Planning Ahead

Whether you are trying to lose weight or simply trying to be conscious of your diet and eat healthy, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to plan ahead. Lack of planning leads to impulse eating, which is almost never good. Planning ahead allows you to keep your blood sugar in check, which will seriously curb cravings for "bad" foods, and it makes having healthy snacks and meals much easier. Who wants to peel and cut a cucumber when you are starving? Not me. I'd rather grab a cookie! Having already chopped veggies on hand, and eating them before you get to the ravenous stage will eliminate a lot of diet woes. You won't feel hungry, you will have more energy, and you'll be happier, knowing that you made a healthy choice.

I usually spend my Sunday mornings preparing for the week as much as possible. Lately, I have opted out of a regular salad and instead have been eating a broccoli, chick pea and red pepper mix. It's so good with either the red wine vinaigrette or a balsamic vinaigrette. All three of those veggies will last the week, so I prepack 5 containers of broccoli salad on Sundays. I also boil a few eggs for Greg and I for the week. Sometimes Greg eats eggs, and sometimes he doesn't, so depending on his appetite, I may or may not have to boil more mid-week. I also cut up a cucumber, celery, carrots or whatever veggies I have on hand to munch on throughout the day. Cucumbers won't last the week, so I usually only make up two baggies at a time of raw veggies.

I always make sure that my lunches are assembled at night, before I go to bed, so that I am not scrambling around in the morning trying to get everything I need. I make the boy's lunches at night too. It makes mornings so much easier.

I always plan meals before I grocery shop and make my list accordingly. I usually head back to the grocery store mid-week, so I keep a running list of needed items on the side of my fridge. That way, I can just jot down what I need, as I realize I need it. I also pick out all of our clothing - mine and the boys - on Sunday. I iron everything and lay out our outfits so that I don't have to worry about it once the chaos of the week ensues. OK, that last pointer has nothing to do with eating, but it is certainly a way to make life during the week easier, so I thought I would throw it in! :)

I am a planner by nature, so all of this comes very naturally to me. I like to plan ahead. It makes me feel productive and efficient. Waiting until the last minute makes me feel unprepared, and honestly, that is one of the worst feelings for me. Planning can make some people feel pressured. It can become a burden for me too. Sometimes if I don't follow my routine and get my planning and organizing done ahead of time, I feel anxious. But I know myself well. That anxiety of getting things done is much better than the anxiety of being caught unprepared.

You know yourselves too. It all comes down to balance, once again. What works for you, probably differs from what works for me. Whatever it is, however you find your balance, I hope that it brings you a healthy outlook, lots of energy, and most of all, enthusiasm for life and health!
My week's worth of salads, some cut veggies for today, Monday and Tuesday, and yes, that's a black bean brownie on top of the stack of salads! Hey, gotta have some treats (and that's a healthy one!)

I also hard boil eggs for lunches during the week. They are a good source of protein, portable and easy to eat. I have one most days.