Meal Planning can be really time consuming and overwhelming at first. Motivation is so strong at first that you want to change literally everything that you view is wrong. Many times, this turns into a quick failure because it is simply too much and it will lead to some failures that you are not ready for. To be honest, failures come regardless and is a part of the journey to becoming better. The less opportunities for failure the better and the bigger chance you have to reach your goals.
Here at Strive Fitness and Performance, we track macros (read more on why). This helps our clients meal planning process go a lot smoother and helps them create their own unique meal plans.
To help our clients meal plan, we preach the 3-3-3 method. This method helps with meal planning, because it takes out the variables. Consistency is key (especially at the beginning). The more variables in your meals the harder it becomes to stay consistent.
Choose 3 protein sources, 3 carbs, 3 fats. Green veggies won’t count as one of your 3 carbs, have a free for all (but still log them)
Example:
Make all of your meals with only those foods. At first, you may say “ah that looks like a boring menu”. But think about how many different combos you can come up with. Different styles of cooking, different spices, interesting pairings etc
Why does this work?
It eliminates variables. One of the tricky things with logging food is a fault in perception and mismanagement of what you think you are consuming. This reduction in variables will allow you/your client to pinpoint exactly what’s going on. Essentially, it’s a way to mess up less, stay satiated, get in all the micronutrients, and get used to eating primarily nutrient dense foods.
Once we become mindful of the quantity and quality of the foods we are eating, we have officially reached and mastered LIFESTYLE MODE and can now start to fit in the good stuff like oreos and cake (sometimes).
This has been a game changer for people who have gotten comfortable on a diet or those just starting a more flexible approach. It’s not as fun as pizza, cheeseburgers, and wine, but neither is working hard for no progress, right?
