Meal Planning

PLAN to Succeed!

Someone told me early in my weight loss journey, "Tara, if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail."  Wow!  Those are words that really stuck with me.

If you haven't done so already, make your meal plan for the week.  If you're doing Option #1, check easy recipes for lean & green meals from B, L & D.  And then make a plan for your in-between snacks.  What will they be?  Don't leave anything to chance!  "Chance" finds us cruising through a drive-thru.  I suggest not having more than 15g of carb at any of your meals or snacks.  Having some carb is important though, so don't skip it all together.  Remember, veggies have carbs too, which is how you can get what you need at your lean & green.

If you're doing Option #2, then make a plan--like my friend Kathleen did in the above photo--for your dinners.  Make sure you have all the ingredients on hand and prep anything ahead of time that you can!

You'll find two of my favorite websites for recipes on the sidebar under "Healthy Resources."  If you're on Sandy's Kitchen, make sure you stick to her "Medifast Only" tab for lean & green, healthy meals. 

Plan to succeed!

Happy New Year….2014 is the year for YOU to get healthy.

Party Like It's 2013

Don't feel guilty about celebrating tonight! You can have fun AND be healthy while welcoming in 2014. Like always having an On-the-Go Meal on hand when temptation strikes and drinking lots of water. What other tips do you have to end 2013 on a healthy note?   (From Take Shape for Life blog)

Almost here…..

January 2nd is almost here. It's fast approaching. What should you do to prepare yourself? Well, I put some nifty tabs at the top of the blog that can help you get your bearings on the blog. Acquaint yourself with the point system..decide what activities you are going to commit to. (food log, etc…) and get yourself set up to be successful day 1. (get a notebook…etc..)
Also look to the left and see the links that may be helpful to you.  If you are meal planning (which I highly recommend) there are great links for healthy recipes there.
If you are wanting to do the meal replacements, you need to speak to me to set up your order. (It will take a few days for the food to get to you.) You can always switch to that option during the 90 days as well. (or make your own  healthy snacks 5 times a day in addition to your lean and green the whole time!)
Let's get this party started!!

Great Video

This is a great video by Dr. Andersen who wrote the books I have recommended to all of you. This is a quick idea of what our 90 days will look like. The weight loss results he mentions are based on our "Option 2"--there are no guarantees for rate of loss using your own meal plan. However, the same principles apply. Can you eat every 2-3 hours? Taking baby steps toward health. And over time...look where we arrive!

http://vimeo.com/m/81194868

What To Do While You Wait to Begin the 90 Days...

Getting Ready for the 90-Day Health Transformation

Go grocery shopping! 

Make sure you are prepared to start—have your proteins and vegetables on hand for at least the first week.  Also, have optional snacks and approved condiments handy.  Maybe you even need to spend some time purging tempting items from your cupboards and refrigerator.  Remember, “Failing to plan means you are planning to fail”; so plan ahead!

Take really good “Before” photos—both front and side.  Trust me, you will want these later, even if you are uncomfortable facing your current reality.  Taking regular photos will help you SEE the progress you are making, and you will be so amazed!

Take your current body measurements: chest, waist, hips, upper arms and thighs.  I won’t ever ask you for these, but you will be astonished at the changes in your body as you are on this journey.  Sometimes when the scale slows down, the measurement loss speeds up and current clothing starts getting really loose.

*See top tab for specific measurement instructions.

Welcome to the 90 Day Transformation!

Thank you for joining me on this 90 day transformation!  I really would love for this to be a place where there is interaction, so feel free to introduce yourself in the comments sections and rise to the challenges I'll be posting here each day.  This is going to be fun and we're going to lay down new habits.

Charlotte Mason, a British educator who revolutionized how we looked at helping children form good habits, said: "Habits are to life as rails are to trains." 

For many of us, our trains have been going down some pretty rough rails for a long time.  And they've taken us to some unhealthy places.  So, over the next 90 days, we're going to do the hard work (and the HEART work) of pulling up those rails and laying down new tracks that take us where we want to go. This isn't just about weight loss, it's about becoming a healthy person in every area of our lives.

While you're waiting for the 90 days to begin on January 2, please feel free to share what you hope to gain out of this transformation!