7 Reasons Why Preparing Meals in Advance is Effective for Weight Loss ...
By Isabel
By Isabel
There’s been a big trend now with preparing meals in advance, especially to aid in weight loss. Meals are an important aspect in weight and fat loss, and no one wants to get caught off guard on a busy day! Prepping healthy meals is committing to the idea of living a healthy life. Check out 7 reasons how preparing meals in advance can be effective for weight loss!
A key to weight loss is calories in versus calories out, and preparing meals in advance is a sure way of knowing what you are consuming. No more mindless eating of empty calories! Meal prep is ideal for understanding what a true serving size of food is. If you set aside time to learn portion sizes, it’ll be easy not to overeat when you go to a restaurant.
Eating healthy can be difficult when your family and friends aren't as serious as you are. Meal prepping allows you to eat healthy when there may be tempting foods around. This sets you on the right path to a successful weight loss journey. It’ll be hard, but stick to it!
Meal prepping is the time to research on what are the ideal foods for your weight loss goals. There are tons of healthy eating habits and diets out there, but I personally focus on eating clean. Eating clean means eating primarily unprocessed, unrefined, whole foods, most of the time. By sticking to these types of foods, I can get rid of unwanted fat in my body. When you understand what you are consuming, you start eating less junk and filling your body with nutritious and delicious food!
When you go grocery shopping, make a list of healthy foods you are going to eat. Stick with what you know first, which should include lots of veggies and fruits, lean protein, and unrefined, whole carbs. Add in something extra each week that you know is healthy but have never tried. Doing so eliminates buying sugary, processed, and junk food. When you don’t have this kind of food in the home, it’s easy not to stray from you meal plan! If you do indulge, make sure to do so in moderation!
Preparing meals allows for accountability of what you eat, but if you forget to write down what you ate, it's going to be a little difficult. I eat my best when I write down in a food journal. Writing down can help you design a meal plan that works best for you. You can also see what types meals worked and didn’t work in order to prepare for the following week.
I preferred preparing weekly meals on a Sunday night. I would take time to figure out my schedule and design a plan around that. Sundays were easiest for me, but depending on your own schedule, it could be any other day that isn’t hectic. By setting aside time to cook and pack away your meals, you are truly yourself devoted to eating and being healthy. If you fail to plan, you can plan on failing!
Being healthy doesn't mean you can't indulge every once in awhile! I personally dislike restrictive diets. It is totally fine to indulge because you deserve it! However, you have to plan for these kinds of meals as well. If not, every day you will find yourself straying from your meal plans. Make one day, or one meal a day, a cheat day. For the rest of the week, try healthy, but indulging snacks like dark chocolate covered almonds. Satisfies the sweet tooth without sacrificing weight loss goals!
Set aside time for yourself and prepare your meals. Base a meal plan around your goals and stick to it. By doing so, you are preparing yourself for success! What are some ways preparing meals has aided your weight loss journey?