Eat Right. Eat Smart. Luv Your Body.

Hello Beautiful Ones,

I hope you have read my post about setting fitness goals. This is the first step. It is important to put a plan for success in action, before you start anything, especially if it is a life-changing event. If you have not read it, I suggest reading that article.


Now that we have had our good Easter meals, it is time to get in shape for the summer and really for the rest of our lives. I want to be honest. Over the holidays, I have had too many cheats weeks, not days and I am now starting to feel unhealthy and look less fit. I refuse to go back to the old, unhealthy me. I believe getting fit is 60% diet, 30% exercise, and 10% attitude. First, I have to possess a positive attitude about my health. Next, I must consume more water and more unprocessed, healthy foods. Lastly, I must stay physically fit through various exercises and activities. I already began to address motivation issues with my article, I Can’t Get Motivated. I provided ways to stay encouraged and stay excited about getting healthy.

With this post, I want to get you started with a meal plan. Notice that I did not say “diet”, because I want to encourage you to get into practice of changing your relationship with food and instill those principles for life, not promote a temporary fix. Along this journey, you may find that developing a good relationship with food is the most difficult part. 



Courtesy of Will the Trainer



Here are a few guidelines to follow when developing a solid nutrition plan:

*This helped me to lose 25 pounds

1. More Food=More Muscle=Less Flab: Eat Five to Six Meals a Day
• Increases metabolism which will change your body composition by losing fat and adding lean muscle mass
• Balances energy
• Eat 3 Regular Meals and 2-3 Snacks Daily. Alternate larger meals with smaller snacks. Eat two of your Snacks roughly 2 hours before lunch and dinner and 2 hours after dinner.  Eat the largest meal for lunch.
• Enforces Portion Control
2. Eat Well-Balanced, Fat-Burning Food
• Almonds and other nuts, eggs, peanut butter, olive oil, whole-grain breads and cereals, spinach, broccoli, and other green vegetables, beans and legumes, oatmeal, fish, turkey, and other lean meats, raspberries and other berries.
3. Make Delicious Smoothies
• A quick & healthy meal
• Meal substitutions and a potent snack
• Add berries, fruit, whey protein powder, or peanut butter for a more satisfying flavor and it will lessen a dessert craving.
4. Don't Obsess with Calorie Counting
• Helpful to count-calories to jump-start a workout.
• Obsessing will make you lose motivation and feel discouraged or frustrated if you go over the amount of your set caloric intake.
• Focus on eating the right foods at the right time. Portion control is the key.
5. Cut Down on Empty Calories- Alcohol, soda, etc.
• Soda, Beer, Wine, Alcoholic beverages are empty calories (adds calories that you do not need) and can contribute to weight gain when consume in excess.
• Alcoholic beverages don't make you feel full; does not aid in less food consumption
• Encourages body to eat more and burn less fat
• Drink more water for hydration
• Drink alcohol in moderation.
6. Have a Cheat Meal Once per Week
• Treat yourself once a week to avoid binge eating on unhealthy foods
• More likely to stick with a nutrition plan
• Lessens cravings throughout the week
• Plan it each week, Girl's Night, Sunday Night Football, whatever works for you.
• Reward yourself for your hard work

How I make this work for me:

I created my own meal plan so it will be easy for me to stay on track with my goals. Since I have gained a little weight since last year, I plan to follow this faithfully. Furthermore, constructing a meal plan helps me save time (I know what I am eating each week and can shop accordingly) and money (Not eating out every day).


 This is a solid, well-balanced meal plan; not a diet.

Hair Kitty Kitty's Example Meal Plan

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Meal  1	Oatmeal w/ or w/o Raisins, Or Low-Calorie Protein (flavor of your choice) and can add fruit Or Mixed Fruit	Whole-grain Cereal Or Protein Shake	Oatmeal w/ Raspberries Or Protein (Egg Whites, Lean Meat, low-cal English Muffin)	Protein Shake Or Whole-grain Waffles w/ lite syrup or organic honey	Oatmeal w/Cranberries Or Mixed Fruit & Fiber Bar	Protein Shake Or Fiber Cereal w/ Whole-grain toast	Egg Whites & Lean Protein (can also add veggies like spinach) Can have small cup of fruit
Snack	Dry Nuts (raw almonds) Or 1 Cup of Yogurt (non-fat) Or Fiber Bar	Fruit	Fiber Bar & Fruit Or Yogurt & Fruit	Dry nuts (1 handful) & Fruit	Fruit & Nuts Or Yogurt & Fruit Or Fiber Bar and Nuts	Nuts Or Fruit and Yogurt	Fruit and Yogurt
Meal 2	Protein, Complex Carb  & Veggies (lean beef, fish, chicken or beans)	Green leafy salad w/ Grilled Chicken	Protein, Complex Carb, and Veggies	Protein, Complex Carb, and Veggies	2-3 serving of Veggies w/ Beans	Protein and Veggies	Small Cup of Cooked Beans w/ Veggies, and/or small side salad
Snack	Fruit & 1 cup of steamed spinach	protein shake	Fruit & 1 cup of Veggies	Fruit	protein shake	Fruit	Veggies and fruit
Meal 3	Protein and Veggies	Protein and Veggies	Salad w/ Protein	Protein Shake	Protein and Veggies	Salad w/ Protein	Meal of My Choice

This illustration below is a great tool to understand portion control when preparing your meals:



Courtesy of http://www.msvblogs.com/

Incorporate the Healthy Recipe of the Week into this meal plan.

I suggest that you try to eat every 2-3 hours so that your metabolism does not slow. Properly fueling your body also balances energy levels throughout the day, so midday you don't crash and burn. Moreover, I don't want your body to hold on to fat that you want to lose.

*** If you do not like Oatmeal, eat a whole grain waffle. You can substitute some items. Remember, develop a plan specific to your needs and taste. Remember, you have to be creative and inventive when undergoing a fitness plan.

Please consult a physician before starting a new fitness program or making changes to your diet.

Look out for my post coming soon in which I will offer the benefits of eating certain foods.

Let me know if you like my meal plan. Would you try this? Was this helpful?

Good luck on your journey to optimal health!

Luv,

Hair Kitty Kitty