Living the Chief Life

Meal Planning: It's great knowing the what and the why but now we need the nitty gritty details of the exact method you can use to put together a plan that fits your life and gets you to your goals... Once you have your meal timing aligned with your routine and have decided upon a couple of staple breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options (based on the recipe and meal plan ideas at the back of this book – in the appendix), it's time to write yourself a meal plan. This doesn't mean you have to follow this plan like it's set in stone but it allows you to put into practice the 3 P's of successful nutrition: Planning, purchasing and prepping/preparation. Without a system in place, it will be challenging to remember all the foods you're meant to eat, at what times and in what amounts. To start with a plan is essential and over time as the changes become more familiar habits you won't need to write the weekly plan anymore because you will remember all the details as it all becomes your new routine, and you’ll be able to create meals and snack on the fly as you go using the principles discussed throughout this book. Success in planning is planning to succeed and vice versa planning to succeed requires success with your planning, so get to it! Use the empty meal plan on the next page to put together a rough guide for your next week ahead. If you get stuck, have a look at the suggested meal plans at the back of the book but remember to swap out foods you might not like and change portion sizes for your goals and current health status. Once you have written your meal plan you can now take the next step - PURCHASING. It's time to go food shopping. Use the meal plan to make a full shopping list with all the non-perishable food items you need for the week that you can stock up on (like non fruit and vegetable items) and maybe only perishables for the first 2-3 days keeping in mind that you'll be doing regular food prep at least twice a week to help set you up for success and ease for staying on track with the plan. An hour or two in the kitchen on a Sunday and maybe 20-30 minutes on a Wednesday or Thursday as a top up day will really help you to stay on top of your game. Day by day is achievable but does require a lot more prep time than is really necessary, it just depends on your schedule and work/life balance. Once you have your shopping list, either order online or head to the local markets/fruit & veg store and butchers/fishmongers to buy all of your delicious and nutritious food items for the first few days of your plan. Now it's time for the 3rd P… To go home and PREP. Chop, cook and box up all the veggies and meat you can, even if it's only prepping for breaky, snacks and lunch tomorrow whilst you're cooking dinner for that night, at least you're one step ahead of yourself and will have easy to grab and eat meals and snacks all ready for the day ahead. This will decrease the risk of straying from the principles and also help you keep energy levels balanced whilst also keeping you satisfied and hopefully preventing you from eating the less favourable food items that aren't part of a healthful outcome. They nearly always find a way to sneak in if we're not fully prepared and our minds get the better of us, but if you already have your meals and snacks with you, you'll be less likely to stray.