Apr 26, 2018
Today's episode #17 is about how to instantly boost your diet without having to try another meal plan and what steps you can take to confidently make healthier food choices.
Many women think that a crazy meal plan is the answer to their prayers in transforming their body, and you see the promise advertised everywhere. You may have tried diet after diet and keep searching for the next one because the last crazy diet you tried did not produce the results you desired, or the results only lasted throughout the program and then you were right back where you started. What did all those diets have in common? They all came with a meal plan that you followed (more or less).
I have tried many diets, and the reason I tried diets is that my clients say, "Heike, what about this particular diet, is it going to work? Is it going to bring the results that I want?" So I decided the best way to check stuff out is to put myself on those diets. Every one of those diets came with a precise meal plan, eating at a particular time, specific amounts of food, drinking a specific amount of water or taking certain foods out of my diet, and the pounds did fall off. It started with mostly water loss first, then I got raging headaches, and I had no energy to do all my exercises, but I figured it was all for a good cause (showing you what diets and meal plans are all about). But the big problem with these diets was that once I started eating normal and regular (healthy) meals, the weight came back almost instantly.
So I have my own experiences with following specific meal plans, that took me years of exploring and studying to find out what really works when it comes to healthy eating and learning why meal plans usually don’t produce lasting effects.
I have to be honest with you. Yes, I did write meal plans for years because I thought that was what you needed to do. I write exercise plans for my clients, so it makes sense that I should write a meal plan too, right? After all, that's what my clients wanted, a meal plan for them to follow exactly. Meal plans are like having a precise prescription: eat this not that, eat this amount at this time. They’re very specific and usually very limiting.
Let me give you an example of what a typical meal plan might look like, and it might look familiar to you.
Breakfast - 7:30 AM: 1 breakfast taco (3 eggs, 1 cup mixed veggies, 1 wrap), plus one cup of tea or coffee and 1 glass of water
Lunch - 12:30 PM: 1 tuna salad (4 oz tuna, 2 cups lettuce, lemon for dressing), plus 8 oz of water
Snack - 4:30 PM: 1 scoop of whey protein mixed with a half a cup of water and 12 oz of water
Dinner - 7:00 PM: 4 oz chicken, 2 cups of cooked vegetables, 1 small baked potato and 8 oz of water
You might think, “That's great! Now I have a plan. I don't have to think about it anymore.” It's laid out there in front of you; you just eat that every day. That's what I eat. Easy to follow, I can do this.
Lots can go wrong, and the struggle is real.
It starts with shopping. So you get all the essential ingredients that you need for your new meal plan, and you put it together in a list and the shopping starts, where to find all those ingredients? Are they the right ingredients? One store doesn't have it so let's go to the next store. You end up with running around, spending a lot of time finding these ingredients to go with your new meal plan.
Then second is cooking. So now you're home with the meal plan that comes with recipes, and you say, “I can do this.” You start cooking, but you hate cooking. You really don't know how to cook, and you really don't want to cook, so you end up dreading the cooking process of your meal plan.
Another problem is money. Some of those meal plans are really expensive for all the ingredients you have to buy, and for the foods, you never would buy in the first place. And lastly, nobody in your family wants to eat what you cooked. They look at it, and they just crinkle up their nose and say, "No, thank you. I'm going for the peanut butter and jelly sandwich." This happened to me, so the struggle is real.
Let's look at some of the most common problems with meal plans.
#1 - Not sticking to the meal plan
You get busy, and you didn't buy all the food on the list. You ran around, you tried, but you just couldn't get it together. You work late; you don't have time to cook, you don't have time to shop for potential missing ingredients so you eat whatever you can find. Then there's the birthday party with the delicious cake, and this food is definitely not on your list. Then the kids get sick. I remember when my kids got sick, it was chicken noodle soup for days until everybody was healthy. I'm sure chicken noodle soup is not on a meal plan.
And then the most tricky part I find is when you go on vacation. On vacation you want to relax, you want to de-stress, you don't want to think about what you should or shouldn’t be eating. So you're already defeated saying, "Well, I either don't go on vacation, or I stick to my meal plan," but these struggles are real. It's normal. And despite your best intentions, you're not able to stick to the meal plan because it's so rigid and it doesn't fit your lifestyle.
