Become a Lean Strong Mom Strategy #5: Choose a Meal Plan and Customize it

The Trouble with Weight Loss Meal Plans

I don’t know about you, but, as a busy mom, I have found so many weight loss meal plans to be somewhat impractical to follow, especially in the beginning.
Here’s why:

Most weight loss meal plans emphasize variety - I’m sorry but, if I have to look at a new recipe 3-6 times per day for 7 days a week – FORGET IT! I’ve already lost the battle. I do not have the time or the energy to learn to create 1 new meal a day, let alone 21 or more new meals a week

I have a family to feed - (yep I do most of the cooking in my house!) and, although I want

6 meals a day? – You’ve got to be kidding me. I do understand the logic in this – keep that metabolism burning baby! Adding fuel to that metabolic fire keeps it burning and that’s what you want. I’m all for it. But, again, if I have to eat six different meals a day, or even have to keep looking at my list of acceptable foods/meals, I will never stick with it unless I’m prepared with a modification that suits my busy lifestyle.

In the beginning, when it is most important to follow a program, it is vital to be prepared not only with your weight loss meal plan but also with your modifications.

Learning to Modify is the Solution

Don’t get me wrong, if you are struggling with being overweight then you probably have some habits in your life that you need to be intentional about changing; not excluding learning how to eat healthfully. But practicality and preparation are key to transitioning from bad eating to good eating. Learning anything new is a process and learning to eat is no exception.

Enough said. Allow me to share with you some examples of how I proceed to modify different meal plans for weight loss success.

• Choose a good meal plan. First of all, I choose meal plans that emphasize a diet low in refined carbohydrates (white bread, sugar, processed foods), high in lean protein, low in saturated fat and high in fiber (whole grains, vegetables, beans). I follow calorie guidelines for my height, weight and weight loss goals, not for calorie restriction but a calorie range for regulation.
• Keep a food journal. Second, I keep track of what I am eating in a food journal (see Become a Lean Strong Mom Strategy #4: Keep a Food Journal).
• Customize the plan. Third, I choose only a couple of breakfast, lunch and snack meals that look easy and enjoyable and I stock up on those items so that I can repeat those meals daily (at least until I get sick of them!) since those are the meals I typically eat quickly and without thinking.
• Make only one meal for you and your family. Fifth, I choose some dinner meals that my family will enjoy. Usually, the most uncomplicated ones make it on my grocery list. For example, I like meals where the main course is some kind of lean meat, like turkey, lean ground beef, chicken or fish. It is easy to add sides for my kids, like rice or bread, when I will be most likely eating my main course with or on a side salad or bed of vegetables. Or, if we have our family favorite – tacos – my kids eat their tacos in a shell with lots of cheese and I eat my taco meat and black beans on a big bed of lettuce with a little cheese and small handful of corn chips sprinkled on top.
• Get creative to make it easy. Finally, I make the most of dinner leftovers. If there is leftover taco meat (from the family favorite I described above) I make sure to have plenty of lettuce so I can enjoy taco salad for lunch for the next few days – 0 prep! Or, if our main course was chicken and there is some leftover, I will chop it up and cook it with some spinach and chopped red bell peppers between a couple of whole wheat tortillas – and a little cheese. When I’m pressed for time and not in the mood to get creative (which is usually), I have found that I can pretty much take a small portion of any leftovers and throw it on a big bed of lettuce, add a little dressing and it tastes great and fills me up!

Practical + Prepared = Weight Loss Success

I have found that, overall, the more prepared I am and the more realistic I am about what I can accomplish in a day, the better my daily progress is. The times I have tried to stick to an elaborate, varied meal plan have been frustrating and overwhelming and I have failed. However, I have prioritized eating healthfully and have found that being prepared with weight loss meal plan modifications has helped me to make healthy choices that fit my lifestyle and ultimately paved the way for weight loss success.