Whether it is shopping on a empty stomach or being excessively hungry there are multiple ways that we can be cornered into making poor food choices. The wisest and fail-safe approach is to plan ahead. As the old adages goes poor planning leads to poor performance and failing to plan leads to planning to fail. This applies to our health in general. So what are some ways to plan ahead:
Firstly right down the week ‘s meals in advance. This may take up to 15 mins once a week but once planned very little thought needs to then go into meal preparation.
Buy shopping items based on a meal plan – this avoids unnecessary expenditure on items we simply don’t need.
Plan for off-focus times. By this I mean times when you may be focussing on other things and not on your health. By keeping snacks and healthy lunches packed for the day helps you stay on track.
Plan for times of temptation. This is best done ahead of time. We all get tempted from time to time to eat less healthy options or to overeat. The best approach is to plan what you will do in times of temptation. Remember that cravings resolve after about 20mins so if we can distract ourselves for this period of time often we can avert giving in to that craving.
Plan for long-distance travel. Packing snacks, water, and fruit in an eski or cooler bag avoids the temptation to stop for fast food. The same goes for plane travel. Instead of unhealthy and expensive plane food pack your own high-protein snacks such as nuts, a protein shake, or energy bar.
By following these simple planning tips hopefully we can all stay on track with our health goals!
