Meal prepping doesn’t have to be the all-or-nothing Tupperware party that many people portray it as. Well it is for me! LOL It could be a total game changer for your results even if you just prep your most problematic meal of the day (for most people, lunch), and your post-workout meal, which can be nothing more than a snack or a protein shake.

If those two meals happen to be the same meal for you, all the better! Let’s dive in and get you on the road to easy, effective prep. OK! So here goes!!

Is Prepping Really Worth The Time?

“More than anything, meal prepping allows you to plan your meals based on your health and fitness goals,” says Josh Davis, CSCS, a strength coach and self-proclaimed master meal-prepper. “Meal prepping will get you better, quicker results from your training. It puts you in control of what you eat, when you eat, how much you eat, and when you ‘cheat.'”

Taking the time—and making the time—to prepare as little as 3-5 meals each week could be just the thing to bring your entire week of eating under control and not gain weight!!

“Meal prep helps you manage temptations that arise throughout the day. I mean theres a McDonalds, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Pizza and Cupcakes with sprinkles everywhere. “It helps save time. It reduces the effects of ‘decision fatigue,’ and allows you to create an organized schedule of eating that fits the pace of your day, even if you’re incredibly busy.”

If you put in the time and energy to prep nothing more than your lunches, snacks, and post-workout meals or shakes, you’re that much less likely to head through the drive-thru. Prepping also cuts down on wasted food and wasted time, because you’re buying and preparing only what you need.

Shop With Specific Meals In Mind

All the hard work of meal prepping comes on the front end.

“Look at your schedule for the week and determine how many meals you really need before you head to the grocery store,” says Talia Koren, founder of Workweek Lunch, an Instagram site that helps meal preppers prep.

Once you’ve determined how many meals you need, think about what you really like to eat.

“Cook healthier versions of the food you like to order at restaurants. Instead of settling for drab chicken and broccoli, aim for dishes like burrito bowls, Asian stir-fries, or even pasta dishes.”

Of course, preparing to cook more interesting meals means you need to select recipes before you head for the store. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are two tried-and-true approaches:

Choose recipes that use some of the same ingredients, so you can cook up a bunch of chicken to use in different dishes one week. Then plan on multiple—but different—beef dishes the next.
Change up the meats every other day while keeping your sides dishes the same. So beef and rice one day, pork tenderloin and rice the next. The more you’re able to cook at once, the less prep and cleanup time you’ll need.

Shop, Then Prep Right Away

Plenty of people shop with an ambitious prep in mind, but once they get home, they put the food in the fridge and go do something—anything—other than prep. Often, the food they buy ends up going to waste, and they end up dreading meal prep or thinking they don’t have time for it.

Work efficiently by carving out one single time to do your shopping, prepping, cooking, and storing. For instance, as soon as you get home from the store, immediately wash and cut your veggies, light up the stove, and start cooking.

“Keep it simple when you first start,” “Plan and prep one meal and one snack a day and give yourself time to master the process. Get a feeling for how much food you need for a week’s worth of one meal a day. Once you master the process, you can start prepping multiple meals, but don’t rush right into it.”

Make Meals You’ll Be Able To Eat

When you’re planning your meals, consider the resources you have at work. If your workplace doesn’t have a microwave, avoid meals that need to be heated. Instead, prep cold salads, stir-fries that hold up well when served cold, and simple finger foods.

If you do have access to a microwave, the culinary world is your oyster. Just make sure the containers are heatproof. It’s best to use actual bowls made of thick plastic, ceramic, or glass to heat up things like soup. But be careful taking these containers out of the microwave: They can get very hot!

Keep Your Meals Cold When You’re On The Go

Standard lunch boxes or bags are fine if you’re carrying a single meal with you, but if you’ve got three meals, two snacks, and supplements, a basic lunch box won’t cut it. Many companies now cater to meal preppers, offering specialized bags designed to hold multiple meals and additional gear. These bags are typically insulated and come with their own food containers and ice packs to make food prep a seamless endeavor.

This might seem like overkill to someone new to prep, but plenty of fit people swear by them. Why? They make your life and your prep easier—which shouldn’t be underappreciated. If you’re going to get serious about prep, it may be an investment worth making.

One of the most popular meal prep companies, 6 Pack Fitness, offers bags with a shelving system that allows you to access individual meal containers without removing anything else from the bag.

Just Get Started!

