
Cheers!
- mk (Maine)
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actualbearsss wrote: »
My partner and I also meal prep by default. We used to be incredibly broke, so baking one big pan of something and eating that for dinner every day was the cheapest way to make dinner work. I just do our same beloved recipes, but we add veggies in when we can. Cauliflower in our potatoes, blended veggies in pasta sauce, side salad if needed, etc. I don't deprive myself of pizza night or wine on date nights, and some weeks I lose less, but what I'm doing right now is manageable and my weight is trending downward overall.
Blended veggies in pasta sauce - love that! I only recently read that adding a carrot to your tomato sauce makes it taste better. 💡 I added a serving of chopped carrots to each serving of tomato sauce, for the next batch I made.
I think they meant a carrot. But I like the idea of a full carrot serving, per serving, better
😄
PS - cooking in huge batches is pretty much the only way I cook 🤣. I really don't love to cook, so I make a lot, then freeze smaller portions.
Andz/or (often!) we just eat the same thing several nights in a row. 🤷♀️0 -
For the duration of this 8 week challenge, I aim to write out a food plan each week leaving some wiggle room for enjoying an untracked meals when needed. During the summer months, and being away from home more than during the rest of the year, can mean eating on the road. I plan to stick to a weekly food plan, but being flexible with myself during times away from home to be able to enjoy this very short season.1
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I am not into strict food plans. I concentrate on healthier eating, as in more salads, veggies, less desserts. I battle my sweet tooth, always....have been baking since I was barely old enough. Perhaps that is the crux of the whole emotional eating issue, right there......1
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I don’t really have anything that truly helps me. It’s all “what I want to do”. I have in the past stuck to a really clean meal prepping and did great on it, the only thing was it was so time consuming and it was meals my significant other didn’t like (since he doesn’t diet like me). So I just keep trying to go back to that cause when I was doing that I felt good. Also it was no sugar and that’s a big one I need to work on, cutting the sugar.2
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I will continue to use intermittent fasting and eat only when I am hungry. I will be on an elimination diet for the month of July and in August I will once again begin adding foods, one at a time, to determine if I have sensitivities to different foods.
I will continue to follow a ketovore way of eating, under supervision, to continue to lower my A1C below prediabetic levels. I will also be monitoring my triglyceride/HDL ratio, BP, and heart rate, for improved cardiovascular health.1 -
I am using WW tracking and keeping my carb intake low.1
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I will follow my own eating plan and stick to it this time. I have a recipe box of favorite recipes and a bunch of things I know how to make healthy. I have most food on hand. I also have 98% of my Mediterranean, diabetic and heart healthy menus from eDiets, plus many healthy cookbooks. So I REALLY, REALLY have no excuse for not eating right
Thing is I love cooking!?!?!?!?!
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I am a very low fat lacto-vegan, (probably no one else follows my way of eating so I named it myself). I already eat massive amounts of whole grains, beans, fruits, and veggies, and it has been good for me, so I plan to continue what I have been doing for the last 2 years.1
