{"id":1151,"date":"2022-11-16T10:42:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T10:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fitmencook.com\/?p=1151"},"modified":"2023-06-29T16:48:01","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T16:48:01","slug":"how-to-meal-prep-for-weight-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fitmencook.com\/blog\/how-to-meal-prep-for-weight-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Do Meal Prep for Weight Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
How many times have you put yourself on a diet? Too many to count? Yeah, me too.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Calorie restrictions are awful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Watching everyone else eat a full meal (and maybe dessert) while you try to starve a few pounds off your waistline is not what any of us want to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And after all that, those pounds tend to find their way back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So\u2026 what\u2019s different about meal prep for weight loss? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Below you\u2019ll learn how to lose weight through healthy meal prep. We\u2019re talking about a FULL belly of food that tastes great, is conveniently ready to eat when you need it, and helps you look and feel your best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This beginner\u2019s guide to meal prep for weight loss will take you step by step to accomplish your weight loss goals. And you\u2019ll discover just how life-changing healthy meal prep can be. If that sounds dramatic, just know that I used to be exactly where you are now, and these are the steps I took to change my own life in a very dramatic way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can do this. And it\u2019s SO worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meal prep, or meal preparation, is simply preparing an ingredient or full meal before you plan to eat it. This could be making a meal a day ahead, prepping an entire week of meals over the weekend, or loading up your freezer with dozens of meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many benefits of meal prepping<\/a>, including saving time and money. But for you, those are just a nice bonus. You\u2019re here for the proven health and weight-loss benefits that include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n And, most importantly, creating a sustainable and enjoyable healthy lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meal prepping alone could give you the benefits you need to lose weight. If portion control and eliminating temptations is all you need, this could be an easy step to get you there. Prepping all, or even some of your meals, ahead of time makes it easier to manage your diet. But for most of us, meal prepping also helps us make necessary changes to WHAT we\u2019re eating, not just WHEN we\u2019re cooking. If only meal-prepping a batch of cookies did the trick, right? So, if you\u2019re really looking to pack a punch in your weightloss goals, take advantage of every element of meal prepping, including finding healthy meal prep recipes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, I\u2019m not a doctor. Your health history and calorie needs are important topics to discuss with your doctor as you begin a weight loss journey. The information below will empower you to make good decisions in the kitchen, but should never be considered medical advice. Talk to your doctor as you apply these ideas for weight loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are so many different diet plans out there ready to tell you when you should eat or to prescribe you a calorie count. Whether you want to experiment with something like intermittent fasting or calorie reductions, again, a dietician is the best person to help guide you through your specific health needs and body type. But I don\u2019t need to attend medical school to tell you that regardless of when or how much you eat, we\u2019re shooting for an increase in fruits and vegetables, fiber, and healthy proteins. A weight loss meal will be low carb, avoiding simple carbs and sugars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if you like your three square meals a day or six small meals, shooting for a non-processed meal loaded with veggies is the way to go. For a rough idea of calories: to sustain your current weight, general recommendations are 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 calories for men. So, you\u2019d likely need to eat below these numbers for weight loss (generally 1,200-1,700 calories a day). <\/strong>The internet is full of helpful calorie calculators to refine these numbers based on your age and activity level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, fewer calories don\u2019t mean you need to go hungry. Eating the right foods will help you get this number down while still feeling satisfied. So, while understanding the role of calories in your weight loss efforts is important, it\u2019s most important that you focus on making changes to your diet that foster a good relationship with food and that you\u2019ll be able to sustain long term. You want to avoid any yo-yo diets where you push yourself too far or too fast and then give up. Take baby steps in making better eating choices, and you\u2019ll find you gain momentum over time and feel much happier sustaining your efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every healthy meal prep idea needs a plan. If planning isn\u2019t your thing, don\u2019t worry, this is a lot easier than it sounds. And once you have a plan, you can use it again and again. Start small and simple. Don\u2019t overwhelm yourself right from the get-go or you may give up before you\u2019ve even started. Meal plans are easy to build on over time, so remember that the goal is making delicious meals that are convenient. Follow these simple steps start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to make a meal plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can include breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even treats. Can I say this enough times: KEEP IT SIMPLE. While you\u2019re trying to get the hang of prepping, repeating meals throughout the week and focusing on recipes that you\u2019re already comfortable cooking is a good way to start. You can pull out the chef hat in a few months when you\u2019re a master meal prepper!<\/p>\n\n\n\n After peeking in the fridge, freezer, and pantry, write out a list of everything you need to grab from the store. This is one of the benefits of meal prepping \u2013 you\u2019ll save time avoiding mid-week grocery runs by hitting the store once for everything you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re good with bargain shopping, you can strategically shop for the best deals to save money, especially if you\u2019re bulk cooking a single ingredient throughout your week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where making meals ahead of time really benefits people with busy schedules. By picking the best day or two for meal prepping, you avoid cooking on those busy mornings or evenings when you just don\u2019t have the time. And even though you\u2019re cooking lots of meals at once, this doesn\u2019t have to be an all-day event. Try to limit your meal prep efforts to an hour or two so you don\u2019t burn out. Batch cooking a single meal prep recipe can help keep your overall prep time down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a general guide, when searching for a recipe for weight loss, look for meal ideas that range from 300 to 500 calories each. A healthy snack should be around 100 calories. Again, don\u2019t let calorie counting overwhelm you, and these calorie recommendations are just benchmark targets to use as a guide. So, before you get lost in the numbers, focus on veggies and lean proteins first, and keep the process easy and simple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For those tracking the numbers, here\u2019s a sample of what this might look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Breakfast:<\/strong>\u00a0make a batch of\u00a0High-Protein Breakfast Casserole<\/a>\u00a0(329 calories) and enjoy it all week.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\nWHAT DOES MEAL PREP MEAN?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEAL PREP?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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DOES MEAL PREPPING HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
HOW MANY TIMES A DAY OR TOTAL CALORIES SHOULD YOU EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
HOW DO I MAKE A MEAL PLAN?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Write out a basic meal prep menu. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. Make a shopping list.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. Hit the store to round up those ingredients.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. Plan a convenient time to cook.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
MEAL PLANNING FOR WEIGHT LOSS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n