#2 - You follow the meal plan to a T, but you don't get results
Meal plans are intended to be sustainable only for a short duration. It's usually not a lifelong way of eating. Our body can adapt to a rigid plan of eating for a short time, but not in the long run. Eating a restricted diet for too long can lead to disordered eating or nutrition deficiencies.
#3 - The meals you’re supposed to eat make you wish you hadn’t started the meal plan at all
You don't like the foods on the list, the meals are so repetitive, the meals don't make you feel better, more energized and you're not seeing results as fast as you thought. You conclude that eating healthy sucks and it's way too hard. Sometimes precise meal planning is necessary to reach a goal like if you’re trying to lose weight for a wedding or a fitness competition.
I used to be a competitive bodybuilder, and when I was getting ready for my show, I had to do exact meal planning to the ounce. It was really tough because I didn't go out, I didn't meet my friends, I dreaded going anywhere because I wasn't sure if I could bring my plastic container with food and my two-gallon container of water. It's pretty awkward, I tell you, but I was determined to compete in those bodybuilding shows.
A typical meal would look something like this: 3 oz of turkey breast, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 5 almonds. We usually don't eat like this and weigh every ounce of what we eat, and we don't live our lives like we're in a competition every day.
If you want to eat better, you don't have to weigh and measure your foods and count almonds to see changes. There is no reason for you to live a life eating out of a plastic container like I did to lose weight. Do more of the things you are already doing, but just do them a little bit better. Exchange some not so healthy foods for a better choice.
You can boost your diet without another meal plan, and here is how.
The breakfast boost
You go through the drive through every morning to get your Egg McMuffin and a large coffee with three full fat creamers, chowing it down while driving to work. You get to work hungry because you don't even remember that you ate. Let's try this instead: replace the Egg McMuffin with a whole grain muffin, the creamer with a lower fat version of creamer and grab a yogurt for protein, then sit at your desk eating your muffin and yogurt while reading your email. You're still distracted by reading your email, but you definitely upgraded your nutrition choices. This is a terrific start.
The lunch boost
You hustle over to the deli and grab a Greek sandwich that will fill you up and you know it will give you heartburn later, but, "Oh well, it's quick and easy, and I can work and eat at my desk," you think. Grabbing a coffee will keep your energy up, that's the plan. Let's try this instead, get the Greek sandwich as a salad, put the dressing on the side and have them add more vegetables to your Greek salad, instead of the coffee you usually get, try green tea, it's not perfect, but it's progress.
The dinner boost
It's 8 PM, and you're on the way home from work, cooking the delivery meal that you get every day is out of the question because it’s so late. You know that there are several fast food places that you could stop at to get burger and fries, and you know you have a bottle of wine at home that will help you ease some of your stress from work. Let's try this instead: stop by the grocery store and pick up some rotisserie chicken, go to the salad bar and get a variety of vegetables and an already cooked small potato. This is looking pretty good, and you limit yourself to one glass of wine. Then sit down and enjoy your meal.
The primary goal is not to rely on meal plans, but to boost your diet with healthier choices. It is important to have a healthy relationship with food and not let a plan dictate what that relationship is. If you decide you can't be without a meal plan, remember to use it for a specific purpose, like a competition or a wedding, and to keep it short. Don't let it dictate your life.
My word of caution, if you find your meal plan makes you feel guilty because you keep falling off the wagon: if you are constantly worried about your food intake and if you are restricting food groups to get the results you desire and you stop your social life because you can't fall your diet, then, my friend, it's time to ditch the food plan and consider another option.
So there you have it, how to instantly boost your diet without another meal plan and easy solutions, so you don't fall into the meal plan trap ever again. Do more of the things you already are doing well, just do them a little bit better and exchange some of the not so healthy foods for a healthier version. We're not looking for perfection, but lasting results and healthy sustainable habits. You no longer have to rely on a meal plan to help you lose weight or get in shape, but an easy-to-follow strategy of eating a bit better each day.
So there you have it, my friend. If you found this helpful, then you might like my 7 Days To Ignite Your Spark Planner, the link is in the notes. Thank you for listening today and I'll see you next time on the Pursue Your Spark podcast. Chiao!
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