Posted on April 12, 2017 by Jenny Cromack
I know, I know, you’ve heard it before….but preparation is key if you want to see results! Personally, I sit down each Sunday and plan when I’m going to fit in my training sessions. I also enjoy sitting down with my recipe books, and planning my week’s food over a healthy breakfast.
Here are some top tips for planning and prep and, ultimately, so you can smash your goals!
1. Spend one day a week, planning your food and training for the week ahead. Review as the week goes on, do you need to switch any workouts/meals around due to other commitments? Look at where you waste time….is your favourite soap really as important as hitting the gym…..probably not!
2. Batch cook meals, and get a load in the freezer. These are great back ups for those days when you get home from work late and it’s tempting to grab a take away! Make double of your evening meal and use it for tomorrow’s lunch.
3. Have a ‘fall back’ day for your training sessions, so if something crops up and you can’t fit in a workout you have another day where you can do it instead of missing out completely.
4. Put your meal plan on a blackboard/notepad on the fridge/cupboard and share the cooking if you live with someone. That way they know what healthy food is on the menu that night instead of sticking a pizza in the oven!
5. Shop for the week, do not ‘shop on the go’ this is recipe for disaster as you will often make poor food choices. If you struggle to get to the supermarket then use online shopping. I actually love going to the greengrocers, the bright colours of the fresh food make shopping interesting instead of traipsing down the supermarket aisles.
6. Put your workouts in your diary and let people know how important they are to you. Make your workouts a priority and do not cancel them, you wouldn’t cancel an important business meeting, why would you cancel your workout?
7. If you eat late like I do, I often don’t eat until 9pm (or sometimes later!) then consider switching your meals around. On the days I know I’m eating late I have a larger lunch and a smaller evening meal so I’m not going to sleep stuffed!
8. So far all we have spoken about is prepping your food and exercise, but how about planning in your sleep. It’s essential we get enough sleep, not only is your body recovering and repairing your cells after those tough workouts, but without enough sleep our energy levels get zapped and that’s when we often grab something unhealthy to eat, high in sugar for an energy boost, or skip a workout because we can’t be bothered. So make sure you plan in your sleep too and get enough shuteye!