At the end of the day, the best way to learn is by doing. If you have a plan, a few solid containers, and a carrying case, you’ve got what you need to give meal prepping a try. All that’s left to do is head to the grocery store, sharpen your kitchen knife, and get to work.Habit get you started. Motivation keeps you going. In the 86,400 seconds of your day ask yourself “What Habits are you forming?”

So comment below and tell me do you prep? Do you not? Why? or tell me what you would want me to cover in the next blog.

Your friend and coach,

Crystal
N.A.S.M CPT

References:

http://www.stack.com/a/eating-plan-to-build-muscle-and-lose-fathttps://www.muscleandfitness.com/nutrition/meal-plans/28-days-lean-meal-plan
https://www.muscleforlife.com/meal-prep/

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To answer one of your many impending questions, the chia seed stems from the plant Salvia Hispanica, which is a close cousin of mint. It’s said that ancient Aztecs and Mayans prized the chia seed for their ability to provide strength and energy. I feel as though through my week-long journey with these little tiny seeds, I have had more energy over the course of the few days, and I feel more awake.

Also through my research through the internet for information on this so-called “super food,” I read a lot about how they size up to flax seeds. Some say flax is better, others mainly levied with chia, but for the good of myself I went with chia seeds because I’ve heard about them far too much not to try them, mainly from my trendy vegan friends. Chia seeds are also tasteless, which means you can put them in any food. In contrast, flax seeds must be ground up (already too much prep work for me) and taste vaguely like peanut butter, a taste that probably wouldn’t work well in a large percentage of my food or at all considering I don’t like peanut butter.

Unlike flax, chia seeds do not need to be ground. They also absorb 10 times their weight in liquid, which makes them amazing if you’re someone who retains a lot of water. If you decide to put them in your food, remember to drink a lot of water throughout the day so you don’t get dehydrated. I actually started with one tablespoon of chia with lemon in water and I found it fun to drink (or eat). When you soak chia in liquid, it develops a jellylike texture around the seed which holds the water, with a similar texture to the flesh of coconut that they put in certain coconut water brands. It also has a bit of a crunch, which I found cute and reminiscent of lychee gels. I had to keep refilling my water bottle because the chia to water ratio was way off, but it was also a good way to encourage me to drink more and often.

I bought a 2lb. bag at one of those wholesale warehouse shopping centers for about $10 and I thought it was kind of a gyp, but then I realized how small these seeds are. They’re literally a little bit bigger than a hair follicle when you pull it out by the root, and honestly they look a little bit like bugs.

With a fresh, fairly sizable bag of chia and not a single clue, I decided (for at least a day) to put the seeds in every single one of my foods. I don’t think this is healthy or recommended, but I was really gung-ho about introducing them into my diet and the information I read said that chia seeds are a good way to curb hunger by staying fuller longer, due to their liquid-retention capabilities. I personally think I could benefit by eating less, so I thought it would be an interesting way to cut down my portions. That day I had the water with lemon, a single serve packet oatmeal with a 3/4 cup of granola, a light and fit yogurt with fruit and 1 cup of the same granola, and a spinach salad with chicken, tomato, and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. (Something about vinaigrettes makes me feel excessively healthy, wouldn’t you agree?)

I put around a half a table spoon to one full tablespoon of chia seeds in all of these foods and I found myself feeling weighed down by the end of breakfast. Typically, I’m ravenous a good 20 minutes after I finish eating my first meal of the day so I was honestly surprised. However, my brain still wanted me to eat, so I tried to drink tea and have more water to pacify the neuron signals. I felt bloated with liquid because of this need to placate my pathology, which at first I thought was contradictory because of the chia. Slowly it did pass and I think it considerably cut down the amount I snacked throughout the day. Every day after, I have added chia to at least one or two meals or drinks I ingest during the day, (usually my first drink of the day, lemon water) and I can definitely sense a difference in my eating habits.

The main take aways from chia is that they are high in fiber, protein, and Omega-3 fatty acids; three items of which I recognize everyone could use a lot more of.

Also, for someone who is worried about hereditary disease, chia helps with glucose and insulin tolerance and major cardiovascular risk problems. They also are packed with high levels of antioxidants and help reduce inflammation.

Ultimately, I’m having a good experience with chia, because it has curbed my hunger, but I find myself a little lost. What do I do with all this free time that I am not snacking? I honestly feel like I lost an integral part of myself, the part of myself that enjoyed eating for sport and eating often. My brain still tells my body, “You’re watching some Netflix? Go get a bite to eat!” but my stomach insists she’s doing okay. It’s all very confusing. Maybe in due time this will subside, like kicking a habit. In the mean time, I have taken up more book reading as well as exploring.

In the mean time, tell me what you think about Chia Seeds! Have you tried them? How do you like to use them?

Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to share with friends! Remember to follow SONIC ECLECTIC on Facebook and YouTube for updates!

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You may have heard some variation of this statement before: Your commitment to improved nutrition has to be a total, sustainable lifestyle change. WRONG!!!!

When people say this, they’re often doing it with the best of intentions. They’re trying to make eating better seem easier and more approachable. But what comes across is often the opposite. After all, there are an infinite number of nutrition-related variables you could change, and they would all impact your enjoyment, progress, and willingness to continue.

So let’s break it down and focus on doing fewer things better. Here are four techniques you can use to make real progress without getting overwhelmed.

1 DON’T MICROMANAGE YOUR MACROS

Repeat after me: protein, vegetables, water. If you forget everything else after reading this article, at least remember these three words. They’re the nutritional foundation of fat loss.

Don’t get me wrong—fat has its place, and it’s an important one. But if your goal is to lose weight, eating more protein and vegetables and drinking more water are the priorities. Focus on getting more of all three, and you can solve a lot of problems.

IF YOUR GOAL IS TO LOSE WEIGHT, EATING MORE PROTEIN AND VEGETABLES AND DRINKING MORE WATER ARE THE PRIORITIES. FOCUS ON GETTING MORE OF ALL THREE, AND YOU CAN SOLVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS.

Why u might ask Dear Watson? Let me break it down to you one at a time.

Protein: Aside from its ability to help you add muscle—which, in turn, helps to burn more fat—protein has several other benefits. It is slow to digest, which can help keep you feeling full throughout the day. It also has a high thermic effect, which means your body actually has to burn energy to digest and absorb protein. Yes, you understood that correctly: Protein can help keep you feeling fuller while eating less. To keep calories in check and encourage muscle-building at its highest, I recommend using lean animal proteins a majority of the time.

Veggies: After you’re finished pummeling your protein, it’s time to feast on veggies! Aside from the nutrient density and abundant antioxidants most vegetables have to offer, they also help to promote fullness due to their high water content. Fresh, frozen, or canned, each offers few calories per serving, which leads to larger portions and more fullness without the caloric overload or guilt trip.

Water: With all of the hoopla around macronutrients, it’s easy to forget that water is an essential nutrient, too. After all, we’re at least 70 percent water, which means we’re more water than protein! Aside from the cognitive and performance benefits associated with proper hydration, it’s crucial to drink water consistently throughout the day to further promote fullness, prevent dehydration, and boost recovery from exercise. Of course, this calorie-free fluid also takes up ample space in your stomach, preventing you from trying to fill it with candy and cookies.

These priorities can even extend to the order in which you eat things on your plate. Try filling up on proteins and veggies first, with ample sips of water throughout the meal. If you still have room afterward, that’s when to eat your carbs and fats.

2 FIX ONE MEAL AT A TIME

Look at some fitness-related Instagram feeds, and you might get the impression that you have to prep every meal every day to get results. You don’t.

Identify the one meal that is the most troublesome for you each day. Maybe you often skip lunch because you’re overloaded with meetings and projects all day, or you frequent the fast-food drive-thru for dinner on the reg. Maybe you still eat the breakfast of an overactive 6-year-old, and your wavering energy level throughout the day shows it. Tackle whatever meal gives you the most difficulty in consistently making sound nutritional choices.

First, make a plan. Plot out what you will eat for that specific meal each day of the week. Not just today, or tomorrow—every day of the week. If it’s lunch or dinner, iron out your lean protein and vegetables (and carbohydrates, depending on the meal,) and decide which ones you will include in that meal. Maybe it’s salmon and broccoli tomorrow, and grilled chicken with green beans the next.

Once you’ve got your foods picked, make the meal happen! Carve out the time to cook, portion, and pack the ingredients for this meal for the next few days. I’m not asking you to pack a week’s worth of food, or even a day’s worth—just one single meal per day.

ONCE YOU’VE GOT YOUR FOODS PICKED, MAKE THE MEAL HAPPEN! CARVE OUT THE TIME TO COOK, PORTION, AND PACK THE INGREDIENTS FOR THIS MEAL FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
If you can replace a few fast-food or vending-machine meals each week with some quality protein, vegetables, and water, that’s a big step. You’ll eliminate plenty of excess calories, improve your overall nutrition, and start building the habits that will lead to long-term progress.

3 LOOK FOR SIMPLE SWAPS

Steps 1 and 2 can be game-changers on their own, so by all means start there. Then, turn to the other caloric black holes that might be hiding in your life.

These don’t always have to be attacked with the wholesale “replace a meal with a different meal” approach. Often, a simple ingredient swap can boost your intake of healthful nutrients while slashing fat and calories in half. You’d be surprised how effortlessly you can cut calories throughout your day. Here are a few places to start:

USUAL FOOD CHOICE SIMPLE SWAP POSITIVE CHANGE IN NUTRITION
1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt -160 calories, +10 grams protein
1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt -395 calories, +10 grams protein
Soda Diet soda -200-300 calories
Coffee creamer Low-fat milk -35 calories, +4 grams protein
Sugar Artificial sweetener -50 calories
Regular Potato Chips Baked Potato Chips -7 grams of fat

4 DON’T START TOO FAST

The biggest diet mistake is cutting calories too rapidly. This is because your metabolism is dynamic. It adapts to your current level of food intake and exercise, and it will respond to dramatic changes by trying to slow them down.

If you begin including regular exercise as well as reducing caloric intake by 1,000 or more calories per day, you will place your body in a rather large negative caloric balance. You’re undoubtedly going to lose weight, and lose it fast. Initially, you may lose 2-5 pounds per week. However, this won’t last.

YOU’RE UNDOUBTEDLY GOING TO LOSE WEIGHT, AND LOSE IT FAST. INITIALLY, YOU MAY LOSE 2-5 POUNDS PER WEEK. HOWEVER, THIS WON’T LAST.
Soon, your weight will plateau, and the next logical step is to further increase your treadmill time or to further reduce calories. But do this, and you’ll only end up losing muscle and messing with your hunger-related hormones, both of which will do more harm than good to your results in the long term. It can also set you up for rapid weight gain when—not if—the hunger wins and you engage in an epic caloric splurge.

Losing 50 pounds isn’t going to happen overnight, or in the next week, or even the next couple of months, and that’s a good thing. That rate of loss wouldn’t be sustainable, nor would it likely be healthy.

Here’s what is healthy and sustainable: 1-2 pounds a week. Some weeks it will be more, some less. It probably won’t be linear. But it’s the rate to aim for, and it’s how lasting change is achieved.

But all of this is just advise. You can do whatever the fudge you wanna do.

Keep punching and growing stronger,

Crystal aka Barbell Barbie. NY

REFERENCES
Casa, D.J., Armstrong, L.E., Hillman, S.K., Montain, S.J., Reiff, R.V., Rich, B.S.E., Roberts, W.O. & Stone, J.A. (2000). National Athletic Trainer’s Association Position Statement: Fluid Replacement for Athletes. Journal for Athletic Training, 35(2), 212-224.
Casa, D.J. & Clarkson, P.M. (2005). American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable on Hydration and Physical Activity: Consensus Statements. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 4, 115-127.

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1. Avoid junk food altogether.

No more McDonalds, Burger Kind, KFC and kebab. Junk food gives you “empty calories” and unneeded weight loss.

2. No more beer.

A tough one for many. Beer can be fattening if had on a regular basis.

3. Eat only until satisfied. Too many people eat and eat and eat even if they’ve had enough. Eat only till you’re satisfied.

4. Drink a glass of water before you start a meal. Water naturally needs some space so that you feel fuller without actually having to stuff yourself.

5. Boil your vegetables instead of cooking them, or even better, eat them fresh.

6. Go on a juice detox.

7. Get some good sleep. Sleep is vital to body rejuvenation and repair so make sure you get some good sleep and keep your timings consistent. Lack of sleep can contribute to lack of weight loss.

If you’ve got some “different” tips for creative weight loss, please share them…

As always this is just advice. You can do whatever the fudge you wanna do

Have a blessed weekend and Great Valentines with your loved one!!

Your friend and coach,

Crystal aka Barbell Barbie NY

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